We see it several times a year, any time any government budget is being discussed in public: if we cut next years's spending (i.e., decrease the amount by which spending will increase over this year's) by even a little bit, the only possible response will be to cut essential (or popular) public services.
Well!
Let's take a look at this, shall we? If the most draconian cuts involve trimming a few percent off the planned spending levels, and make it impossible to provide public services, let's play a little game here.
Let's propose cuts to each department budgets right up to the point where that department, by its own assessment, will no longer be able to provide any public services whatsoever. How much can we cut? 2%? 5%? 10%?
Let's say cutting 8% off the proposed budget would result in a complete shutdown of a department's public services. What to do?
Clearly, we give them back that 8%. They're using that money to do something important.
It's the other 92% that needs cutting.
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