Minimum cuts to the defense budget should be $100 billion. BTW, starinvestor- having worked in the welfare department here in San Diego County, I do sympathize with your point of view- I saw some stupid shit I wish I could have done something about. Cash payments (actual welfare) probably need to be reformed and probably cut- and 100% tied to job training or skill enhancement. Food Stamps and Medicare/Medicaid are more difficult conundrums, and I think should be cut only after the defense budget is cut. For one, it would be difficult to have a healthy workforce if they dont get enough nutritious food. Second, Food Stamps are actually a plus for the economy, since they usually get spent 100%. They are much more effective than tax cuts for upper income brackets. The point is, the Bush/Obama tax cuts should expire, and tax rates should go back to Clinton-era levels. Cut out a bunch of shit, redirect it towards infrastructure/education. Oh, and we need to start making the Red states put their money where their mouth is: No more pork. Limit every state's federal aid to the level they send to the federal government. Period. No more of states like South Carolina railing against "San Francisco Liberals" while at the same time living off the largess of revenues from San Francisco and the rest of California. That has to stop.