Originally Posted by alvinnf We currently have a spending problem. Started with Bush and perpetuated by the current administration. Policy uncertainty and spending. Fatal! Most people dont pay taxes. If we spent less dough even less people would have to pay tax, look at it that way.

The Patriots have been overachievers the past two years. It doesn't have the talent to compensate for injuries, and it wins so much because it puts in 99% effort in the regular season and plays with terrific schemes to mask its deficiencies.

But in the playoffs a good team at 99% will not beat emotional, talented teams that play at 100%. It's what happened against the Giants in 2011 and the Ravens in 2012.

Overall, federal workers earned an average salary of $67,691 in 2008 for occupations that exist both in government and the private sector, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. The average pay for the same mix of jobs in the private sector was $60,046 in 2008, the most recent data available. These salary figures do not include the value of health, pension and other benefits, which averaged $40,785 per federal employee in 2008 vs. $9,882 per private worker, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Originally Posted by DocHoliday Let's start with the military.

Originally Posted by PatriotsReign How would you suggest we deal with the massive job losses that we know would result from cutting defense spending? Keeping in mind that job losses ALWAYS result in declines in tax revenues.

Originally Posted by Drewski Could the argument be made that by cutting the Military Budget by $X, that those Federal Dollars would be invested into another sector of the country/economy? If so, then wouldn't there be an increased demand in those sectors? I'd much prefer spending $$ on creation/improvement than destruction.

Originally Posted by PatriotsReign How would you suggest we deal with the massive job losses that we know would result from cutting defense spending? Keeping in mind that job losses ALWAYS result in declines in tax revenues.

Originally Posted by Drewski Could the argument be made that by cutting the Military Budget by $X, that those Federal Dollars would be invested into another sector of the country/economy? If so, then wouldn't there be an increased demand in those sectors? I'd much prefer spending $$ on creation/improvement than destruction.

Originally Posted by IllegalContact Like what? the one side effect of much of what is spent on defense is the jobs that get created at defense contractors. I'm not saying it shouldn't be cut, but I'm not sure there is some other place in government to spend the money that will produce any kind of return on investment spending it on entitlements is not the answer.......that's a zero ROI