White House memo warns of budget cuts after election in areas GWB is promising to expand in his campaign

[PhillyKev 0]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=615&e=3&u=/nm/20040527/pl_nm/campaign_bush_budget_dc

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Homeland Security would face $1 billion in cuts starting in fiscal year 2006 under the White House plan

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Veterans Affairs would be cut by $910 million in 2006 from $29.7 billion in 2005 while spending growth at the Education Department would slow.

This brings to mind what Mayor Street did in Philadelphia. He implemented a plan to pay cops tons of overtime to sit 24x7 in problem areas. It successfully stopped outdoor drug markets in those areas. He campaigned on it. The the day after he won the election he cancelled the program because it was too expensive. Now all the drug dealers are re-claiming territory in a violent manner.

[Gawain 0]

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"This memo is a process document only. It is a routine, normal part of the budget process," said Young. "It merely allows us to begin the process of putting together a budget... It is not a decision document."

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Analysts said the result would be a continuation of Bush's fiscal 2005 blueprint, which called for an effective freeze in non-defense spending.

There have been blurbs on "projections" for budgets as far as I can remember, they've never looked the same coming out as they did going in.

So I try and I scream and I beg and I sigh
Just to prove I'm alive, and it's alright
'Cause tonight there's a way I'll make light of my treacherous life
Make light!

[PhillyKev 0]

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the officials said, these types of "mechanical projections" are routinely off by 10 percent or more.

Ok, so taking off that 10%, let's see, instead of slashing education 1.5billion, it will only be 1.35 billion. Instead of 900million taken from Veteran's Affairs, ti would only be 810million. And instead of reducing the Homeland Security budget by 1billion, it would on be 900million.

The point is he is campaigning on these issues being important, while planning to cut their budgets. Doesn't really matter how much he cuts them by, it shows that he's full of crap.

[PhillyKev 0]

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There have been blurbs on "projections" for budgets as far as I can remember, they've never looked the same coming out as they did going in.

That's true. And if we look at the historical record of GWB regarding budgets, his numbers have always been low. That's in terms of both his expected new expenses, and his deficit reduction, and his budget cuts.

[Gawain 0]

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There have been blurbs on "projections" for budgets as far as I can remember, they've never looked the same coming out as they did going in.

That's true. And if we look at the historical record of GWB regarding budgets, his numbers have always been low. That's in terms of both his expected new expenses, and his deficit reduction, and his budget cuts.

Big deal. These "process" memos saw the same scrutiny when Clinton, GHWBush, Reagan were in office too. The 2005 budget isn't even final yet.

So I try and I scream and I beg and I sigh
Just to prove I'm alive, and it's alright
'Cause tonight there's a way I'll make light of my treacherous life
Make light!

[PhillyKev 0]

So, it's no big deal that he has already cut the budgets of first responders, for veterans benefits and education, produces a memo, no matter how speculative it might be, that they will be further cut, but AT THE SAME TIME campaigns on these as being his major issues?

If the guy took a shit on the carpet, would you justify that somehow, too?

[Gawain 0]

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So, it's no big deal that he has already cut the budgets of first responders, for veterans benefits and education, produces a memo, no matter how speculative it might be, that they will be further cut, but AT THE SAME TIME campaigns on these as being his major issues?

If the guy took a shit on the carpet, would you justify that somehow, too?

Now we're talking about the current budget? WTF..there has been a net gain in spending in every agency for the past three years.

The economy needs to grow more (1Q04 @4.4%, beating expectations btw) if there is going to be continued increases in spending (which I do not support without privatization).

So I try and I scream and I beg and I sigh
Just to prove I'm alive, and it's alright
'Cause tonight there's a way I'll make light of my treacherous life
Make light!

[PhillyKev 0]

Ummm...did you look at the chart you posted. It shows LESS spent in 04 then 03 on Homeland Security, Dept. of defense, and dept. of labor.

So, let's see, that's homeland security, defense, and jobs that have lower budgets this year than last.

[kallend 2,174]

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There have been blurbs on "projections" for budgets as far as I can remember, they've never looked the same coming out as they did going in.

That's true. And if we look at the historical record of GWB regarding budgets, his numbers have always been low. That's in terms of both his expected new expenses, and his deficit reduction, and his budget cuts.

WHAT DEFICIT REDUCTION? He's running an all-time world record deficit with no end in sight!

"The deficit will be small and short term", GWB, January 29, 2002

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[PhillyKev 0]

That's what I'm saying. No matter what numbers he comes up with it's always low. The amount Iraq will cost, low. The deficit reduction low (negative even), funding for education, low.

[Gawain 0]

I said, "NET GAIN" (over the past three years), I should have said, "There has been a net gain compared to three years ago." Or something to that affect. Even if there is a slow-down in increased spending or modest cut (say less than 3.5%), every agency will be more heavily funded than in 2000.

So I try and I scream and I beg and I sigh
Just to prove I'm alive, and it's alright
'Cause tonight there's a way I'll make light of my treacherous life
Make light!

[billvon 3,131]

I've got it! This solution should make both sides happy:

Next time Bush gives a speech about how he's going to (say) support US veterans, they can have a text crawl beneath his speech saying "I will cut spending for vets." You could have text crawls saying things like:

Note - all the intelligence I quote comes from a double agent
When I say "small" I really mean many billions
"we will be welcomed as liberators" is a figure of speech and not meant to be taken literally
"We found WMD's" really means that a soldier thinks he found a truck
There is no evidence of uranium from Niger but it's a good reason to attack Saddam
"All" really means "most"

That way, people who don't want to be annoyed by such things can just block off the bottom of the screen.