President Obama outlined his long-term budget plan, which he claims will cut the deficit by a combined $4 trillion in the next 12 years, in a speech delivered Wednesday night. What do you think of the proposed budget?

Jack Baker, columnist

I don’t claim to understand government spending or the budget plans, but I really don’t know how this plan is going to work. If you’re in a lot of debt, you eventually have to stop spending in order to get out of debt. I don’t think Obama’s plan does enough of that. I agree that the government does need to raise taxes, but they need to do more to stop spending too.

Aaron Brooks, columnist

After listening to Obama’s budget, one thing is clear: old people will destroy America. Sorry Mom and Dad, but it is time to model America after The Dome in Logan’s Run. You had a chance to hold the government accountable for your future. Now, your granddaughter and I have to pay for your reckless ways. You better hide from the Sandman, because it is unlikely that Congress will cut defense spending and fix the tax code instead. “Capricorn 15’s. Born 2244. Enter the Carousel. This is the time of renewal.”

Nathan Fulkerson, columnist

After Obama bent to the will of business interests and removed provisions in last year’s budget proposal that would have raised taxes on the highest earners, I didn’t expect tax increases this time around. The budget plan’s commitment to supporting energy research, education and closing long-exploited tax loopholes are welcome changes. However, the Christian Science Monitor reported a three percent increase in defense. Defense spending has already quadrupled since 9/11 and ought to be cut significantly.

Portia Kerr-Newman, columnist

Hearing Obama’s budget plan, I was shocked about some of the cuts, but then I thought about them a little bit more. Cuts in funding for new federal buildings, the advantage of using two Pell Grants being cut down to one, $40 million cut in non-defense spending and reduced funding for Environmental Agency are going to affect employment, students and the country as a whole. But why give $18.5 billion for a new NASA exploration program? With our economy being in so much trouble, the last thing the government should be worried about is an expensive exploration program. We have a lot of work to do before America gets back on its feet. We need to reevaluate our priorities.

Alyssa Pracz, columnist

I think Obama’s budget plan should allocate more money to education. While the budget takes a good first step in doing so, it seems as if whenever cuts are to be made, that’s the first place that gets hit and it’s not fair to deny students a proper education with proper funding. Devoting more money to education helps develop a society that is more capable of dealing with all of the other problems that America faces.