Resistance Begins at Ohm!

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Lack of tough decisions

First, I am insulted by a proposed $6 billion cut in a budget of 3,552 billion (as approved).
The 2010 budget deficit was $1.3 trillion. That is 1300 billions. 13 hundred billion.
So, based on the 2010 budget, the proposed cut is less than 1/2 of 1 percent of the deficit. A whopping 50 cents out of $100 that we are borrowing.

The 2010 budget was 20% more than the 2009 budget. from $3,736 billion in 2009 to $4,472 billion.
Note that revenue was up also -- by a minuscule 1%. But the money coming in is not going down, as many would have you believe. Another indicator that the problem is spending.
But here's what is really stunning to think about. The 2009 budget included the cost of TARP ($154 billion in 2009),[9] the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 ($202 billion in 2009, $353 billion in 2010, and $232 billion in 2011 forward[10]), and the 2009 Omnibus spending bill ($410 billion). And that wasn't enough spending????? We need to spend 20% more??? We can only afford to take $6 billion out???

Second, I am insulted that anyone would count the additional $40 billion in the 2011 budget as a savings. That's like saying "I'm saving 50 cents out of $100 but it would be 40.50 out of $140.00 Yeah, and it would be $100.50 out of $200. Point is, we don't have more than $60 to begin with, so the whole argument is preposterous.edit to add nice explanation from Keith Hennessey
I propose we talk about cuts in terms of the deficit,  $1.3 trillion. That has to be the target. Even the $60 billion republican proposed cuts, is just 4.6%. That's less than sales tax in many states. It should be easy-peazy.

What are these people going to do when they need to find the other $1240 billion? These are not hard choices and making them so is an insult to our intelligence.

Maybe they need to think about programs in terms of buyers remorse - "if we hadn't blown all that money on (fill in the blank) think how much better off we'd be now?" Sure, children aren't going to get so many free books, and National Public Radio is going to have to increase their fund raising another 20%. More viewer support weeks. Cry me a river. Move on and make some real decisions.

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