What government expenses should be cut?

Some may not agree with this, but there's a spot in Military spending that I think would benefit... Civilian contracting, DOL and some DPW services. There are jobs out there being performed by civilians that plenty of Service Members have been trained to do, and paid by taxpayers (the training, and for the Service Members to do other superfluous things other than their job). Just a thought...

First I'd like to tie political office holder's pay to the median wage of the American worker this way the better the average American does, then and only then will they be able to receive a raise. Second echoing what Cpl Fittizzi stated cutting Congressional benefits and pensions, the idea of the office that they hold was never meant to be a path to wealth and power, it was meant to be a tempoary service to the people after which the people would return to the private sector and return to being productive members of society instead of being parasites. 

I would then look at changing how the government conducts business in general. I would look at contracting to private companites to handle the delivery of services to the people. It would actually be cheaper and more efficient to hire companies that would have a profit motive that would reduce fraud and provide the people with better service where someone who is terrible at their job can actually be fired instead of lingering around and collecting a pension just because they waited out the clock (For example it is possible to conduct many DMV services here in California through the AAA and they are friendly and helpful, with much less waiting). 

The Army should cut the million redundant programs we have. Think about how many programs you have for just suicide. MRT, ASIST, ACE, MFLC, chaplain, one source, family advocacy etc. It's ridiculous. 

Over the years I have come to learn that true leadership starts at the top. Not by asking others to do something they themselves won't do as a leader but to lead by example. Our government no longer (if they ever have) does that. Our leaders in DC cut expenses like pay and "earned" benefits to the military and veterans while still doling out money to countries that hate us or increasing the "unearned" benefits to those in this country that haven't earned them. Or they find ways to increase their income at the expense of the American tax payer. Maybe if our elected leaders were a little more willing to reduce wasteful expenses and reduce their own pay, Americans wouldn't be so disgruntled and ticked off at them right now. 

In three words...ALL OF THEM! and here is how you do it:
First, do away with "baseline budgeting"
Second you give every department of the federal government 90 days to cut 10% out of their existing operating budget (excluding personnel; because they always cut from the bottom) at the end of 90 days if they have not submitted their proposals.. then they have 60 days to reduce their staff equal to what would have amounted to the 10% cut, only this time... they must cut from the "Top Down"; excluding any department heads appointed by the President, unfortunately we can't do anything about them, their fate rests in the President's hands.

Believe me, when 'THEIR".. the entrenched bureaucrats jobs are in jeopardy, they will find 10% to cut faster then it would take the Iranians to drive to the beach to soup up a phony "uranium free" soil sample.

Also, you reduce every dollar going out to foreign aide by 25 cents..75 cents is better than nothing!

When are we going to learn that we "The United States of America" can not be everything to everyone? When are we going to say enough is enough?

Our National Debt is close to 18 1/2 trillion dollars, most American's have no clue just how big that number is... well picture this... take "crisp" one dollar bills.. tape them together end-to-end ( 2 bills comes very close to 1 foot in length) do this until all 18 1/2 trillion bills are attached to each other... now take these bills and attached them to a rocket ship and start flying around the earth,.. Oh..... don't stop until you have circle the earth over 55,500 times.

Our next President will be left with a mess to fix.. the World will be less safe.... the United States will be less safe... WE will be challenged by China, who wants to replace their currency as the "world currency", if this happens, well, then, we are in real trouble. Some say it will "never" happen, I say, the weaker the US is perceived the better the chance of China succeeding.

At this moment, strength and the United States are anything but synonymous.

Unemployment, Welfare and our prison systems all need to be looked at and reformed. We can severally reduce the amount of money we give because people don't have jobs.

I have known several people on welfare and unemployment benefits who refuse to get a job because they make more not having a job then they would if they were a productive member of society.

The simplest way to go about it is cut anything not mentioned in Article 1 section 8.

Foreign aid, agricultural subsidies, loan guarantees (housing, business, and college), all public health (phase out MEDICARE), any education, SEC, lots of EPA, most of the FCC, the DEA, BATFE, FDA, and eventually the IRS.

Military side: Eliminate waste through consolidation (there is absolutely no justification for me to go to 20 different websites for annual mandatory training requirements). Cease wasteful recycling and renewable energy programs. Recall most overseas troops (permanent and temporary). Eliminate all National Guard (repeal the Dick Act). Consolidate Reserve and Regular command structures and ease transitions between them. Shift incentives to direct cash payments (education incentives are more costly, have greater administration requirements, and encourages waste in public education). Remove education assistance programs (like TA) except where needed to enhance readiness (and then funded by the individual command). I would also phase in fees for dependent enrolment in Tricare, and eliminate with dependents BAH.

The actual issue with COLA is not that it was cut, but that we are deliberately devaluing currency.

Just a quick example of your tax dollars at work.  Why are we funding this? Especially funding this type of program at a fantastically expensive private law school instead of state run programs?

http://www.foxbusiness.com/personal-finance/2013/08/09/free-tuition-for-law-school/

the government should take pay cuts, they should be forced to live off minimum wadge, just like the rest of the people. that would save a lot of money for them.