Posted on 02/08/2005 5:35:01 AM PST by beaureguard
Yesterday, President Bush released his budget blueprint for fiscal year 2006, which begins in October of this year. It was $2.57 trillion. It does not include the additional $80 to $100 billion that will be needed for Iraq and Afghanistan.
The White House claims it cut or eliminated 150 programs. This, of course, is unacceptable behavior for those who believe that America is great because of its government. Democrats are already spinning around on their eyebrows because of the cuts that were made, and because of the size of the deficit. But make no mistake: the Democratic answer to the deficit is not to cut spending. Their answer is to raise taxes as much as possible. Oh, and cut defense spending.
Budget cuts? Are they real? Hardly. What we're talking about here is merely pennies compared to the trillions being spent on Social Security, Medicare and the like. However, Congress could save some money by eliminating such nonsense as Amtrak, farm subsidies and the Education department.
That's right -- I said eliminate the Education Department. Remember the Contract With America the Republicans ran on 10 years ago? It advocated eliminating the Education Department. There is not one single sentence in the U.S. Constitution that says anything about education children. Unfortunately, during his first term, President Bush has expanded this department. The White House's budget request for FY 2006 for that department totals $56 billion. By any measurable standard the quality of government education has gone down in the United States since the Department of Education was created. It's time to return education to local control, and to get Washington DC out of the picture.
In the 10 years since the Republicans have controlled Congress, the size of the federal government has doubled. President Bush has gone on a spending spree that makes Bill Clinton look like a cheapskate.
Unfortunately, politicians of neither party are going to ever truly cut spending. With the Democrats you get tax and spend, with the Republicans you get borrow and spend. Take your pick.
But let's concentrate on the Democrat's response to Bush's spending cut proposals. The Democratic response could have been predicted. Basically, the claim is that every single dollar cut from any government program, no matter how ineffective, duplicative or unnecessary that program is, will hurt either senior citizens, children, veterans or the environment.
Democrats have never seen a tax cut they didn't love or a spending cut they could live with. Democrats know that if they show any sense of approval for any tax cuts it undercuts their constant and relentless drive for more taxes. In spite of the temporary (they hope) inconvenience of Republican control of the congress, the goals of Democrats remain the same: Shift the entire income and then payroll tax burden to America's highest achievers, those with high incomes. The Democratic nirvana is a society where the cost of government programs are borne by a minority unlikely to vote Democratic. During every single election of the past 50 years Democrats have warned voters that if they dare to vote for a Republican they will lose their Social Security. Medicare was added to that list in the 1970s. Think how powerful the argument would be that if you vote for Republicans they are going to make you pay taxes.
Let's face it. Short of a tax revolt by American citizens, we are NEVER going to see any meaningful cuts in the size and the power of the Imperial Federal Government of the United States. It just flat isn't going to happen. It takes only minutes after that swearing-in ceremony for a new member of the House of Representatives or the Senate to realize that this is a pretty cool gig. The perks, the power, the prestige ... all very hard to give up. Within minutes after that first swearing-in the new politician will have that great epiphany: "Whatever else I do here in Washington, I've just got to keep this job." From that moment on every move, every step, every vote, every phone call, every letter, every interview is conducted in such a way that reelection will be all but insured.
And just how do you insure your reelection? You make sure that you collect as much money from the taxpayers as you possibly can, and you spread that money around your home district or state. It doesn't matter how innocuous the spending program. It can be a half-million dollars to restore Lawrence Welk's boyhood home, eleven million to spruce up the King Center in Atlanta, hundreds of thousands of dollars in subsidies for farmers in Williamson County, or a new backstop for the softball field at your local elementary school ... the money must be spent!
I don't care if you're 16 years old, or 66. You will never in your lifetime see a federal budget where less money is spent in one year than in the preceding year. The prime directive for government is to grow itself and increase its power. Nothing is going to change. The American people feed off this government. It absolves them of the necessity for responsibility for their own lives. I don't see that changing in my lifetime, or my daughter's.
NAIL THE RICH BASTARDS
Did you catch that quote from White House budget director Josh Bolten? On Monday he was talking to reporters about Bush's new budget. Some reporter jotted down this gem from Bolton:
"If you look at the president's tax cuts as a totality, the income tax, those at the upper end of the spectrum are now paying a larger share of the income tax than they were before. An example, the top 5 percent in income in this country -- that's people making above about $140,000 -- without the president's tax cuts that top 5 percent would be paying about less than 52 percent of our total income tax revenue. After the president's tax cut that group is paying more than 54 percent of our total tax revenue. So the notion that the president's tax cuts have somehow made the code less progressive is wrong. The president's tax cuts have made the tax code more progressive."
Do you feel good about that? Of course you do! There's nothing like starting out a fresh new day with the knowledge that the evil, filthy, hated rich are being punished for their achievements.
Boortz Ping!
If you want on or off the occasional Boortz Pinglist, let me know!
You Rats cannot have it both ways. Complain about the deficit and complain about some cuts. Sorry! I forgot who we are dealing with.
Unfortunately, I got stuck there and neither could I truly read further.
There's nothing like starting out a fresh new day with the knowledge that the evil, filthy, hated rich are being punished for their achievements.
** Actually I wake thinking how I can be like the rich. Don't hate imitate!
Pray for W and Our Freedom Fighting Troops
They would rather cut Millitary spending than allowing poor people to continually suck the system dry.. Thankfully Republicans dont feel the same way...
"Do you feel good about that? Of course you do! There's nothing like starting out a fresh new day with the knowledge that the evil, filthy, hated rich are being punished for their achievements."
Then I really don't remember a poor person, handing out jobs.
Who do they think the job providers are, not the government.
Bush has been spending OUR money like a drunken sailor on the last night of shore leave...And now that he has run us into the hole (debt) so far we can't see daylight, it's up to us bail him out...
He gives tax cuts to the people who are so unaffected by it, they wouldn't know it took place were it not for their accountants informing them...
And then the burden gets shifted to the States...As a result, my tax burden goes up, again...
Wouldn't be quite so bad if Bush would cut back on some of his pet peeves...Our veterans will have to suffer at home because of the hundreds of millions now going to the Palestinians...
American hurricane victims get 'new' 30 year loans while the muzlims in Asia get hundred of millions, free...(Our money)
People will get kicked off Medicaid while millions are given to Mexico to investigate why Mexicans in Mexico are killing Americans...
And the list goes on, and on and on...
Did you disagree with Boortz statement?
no, just with his grammar.
Huh?
Really? Ever hear of the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit? How about amnesty for illegal aliens? Doubling the size of the Federal Government in the past 10 years since the Republicans have been in control of the House? These three things alone are doing their part to suck the system dry and all three have happened on the 'Pubbies watch. There are many more examples to cite.
Far too many Republicans today are nothing more than Democrat lite. The Republicans now have what they've been harping about for decades; control of the Whitehouse, the Senate, and the House, along with most State Legislatures and Govenorships. I'm STILL waiting for the "smaller government" they've been harping about my entire life, just the slightest hint would suffice. They are supposed to be the party of limited government. Exactly the opposite is happening. All I see is lip service being paid to the idea of smaller, less intrusive government. The 'Pubbies appear to me to be the same spineless minority party who won't stand up for it's principles. Government is getting exponentially bigger. More and more government give-a-ways are happening. Spending isn't being curbed at all, despite firm control of the House. Meaningful tax reform isn't being taken seriously and the list goes on and on. Heck, the 'Pubbies can't even muster enough courage in the Senate to support their judicial nominees and stand up to the wacko DemocRat judicial activists despite the fact they have been presented with excellent nominees with skeleton free closets AND they have the Constitution behind them.
"Thankfully, the Republicans don't feel the same way"?
Jeez, gimme a break!
i wasnt denying that i was just simply saying that the Republicans usually tend to go for keeping the millitary spending strong in the face of social welfare. Democrats would do the opposite. Sheesh.
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