I just sent the following email to both senators and my congressman. This doesn't fix everything, but it gets it started.
__________
Dear Sir:
Since nobody in Washington seems to know how to cut spending, I thought I would offer a few constructive suggestions. I run a rural, not for profit 65 bed nursing home. When I am faced with pending cuts, I have to make hard choices. It is from the perspective of having to live within our means and 38 years of experience that this advice comes from.
1. Place an immediate freeze on all hiring of federal employees.
2. Place an immediate freeze on the total compensation package of all federal employees including salaries and all other perks and benefits.
3. Order an immediate reduction of federal employees [non military] by a percentage equal to the current U3 national unemployment number [e.g 7.8%]
4. When I refer to "federal employee" I mean that literally for all three branches of government.
5. Lastly, I would compel the President to reduce non payroll related expenditures [non military] in every federal agency across the board by 10% of actual dollars spent in the previous fiscal year.
All of these cuts would be in the context of maintaining the same type, quality and quantity of services to the American people. Quite frankly, this is precisely what I am being asked to do as federal dollars are shrinking for nursing homes. If this process can get started in Washington, then maybe we can start to get a grip on our economy again. If Federal bureaucrats are not up to this task, then I suggest that we bring in some business leaders in and help them.
I am not joking. This is not sarcasm, and this is a serious communication. Thank you for taking the time to review this.
__________
Dear Sir:
Since nobody in Washington seems to know how to cut spending, I thought I would offer a few constructive suggestions. I run a rural, not for profit 65 bed nursing home. When I am faced with pending cuts, I have to make hard choices. It is from the perspective of having to live within our means and 38 years of experience that this advice comes from.
1. Place an immediate freeze on all hiring of federal employees.
2. Place an immediate freeze on the total compensation package of all federal employees including salaries and all other perks and benefits.
3. Order an immediate reduction of federal employees [non military] by a percentage equal to the current U3 national unemployment number [e.g 7.8%]
4. When I refer to "federal employee" I mean that literally for all three branches of government.
5. Lastly, I would compel the President to reduce non payroll related expenditures [non military] in every federal agency across the board by 10% of actual dollars spent in the previous fiscal year.
All of these cuts would be in the context of maintaining the same type, quality and quantity of services to the American people. Quite frankly, this is precisely what I am being asked to do as federal dollars are shrinking for nursing homes. If this process can get started in Washington, then maybe we can start to get a grip on our economy again. If Federal bureaucrats are not up to this task, then I suggest that we bring in some business leaders in and help them.
I am not joking. This is not sarcasm, and this is a serious communication. Thank you for taking the time to review this.