How would you fix the United States' budget problem?

[Divair]

Stop producing the Penny, and replace the $1 and $2 bills with $1 and $2 coins

That would hardly fix the entire budget.

[Bonface]

- Less regulation of business, particularly healthcare, to allow greater competition and dramatically reduced costs.

Also life expectancies.

How would allowing health insurance companies to compete across state lines, for example, lower life expectancy?

[Orleania]

I would cut farm subsidies, listen to what the Joint Chiefs really want and need for the military, cut politicians salaries by 40%, and enact the Buffet Rule. After that I would pull out the Middle East because we all know that's killing the budget, then call in our debts from Africa and Europe, and cut tax breaks from the wealthy.

[Big Jim P]

Legalize all vices and tax the hell out of them, quit spending money on foreign aid, quit spending our money being the worlds policeman, that ought to do for a start.

[Laerod]

Also life expectancies.

How would allowing health insurance companies to compete across state lines, for example, lower life expectancy?

When you state "less regulation", it doesn't only mean allowing insurance companies to compete across state lines. Less regulation and government oversight will make getting quality healthcare harder. US healthcare is already pretty shitty compared to "socialist" systems, and the rather low life expectancy for an industrialized nation is one indicator for such.

[Ifreann]

- Less regulation of business, particularly healthcare, to allow greater competition and dramatically reduced costs.

Also life expectancies.

More dead people: More soylent green.

[Laerod]

Also life expectancies.

More dead people: More soylent green.

But Americans are bad for my cholesterol =(

[Czechanada]

I have a very simple five step plan.

1. Reduce military spending by 50%. Yes, vague, but a committee can deal with selecting what has to go.
2. Close all tax loopholes.
3. Increase taxes on the rich to about 55-60%.
4. Replace the entire healthcare clusterfuck with a streamlined universal healthcare plan.
5. Using the money that the military doesn't have any more, start public works programs.

You officially are now the eternal God-Emperor of Earth.

[Divair]

I have a very simple five step plan.

1. Reduce military spending by 50%. Yes, vague, but a committee can deal with selecting what has to go.
2. Close all tax loopholes.
3. Increase taxes on the rich to about 55-60%.
4. Replace the entire healthcare clusterfuck with a streamlined universal healthcare plan.
5. Using the money that the military doesn't have any more, start public works programs.

You are now officially the eternal God-Emperor of Earth.

I'm assuming I should interpret that as "Nice plan, dude"?

[Bonface]

When you state "less regulation", it doesn't only mean allowing insurance companies to compete across state lines.

Actually, in this case it more or less did.

[Laerod]

When you state "less regulation", it doesn't only mean allowing insurance companies to compete across state lines.

Actually, in this case it more or less did.

We can't read your mind. When you say something, we generally assume it means what you said, not what you thought about when typing it up.

[Bonface]

Actually, in this case it more or less did.

We can't read your mind. When you say something, we generally assume it means what you said, not what you thought about when typing it up.

I said less regulation. That doesn't mean I'm against sensible regulation, such as those which improve quality, but the fact is that there are many, many regulations on business - healthcare amongst them - that simply serve to drive up costs and make competition harder (perhaps on purpose) while doing little good.

If you were unsure exactly which regulations I was talking about, perhaps you should have asked instead of just assuming.

[Mad hatters in jeans]

Drugs ya'l, lots a money in drugs. Legalise and take over sales of it (all of them). smash druglords powers in one go.

[Czechanada]

You are now officially the eternal God-Emperor of Earth.

I'm assuming I should interpret that as "Nice plan, dude"?

Yep.

[Divair]

I'm assuming I should interpret that as "Nice plan, dude"?

Yep.

Thank you.

[Czechanada]

Also, remove the tax exemptions from churches and other religious organizations.

[Divair]

Also, remove the tax exemptions from churches and other religious organizations.

Something many of us advocate. If some religious organizations are indeed non-profit, they can apply for it like everyone else.