Bush Beats LBJ on Spending [a report from Cato Institute]

Cato.org ^

[alessandrofiaschi]

In the latest Cato Tax and Budget Bulletin, Stephen Slivinski uses revised data released during the summer by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to make side-by-side comparisons of the spending habits of each president during the last 40 years.

While the data show that all presidents presided over net increases in spending, George W. Bush is shown to be one of the biggest spenders of them all, even outpacing Lyndon B. Johnson in terms of discretionary spending.

An excerpt from the report: "The increase in discretionary spending - that is, all nonentitlement programs - in Bush's first term was 48.5 percent in nominal terms. That's more than twice as large as the increase in discretionary spending during Clinton's entire two terms (21.6 percent), and just higher than Lyndon Johnson's entire discretionary spending spree (48.3 percent)."

In the latest Cato Tax and Budget Bulletin, Stephen Slivinski uses revised data released during the summer by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to make side-by-side comparisons of the spending habits of each president during the last 40 years.

While the data show that all presidents presided over net increases in spending, George W. Bush is shown to be one of the biggest spenders of them all, even outpacing Lyndon B. Johnson in terms of discretionary spending.

An excerpt from the report: "The increase in discretionary spending - that is, all nonentitlement programs - in Bush's first term was 48.5 percent in nominal terms. That's more than twice as large as the increase in discretionary spending during Clinton's entire two terms (21.6 percent), and just higher than Lyndon Johnson's entire discretionary spending spree (48.3 percent)."

[Rodney King]

I'm not sure exactly what point you are trying to get across with the graphs. Of course, the purchasing power of 1 dollar is less, but we all get paid a lot more. Purchising power of a dollar is not the same as wealth, as can be seen by the fact that the best time period in your last graph is during the great depression.

[Rodney King]

Spending needs to be cut; however, I am not sure CATO is sufficiently compensating for Bush having to deal with 9/11 at a time when the country was in recession. He chose to spend his way out these events; IMO, he had no alternative.

So what you are saying then is that you are a Keyensian? As opposed to a monetarist like Milton Friedman?

[SaveTheChief]

Just once, I would like to see someone write an article, or do a study, or just simply admit that nowhere in Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution of the United States of America does is mention the President of the United States.

[thinking4me]

I'm not sure exactly what point you are trying to get across with the graphs. Of course, the purchasing power of 1 dollar is less, but we all get paid a lot more.

RE:

SADLY VERY FEW TRULY UNDERSTAND HOW MONEY REALLY WORKS: The money supply is debt...Debt is the money supply in a debt backed by debt compounding interest commercial banking system... (HT)

Keep your eyes on the debt chart... debt is delusion, I am afraid.

Being paid more, why? because we're swining in a sea of debts?? ... Eventually we'll all see the result of inflated figures/salaries/expectations...

Speeches ignore impending U.S. debt disaster No mention of fiscal gap estimated as high as $72 trillion .... SCROLL DOWN

ALSO when you get a chance please read Ron Paul's article in my previous posting. Cheers

[billbears]

Uh, homeland security and defense are not unecessary items, IMO, as the eggheads at Cato think.

Uh, if you bothered to read the report (which by your post you didn't), homeland security (whatever that is) and defense are not the issue necessarily. Of course, I'm sure you'll try to explain how a trillion dollars in wasteful programs (healthcare, education, etc) are somehow tied to defense too.

[Rodney King]

Keep your eyes on the debt chart...

Oh yes, I understand that. I just don't think that the purchasing power graph is all that important so long as incomes increase at the same rate that purchasing power descreases.

[expat_panama]

OK, so today's economy is worse than the Great Depression and Bush is worse than Kerry --than Bin Laden even.

Rather than get into that (I'm all out of tin-foil at the moment) somebody please say what it is we want.   I say let's cut Social Security and price supports-- that cuts spending by half.  From what I've seen, the Republicans are doing more on this than the Dems or the Pats.

Anyone else?

[bkepley]

Cato was dealing in facts and statistics.

You are dealing in denial

Maybe you should learn something about dealing in facts and statistics.

[bkepley]

Cato is Libertarian. Some of those guys are so dogmatic they think national defense should be privatised. OK fine. Does that mean that what they are saying here is not true?

Absolutely not. Bush's number one problem is not being able to say "no". I was commenting on them including homeland security as an unnecessary expense.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Off.

[MNJohnnie]

DUH! Comparing 40 years ago with now is intellectually indefensiable. LBJ BEAT ROOSEVELT IN SPENDING TOO!!! Surprise surprise.

[alessandrofiaschi]

Ping!

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Let me spell it out for you.

Do NOT ping me again.

[trussell]

You do not have my permission to ping me. Why are you pinging people without first gaining their permission?

[Knitting A Conundrum]

Why are you pinging the RKBA pinglist in response to a post by MNJohnnie without at least including him in the ping? He's been a user here longer than you have, too...

[inquest]

Non-discretionary, is by definition, on autopilot.

But the autopilot can still be prorgammed and reprogrammed. That happened in with the prescription drug benefit. The President is hardly what you'd call innocent of that.

[inquest]

Why focus on Section 8? Subtract one number.

[trussell]

Is this person on the RKBA ping list? I don't remember adding the name.

[SaveTheChief]

Sorry. Section 7 says nothing about Bush's illegal war.

[alessandrofiaschi]

OK