Steve, if you look at history during the 90's when the U.S. reigned in deficit spending and started running small surpluses, it was not lower Federal spending that got them there. It was limited to no increase in Federal spending and steady increases in revenue that got them there. Not sure this is even possible with the new hole the U.S. is in and the baby boomer problem. No way this will be fixed by E.O.s in 18 months. IMHO It would take years of focused effort by Congress and Presidents to possibly get the current mess under control.

Yes the federal government is 23% of our GDP with a bit over 3 million employees of which 600k are USPS workers, but the 3 million doesnot include the 1.3 million active duty military or the roughly 1.1 millio in the reserves.
The largest department for federal employees is the DoD with about 775K employees of which 485K are VVA employees. When this all shakes out we will see which agencies or departments will have the biggest reductions. The federal employees make up just shy of 2% of the total work force in the USA. That means to me that with 23% of the GDP the federal government keeps millions of private sector employees employed.

Bryce

Department of defense needs to lose some weight Im betting there is more lard there than anywhere else and one of the biggest cost to the taxpayers.

Did Dirt ever disclose the amount to be invested? it is impossible to answer without that information.

Many Democrats and Republicans alike would say not raising spending at least the rate of inflation is a cut.

Clinton trimmed the federal workforce 375000 or so jobs.

The new budget should be balanced, there would be some screaming then.

Does that 375,000 include the 400,000 troops he eliminated? The defense budget never increased from 1990 to 1999.

trump tariffs tanking the market, erased trillions in cap so far

https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-rates-tariffs-trump-1ca865fa6abcca716b5e7c9281ea6e07

The recent decline in U.S. stocks has wiped out all of the markets’ gains since Trump’s election in November.

Losing Bigly!!

Market recovered today what was lost yesterday more or less, should have jumped in. We will see more big dips.

But by which side, you don’t have to cut costs to balance it, they can raise taxes.

Markets go up and down. It's been over valued for a good while and a pull back is not unexpected. I'm down but up on everything I picked up today. good time to buy at a discount.

The stock market is not the only assets that are over valued, but then when people are willing to pay those prices that was the going rates are. The thing about security and or stock related assets as they are some of the easiest and fastest to buy or sell.

Bryce

Setting up to be another awful day in the market. This is not market volatility. These are deliberately bad decisions.

The chaotic mess in DC is going to run us into the ditch. It's like they want to destroy our country--but I guarantee they are making out like bandits.

Seriously did you act like this during every market correction? Get in and make some money.

Seriously, I have read your repeated posts on the market and I am really glad you are excited about your 401K balance but you have no idea what you are talking about here.

Anyone that has ever had money in the markets, and can see past their fingers, knows this is not only normal, but kind of overdue

401, roths for wife and I, and other brokerage accounts for the kids as well as non retirement accounts. Blain. your right I'm just a beginning to dabble with trading and am no expert for sure. But there have been at least 16 recessions in the last 100 years. Different causes for each but the results are always the same. People freak out sell and lock in losses, some buy when it's down and do well when it recovers. And typically the market recovers in 18 to 24 months though there have been longer recoverys.


If I were retired or close to it I would not be happy for sure. But I have 11 years before that is possible. As much as I'm dumping in I was hoping for a down turn becues I would rather not be buying so much at or near all time highs . looking at all the red stinks but it's just a buying opportunity. The stocks are the same just selling at a discount now. probably the only thinking I know of people don't like when they can buy at a discount.

Maybe you can explain to my uneducated hind end where I'm wrong. I'm always wanting to learn.


30 minutes tell the markets open and I can't wait.