There's lots of humanizing frames for it:
Shrinking Government.
Living within our Means.
Cutting the Frills.
Getting rid of Non-essential, Non-defense Services.
But calling this tiresome exercise in Norquist Economics: dueling "Republican Boilerplates" has made these draconian GOP measures, just "a skosh too familiar."
Indeed it has become the norm lately, for would-be Obstructionists to brag that:
"My Budget Cutting Axe, is bigger than the other guy's ...
Vote for me and I'll cut that Government waste -- to the bone!"
They gotta give the 'cons' what they want, right? ... {as in Republi-cons}
Santorumnomics, a Guide to Republican Hopeful’s Policies:
View by the Editors, bloomberg.com -- Jan 6, 2012
On economic issues at least, most of Santorum’s positions are familiar Republican boilerplate. He favors a balanced-budget amendment to the Constitution -- limiting government spending to 18 percent of gross domestic product -- but the cuts in spending he proposes don’t begin to add up to a balanced budget [...]
Righteous Rick can balance that budget in just ... 5 notes ...
Just pay no attention to the inevitable "human fallout," people -- the "market forces" will clean up the mess ... you'll see ...
Here are a few of the "old time favorites" from Rick Santorum's hefty Budget-Cutting Playbook:
Reining in Spending and Reforming Government Entitlements for Sustainable and Better Solutions for America’s Families and Future
Spending Core Principles
-- Live within our means so that America, our families, and our future generations will have a brighter future unburdened with oppressive debt and high taxation.
-- Reform and Modernize Medicare since reducing healthcare costs is a prerequisite for our long term success and economic strength
-- Reforming Social Security which is essential for solvency, sustainability, and real retirement security
Proposals
-- Commit to cut $5 trillion of federal spending within 5 years.
-- Freeze spending levels for social programs for 5 years such as Medicaid, Housing, Education, Job Training, and Food Stamps, time limit restrictions, and block grant to the States like in Welfare Reform.
-- Repeal and Replace ObamaCare with market based healthcare innovation and competition to improve America’s and Americans health, control costs, improve quality and access, and to keep and create jobs which provide resources for healthcare.
-- Implement Medicare Reforms and Innovation proposed by Congressman Paul Ryan and speed up their implementation to control healthcare costs and improve quality.
-- Reform Social Security and place on a sustainable path by a combination of reforms such as addressing adjusting CPI, dependent benefits and disability income benefits reforms, moving back the retirement age for younger workers, means testing benefits, annual adjustments as needed, and dedicating Social Security payroll taxes to Social Security.
-- Stop implementation of any remaining federal stimulus spending.
-- Freeze pay for non-defense related federal employees for four years, cut workforce by 10% with no compensatory increase in contract workforce, and phase out defined benefit plans for newer workers.
-- Eliminate funding for Planned Parenthood and use half of the dollars to support adoption instead.
-- Cut EPA resources for job killing regulations and return focus to commonsense conservation and safe and clean air and water.
-- Cut in half the number of State Department USAID employees and US funding for United Nations programs.
-- Eliminate funding for implementation of Dodd/Frank regulatory burdens.
-- Eliminate funding for implementation of ObamaCare.
-- Cut funding for National Labor Relations Board for decision preventing airplane factory in South Carolina.
-- Transition Team will review all spending cut proposals and restructuring reforms of the Heritage Foundation, CATO Institute, American Enterprise Institute, and the Simpson-Bowles Commission for additional savings.
Not to be outdone by this Puritan upstart, the Billionaire's Candidate, has a few outlandish "Boilplate" promises of his own, too ...
Just don't try to read the fine print, however.
Mr. Romney’s Missing Details
NYTimes, Editorial -- Dec 5, 2011
The biggest whopper in Mitt Romney’s fiscal plan comes right at the beginning of the description on his Web site: “We will level with the American people about what it will take to truly cut spending and balance our budget.” Actually, Mr. Romney never tells voters the full cost of his plan to balance the budget while cutting taxes: popular programs would be slashed or eliminated, vital state and local services would disappear, misery would be inflicted on the poor and the working class. [...]
Yeah but, all that "austere misery" is supposed to be in the Boilerplate Playbook, right?
Romney Presents Plan to Turn Around the Federal Government
CUT SPENDING
As president, Romney’s goal will be to bring federal spending below 20 percent of GDP by the end of his first term:
-- Reduced from 24.3 percent last year; in line with the historical trend between 18 and 20 percent
-- Repeal Obamacare — Savings: $95 Billion.
-- Privatize Amtrak — Savings: $1.6 Billion.
-- Reduce Subsidies For The National Endowments For The Arts And Humanities, The Corporation For Public Broadcasting, And The Legal Services Corporation — Savings: $600 Million.
-- Pass the House Republican Budget proposal, rolling back President Obama’s government expansion by capping non-security discretionary spending below 2008 levels
-- Eliminate Title X Family Planning Funding — Savings: $300 Million.
-- Reduce Foreign Aid — Savings: $100 Million.
-- Repeal The Davis-Bacon Act — Savings: $11 Billion. Davis-Bacon forces the government to pay above-market wages, insulating labor unions from competition and driving up project costs by approximately 10 percent.
-- Reduce The Federal Workforce By 10 Percent Via Attrition — Savings: $4 Billion.
-- Gradually raise the retirement age to reflect increases in longevity
-- Slow the growth in benefits for higher-income retirees
-- Give future seniors a choice between traditional Medicare and many other healthcare plans offering at least the same benefits
I dunno Mitt ... it seems like Nifty Ricky has the Bigger Boilerplate to me.
You're not going to let him steal your thunder are you? You deserve this!
I bet you can cut ALL that wasteful Govt Spending -- without raising a Dime in Corporate Taxes -- in only 3 notes ...
Come one Mitt, show the people what kind of mettle you're made of ...
Throw those workers out into the streets. We know you can do it.
Afterall it's the main thing on your GOP Corporate Resume, isn't it Mitt?
Let go 1000's of Wasteful Middle Class Employees Check!
Sell off all the Company assets, for parts, at a healthy Profit Check!
Buy another ocean shore mansion Check!
Your "rugged individualism" speaks for itself Romney, now get back into the game ... your sponsors, are counting on you!
... And THEY always get what they want ... assuming the GOP 'con' works, this time around that is.