"People just don't get it. The US government does not need to cut its budget by 3%. It needs to cut its budget by 50% or more."
We are in a recession/depression. Hundreds of thousands have lost jobs, lost their homes, lost businesses, their children their hopes of college, etc. In this financial state we are cutting down on government spending, thus causing thousands to loose jobs directly and suppliers to fire workers. It's been working so well that (snicker) that many want it expanded. This will result in more foreclosures, etc. But don't worry this is the road to prosperity; Greece and Spain, for instance, have had fiscal austerity forced on them and are watching their economy spiral down the drain. We should follow this model?
Governments role is to try to preserve jobs during fiscal downturns; if cutting government spending is needed it should be done in good times when the effects of this economic poison is diluted.