The Ever-Growing Federal Budget

[Pauldo]

The Ever-Growing Federal Budget
Rep. Ron Paul

February 13, 2006

The Bush administration released a proposed 2007 budget last week that increases federal spending to a staggering $2.77 trillion, a sum that is 4 times larger than the Reagan-era budgets of the early 1980s. With a public angry about useless earmarks and bridges to nowhere, and a Republican congressional delegation promising to restore some small measure of fiscal discipline, it's troubling that the administration chooses to ignore economic reality and increase spending without regard to revenues and deficits.

Consider these sobering facts:

· With a 7% rate of growth, federal spending will double in just 14 years.

· Federal spending has grown twice as fast under Bush than Clinton, averaging 6 and 7% increases compared to the 3 and 4% increases of the 1990s.

· The biggest increases in federal spending under Bush are not related to the war on terror or homeland security. Education spending, for example, grew a whopping 137% between 2001 and 2005.

· The projected deficit for 2006 is $423 billion, $100 billion more than 2005. The real 2006 deficit, including the $5 billion per week we spend in Iraq, will be much, much higher.

· The administration will ask for at least $120 billion in so-called "off budget" funds for Iraq and Afghanistan over the next year, perpetuating the deception that war spending somehow doesn't count toward the budget deficit.

· The new Medicare prescription drug benefit will cost at least $30 billion in 2006, and is projected to cost $1.2 trillion over the coming decade. The program creates an unfunded liability twice the size of future Social Security obligations.


There has been a great deal of talk in Washington about scandals lately, but few seem to understand that enormous federal budgets provide the mother's milk for every backroom deal, questionable earmark, and sleazy lobbying trick. Like many of my Republican colleagues who curiously vote for enormous budget bills, I campaign on a simple promise that I will work to make government smaller. This means I cannot vote for any budget that increases spending over previous years. In fact, I would have a hard time voting for any budget that did not slash federal spending by at least 25%, especially when we consider that the federal budget in 1990 was far less than half what it is today. Did anyone really think the federal government was not big enough just 16 years ago?


Neither political party wants to address the fundamental yet unspoken issues inherent in any budget proposal: What is the proper role for government in our society? Are these ever-growing entitlement and military expenditures really consistent with a free country? Do the proposed expenditures, and the resulting taxes, make us more free or less free? Should the government or the marketplace provide medical care? Should the U.S. military be used to remake whole nations? Are the programs, agencies, and departments funded in the budget proposal constitutional? Are they effective? Could they operate with a smaller budget? Would the public even notice if certain items were eliminated altogether? These are the kinds of questions the American people should ask, even if Congress lacks the courage to apply any principles whatsoever to the budget process.

[LHardy]

The Fed Budget has always been a joke.
How do you make cuts to the budget. Something that doesn't happen. They just do not increase spending.
So any talk of cuts is heralded as a cut against education and the poor. Every time it is mentioned.
So anyone here want to take the axe to the budget and cut the increases in education and medicaid and the military? Anyone?
I have read and heard it all the time . Bush doens.t spend enough on the military, education or entitlement programs.
Yet here we are bitching about the budget.
I for one would be glad to see real reform and cuts. It will never happen until we get a line item veto passed.

So all in all this bithcing is only for political postering and no substance.
Have you ever seen a filibuster on the budget? No and you must likely never will. All these guys want their pork.

[avet]

The Fed Budget has always been a joke.

True. But NEVER as BAD as this last administration has made it.

So any talk of cuts is heralded as a cut against education and the poor. Every time it is mentioned.

Again ...True. "heralded"?? Cause it is.

So anyone here want to take the axe to the budget and cut the increases in education and medicaid and the military? Anyone?

I want to take an axe against the people who make up this systems, whose wages\incomes have "increased" WAY, WAY above the NORMAL INFLATION RATE, in a totally dissproportionate, out of control, spiral.
THEIR WAGES ARE IN "NO WAY WHATSOEVER" REFLECTING THE NWO GLOBAL ECONOMY STANDARDS BEING FORCED ON EVERYDAY AMERICANS.

The NUMBERS of people IN THESE SYSTEMS: way above average
Their WAGES: way above average (in some cases, tax free)
Their HEALTH COVERAGE: way above average (some incl. "beauty" surgery)
Their RETIREMENTS: way above average (in some cases, very early retirements, tax free, paying more than the avg American makes)

MEDICAL COSTS: SKYROCKETING !!! WHY?

PHARMACEUTICAL COSTS: SKYROCKETING !!! WHY?

MILITARY EQUIPMENT COSTS: SKYROCKETING !!! WHY?
Ever think yrs ago, one single plane could cost a BILLION dollars? Do you think those costs will EVER come down? Seriously?

The costs of any\all military equipment NEVER, EVER COMES DOWN (period). Despite using today's modern FASTER\CHEAPER porduction methods.

The COSTS OF BODY ARMOUR ???? (read & try to "comprehend" the following)

So why aren't our troops wearing it? Perhaps it is because of its $2,100 to $4,800 price tag

"They" have .....TEN MILLION DOLLAR "PARTIES" !!!!

Last year the Marine Corps recalled over 23,000 Point Blank Interceptor vests because they failed, among other things, ballistic quality assurance tests. David H. Brooks, the chief executive of Point Blank's parent company, is the guy who threw his daughter a $10 million bat mitzvah, sold his stock for $186 million before recalls leaked and is now under investigation by the SEC.

How much PROFIT do you think they make per each vest, to afford that ...KIND OF B.S.?

"whatever the market can stand" .......yeah right!

Yet here we are bitching about the budget.

Your &^%$^ straight ....I'm bitching about it. If I could actually do something about it....I WOULD.

BUSH CAN....AND WON'T !

[Pauldo]

Neither will the House or Senate! You have to blame all three!