You can debate the merits of Paul Ryan's budget proposal. You can applaud or deride the merits of this specific cut or that.It seems unlikely to me that a budget this ambitious and far reaching would ever make it through the Congressional meatgrinder of partisan politics, dealmaking and good old-fashioned greed. That these cuts--or cuts like them in scope if not in the specific areas outlined in the proposal--are necessary seems beyond argument. I think, however, that our Congress lacks the will (and in some cases the desire) to enact this much cutting in one swoop. This proposal would represent the largest reduction in the size of government in our lifetime. That idea alone is scary to all the wrong people. I'm afraid that the goal Ryan's proposal seeks to acheive is beyond our current Congress.
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Without a doubt it is beyond our current congress and our current President. Should a bill of such magnitude miraculously make it through congress it would most likely be rejected by the President. That fact is that many in congress (on both sides of the isle) are beholden to special interest groups that will prevent them from making the tough decisions. And I'm not sold that additional turnover in congress after the 2012 election would be enough to make the tough decisions that will be facing the nation at that time. I don't mean to be pessimistic, but I just don't see the leadership in the ranks of either party.
ReplyDeleteThe next couple of election cycles (2012 and 2014) will be the deciding factor. If we don't have fiscal conservatives in large numbers by then, we'll know that all this Tea Party stuff and small government/reduced spending furor was a passing fad.
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