Some Cost-Cutting Ideas for the Next Partial-Shutdown (January 2014)

Well its the start of a new week and everyone should feel happy like little frolicking bunnies that the partial shutdown affecting only 2.5% of the entirety of the US government is over..

Many people are still gullible; referring to what once a minuscule inconvenience for some as a full shutdown but don't blame them.. Media and politicians don't create these deceptive terms then repeat ad nauseum on mere whim you know..

So everything is now open and functioning..

For another 60 or so days..

~ US Capitol 1860

January 13th, 2014 it will shut down again..  Count on it.

So it got us thinking..  What would we cut?

Instead of park rangers and museums, we'd begin with cutting the budget of Secret Service which annually is $1.92 billion

We'd furlough all those protecting former US Presidents and their spouses for life on the citizens' dime, and while we're at it, we'd furlough those protecting the current First Family too and the heads of Congress.

Funny how we're all taught growing up that we live in a democracy where we are all equal and that our lives have the same value and importance to one another..

We know the reality of thinngs..

John or Jane Doe gets zero protection-- his or her life is threatened and local authorities will shrug then eat some donuts..  If its the President..  bring out the Heavy-Duty armaments.. Flex them expensive muscles..

Its not fair.. its not right.. Its' just how it is..

So we'd slash and burn that budget as top of our list..

Next would be salaries for all Senators, Congresspeople, their staffs, the President, Executive Branch and staff, Supreme Court...

All salaries Frozen.  They're all multi-millionaires.. They'll live

All special perks and privileges enjoyed by an elected official which is paid for by the taxpayer... Rescinded or Frozen...

OK, what else?

Those 400,000 employees of the Department of Defense who were temporarily furloughed then got their salaries back 4 days later..??  

They stay Permanently furloughed..

We liked seeing most IRS employees without a job so we'd keep that going as well..

During the shutdown, we'd shut down Wall Street i.e. the stock market as well or at minimum limit the trading day to end at 1p instead of 4p...

We'd also establish an emergency measure i.e Executive Order limiting how much $$ an Investor, Bank or Corp could withdraw in a 24 hour period via shares sold..

We'd also issue a directive at the US Treasury to stop printing money.. All printing presses turned off and those workers in positions relating to such task would be furloughed..

~ Smithsonian, 1860

This means a temporary halt to Quantitative Easing and the $85 billion being pissed away monthly by the Fed..

No member of the US government including the President would be allowed to take a trip domestic or abroad using any government owned vehicle (ex Air Force One) for any purpose..  This would save at minimum tens of millions of dollars in fuel annually...

We'd also shut down most of the Department of Justice specifically relating to the Attorney General's office and furlough the majority of those who work there.

The current Attorney General Eric Holder refused to even so much as arrest and indite any major Investor, CEO banker or Fortune 500 corporate bigwig who played a role in the 2008 crash so really by closing this office, the populace wouldn't even notice...

~ Marshall House 1860, Alexandria, VA

As we said, parks and museums would continue remaining open...

So that's our idea of a temporary shutdown..

It would never fly though..  How can you scare to death or spitefully hurt the average American nincompoop if the areas of government being temporarily shut down has no affect or bearing upon their everyday life?

~ General Robert E. Lee's home at Arlington (mid 1860s)

How can you get the clueless masses riled up into a tizzy and manipulate their emotions if you don't close some aspect of government that millions of people depend upon or provide needless inconvenience for petty sake?

Yep.. how can you?