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Spendthrift syndrome
The Washington Times ^ | 9-02-05 | Cal Thomas

Posted on 09/02/2005 11:17:48 AM PDT by JZelle

Congress returns to work in a few days, which means unrestrained raiding of the public purse by wasteful and unnecessary spending will likely continue. The National Taxpayers Union Foundation has compiled a useful report on the 108th Congress' misspending. While most parents would not allow such free spending by their children in college, Congress spends with few restraints and with few complaints from those who earn the money. This might be more understandable if Democrats ran the government, but overspending under Republican leadership is something like a virtue monitor succumbing to vice. NTUF finds misspending is bad and getting worse. Excluding the growth in entitlement spending, not a single member of the 108th Congress had a net voting record that would have reduced overall outlays. Over the course of the Congress, the average House member supported $386.9 billion in additional net discretionary spending. That's up from $192.3 billion during the 107th Congress (a 101 percent increase) and up 1,760 percent from the 105th Congress' "miserly" $20.8 billion. Spending in the Senate is up 873 percent over the same period, according to NTUF calculations. Congress seems to succumb to the attitude that if rape is inevitable, members should relax and enjoy it. In 2003, four attempts to reduce spending in various appropriations bills by a paltry 1 percent were defeated in the House. In 2004, three such amendments also lost.

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Government
KEYWORDS: 109th; budget; calthomas; deficit; federalspending; runawayspending; taxes
"Excluding the growth in entitlement spending, not a single member of the 108th Congress had a net voting record that would have reduced overall outlays."

Are there any REAL conservatives in Congress?

1 posted on 09/02/2005 11:17:53 AM PDT by JZelle
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To: JZelle
"...but overspending under Republican leadership is something like a virtue monitor succumbing to vice."

That's just a silly thing to say!

The only reason 'Pubbies ever criticized Dimocrat spending is because that was an available issue to shout about.
Now that the GOP is inpower, well, the shoe's on the other foot!

2 posted on 09/02/2005 11:23:52 AM PDT by Redbob
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To: JZelle

In the House there's a handful.

In the Senate...maybe 3.


3 posted on 09/02/2005 11:26:42 AM PDT by RockinRight (What part of ILLEGAL immigration do they not understand?)
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