The Budget

The “Budget”

By Leon Howard

Let me begin by assuring you, the reader, that I am not an economist – Of that, I am most thankful! Because in watching the “economists” from both sides of the aisle, I have found many “economists” are nothing more than educated liars who fulfill the old adage: “Figures don’t lie, but liars figure!”

I am certain you all saw the “budget cuts” proposed by the Republican-controlled House that they have been touting all year for a 10-year “savings” of $2.5 Trillion. I have nothing against their proposed cuts but, if you study the proposed cuts, you will see they are programs we fiscal conservatives love to hate because they are wasteful – They are all programs created out of “political correctness” and loved by the ‘progressives’ and liberals – But because the are wasteful and, in most cases, stupid from a fiscal standpoint, they need to be eliminated! I think these programs were picked by the GOP to pick a fight with the Dems and for no other reason! I make that assertion because the House knew it would never get through Harry “Bullet Train” Reid and the Dem-controlled Senate – It is aptly named “Grid Lock”! I accept grid lock because it keeps them from spending more and more – I dislike grid lock because it is a crappy way to do the People’s business and the government is still spending too much money so, from that standpoint, it doesn’t stop the train derailment we’re headed for.

I maintain they aren’t serious about averting the train wreck; they’re preparing the government and themselves to survive it and to hell with the People!

If they were serious, why doesn't their proposal include all Foreign Aid? The "savings" for 2011 would have been over $43.6 Billion! That would be a savings over 10 years of over $436 Billion - Almost 1/2 $TRILLION! That is just one stupid program for a bankrupt nation to eliminate to get our fiscal house in order.

How about bringing home our troops from 135 nations we started occupying at the end of WWII? Why? Why are we occupying these countries? To protect our interests? What interests? The budget for this stupidity is $11.6 Billion for 2011, and, if the figures didn’t change (but projections don’t indicate that it will), we could save $116 Billion over 10 years. When this is proposed, the neo-cons just go ballistic with the logic, “We must protect our interests in the region!” Sounds logical – Right? Okay, let’s say we do have ‘vital interests in the region’, my first question is: “Which region and what vital interest do we need to protect?” Because we’re occupying 135 nations, so that’s 135 ‘regions’ and I am certain they do not have 135 ‘vital interests’ involved and I question what they deem ‘vital’! We cannot allow the neo-cons to get by with the same stupidity the ‘progressives’ have used for years to grow the government – FEAR through emotion! No supporting facts, no equate able logic – Pure, emotional FEAR!

Why not eliminate the Department of Energy? It is the government’s newest department and it has done nothing to fulfill it’s stated mission of making us “energy independent”; in fact, we’ve lost ground on it’s, supposed, stated purpose! It’s budget for 2011 is $29.55 Billion - $295 Billion over 10 years! Its responsibilities are easily divided among other departments: Defense and Interior Departments come to mind but there could be others.

How about eliminating the Department of Education? Oh, no! End schooling for our children!? No, the DOE, if anything, has retarded the education of our children and has, instead, become the “Dept. of Indoctrination”, run by bureaucrats whose goals in the production of docile slaves to the government! Less than 40¢ of every dollar ever comes back to the states for education and it comes with “strings” attached: Compulsive indoctrination of “alternate lifestyles”, “safe sex”, and a plethora of other programs serving the ‘dumbing down’ of our children! Education is a local matter and should be decided locally, with input (not demands) from the State. “To compel a man to furnish funds for the propagation of ideas he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical.” – Thomas Jefferson. He is also credited to have said, “Government closest to the People governs best.” It is an appropriate application for education too.

 And it would save us $129.8 Billion in 2011 and $12.98 TRILLION over 10 years!

How about reducing the Department of Social & Health Services from it’s 2011 budget of $885.8 Billion, to $797.2 Billion – A 10% reduction? Doesn’t look like a lot, but that would be a savings of $88.6 Billion - $886 Billion in 10 years! Lyndon Baines Johnson’s “War on Poverty” has been about as effective as this nation’s “War on Alcohol” (Prohibition), and “War on Drugs” – Absolute failure! I would have thought we would have learned from history with 18^th Amendment, Prohibition, that it is a failed policy to legislate morality! Morality is best learned from family and church, not the government! Legislating morality benefits the government, not the People! Anytime we allow the government to direct our attention from the real problems to created problems, the People lose more of their God-given Liberty! But I digress – DSHS needs to have it’s budget cut, as every other Department allowed to remain must have it’s budget cut! But DSHS’s budget should be reduced every year until the department is eliminated!

Why not reduce the Department of Transportation by 10%? Their 2011 budget is $47.1 Billion – The savings from the reduction would be $47.1 Billion in 10 years. Former Senator Everett Dirksen is quoted to have said, “A billion here, a billion there, and pretty soon you’re talking real money!” And that is the philosophy the Congress must take or we, the People, lose – again!!

My point is: Even the Republicans, who gained control of the House by promising to curb the spending are not serious; they're just "playing with it"! We didn't elect these folks to "play around with it" to garner $2.5 Trillion savings over 10 years - We must have real savings now or we'll be in the ditch with Greece! We need $2.5 Trillion cuts in spending cuts now! But we're not going to get that with either party! We have elected a Congress of sissies! They are so "sissified" they are afraid to say "no" to the lobbyists (who are nothing more than hired "bullies"!)

Washington state voters are lucky! Lucky because we don’t have to wait until the next election to change our Senators or Representatives – Our State Constitution allows us to “recall” any of them if they aren’t fulfilling their commitments to the People and maybe we need to do that to get the changes made.