Wasting your money

Washington Times ^ | 5/22/2005 | Brian M. Riedl

[worldclass]

This year, Washington will spend an eye-popping $22,039 per household. That is the inflation-adjusted highest since World War II, and $5,000 per household more than spent just four years ago. With difficult decisions ahead, government waste should be the easiest place to start controlling spending. So it isn't surprising the federal government costs 33 percent more than in 2001.

[worldclass]

Do conservatives really rule in DC?

[Abcdefg]

Nope, the Socialists run things because, sad to say, that's what the voters want.

[AFPhys]

no.

Too many liberal Republicans, still. ... I think we're still gaining on them, though...

[grundle]

This is why I voted Libertarian.

[DoctorMichael]

Bush and the Pubbies are trying to buy the Media's and the Public's gratitude and Goodwill much in the same way the Democrats do.

However, as Rush has said many times: They aren't going to suddenly start liking you and are going to hate you anyways so you might as well do what you came to do, and what your core constituency voted you in for in the first place - Reduce the size of Government.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Well, the obvious solution is to vote more Republicans into office then. This is all part of Rove's plan anyway.

[bbenton]

We need to start cutting all government social programs. Not just restrict their growth but start a 10 year plan where the benefits shrink by 10% per year 'till they're gone. The government is not our parents and the sooner we learn not to depend on them the sooner we won't crash America.
Social security and other programs are a huge burden in their government forms. I am sure profit/performance based private industry could do more with less. We would just need insanely strict independent financial auditing and real penalties for abuse like long jail time.
This will probably not happen until after America goes bankrupt. I can't see a party winning office with a "save America-give up your free pork" slogan.

[DainBramage]

There is a war going on Sherlock. Theres no such book as "War on Terrorism on 15$ a day."

[lewislynn]

Well, the obvious solution is to vote more Republicans into office then.

Right, this article illustrates the advantage of voting more Republicans into office. < /sarcasm >

[lewislynn]

They aren't going to suddenly start liking you and are going to hate you anyways so you might as well do what you came to do,

The problem is, maybe they are doing what they came to do...

[mc6809e]

Nope, the Socialists run things because, sad to say, that's what the voters want.

More than that, voters want money. If as an elected official you don't give money to voters, you lose the next election.

I don't see any way to fix that problem in our democracy except to repeal the income tax amendment.

And even that has to happen through the democratic process. Good luck.

[eno_]

So you could post a link to the declaration of war?

[bannie]

ODD, since some houses require more "services" than others.

I like a world in which people pay their own way. Each citizen should pay the same amount for the same services.

I know: What AM I talking about?

[eno_]

Oh, and on top of that, Watson, how many infantry divisions worth of armed LEOs and pseudo-LEOS does the fedGov have? If we are going to have a blatantly illegal and unconstitutional standing army, let's at least make it fight.

[DainBramage]

I guess I should have said NutBar and not Sherlock. You sound like a compound dweller.

Is that you Bo Gritz?

[monkeywrench]

Did you read the article? Govt. abuse, fraud, and waste. No accountability. It sure adds up.

That's not even counting the higher social spending....

[Goodgirlinred]

Looks to me like they simply need some very honest people keeping track of monetary expenditures on the department levels. I am not talking Defense Department level or that sort of thing. I am talking unit department type level. The unit to which each person who has one of those credit cards belongs. Monthly reports and receipts should be submitted. They should be gone over thoroughly and submitted as a monthly report of total expenditure.

As for the 25 Billion dollars, the same type of thing should apply. They ought to have my mother up there. She keeps track of every penny she spends. That is how my parents accumulated their modest fortune over their 54 years of marriage. My dad has since passed away. My mother took care of the money in our family. She pinched every penny. They started with nothing and now her assets are a modest million plus.

[eno_]

When we are 8000 under quota for recruitment, what would be so bad about laying off 30,000 armed LEOs and offering them a tour of duty?

That's just simply putting your resources where they are needed. And you call me a nutbar over that?

Why are you so married to the status quo?

[DainBramage]

The premise of record breaking waste along with the poster comments of blaming only conservatism are what brought my comments

Record breaking spending is not all due to fraud and waste, and certainly not due to just conservatives like the poster implies, hence my post.

Then comes the brilliance of eno_ and reference to LEO and quasi LEO armies and more nutbarness.LOL sigh

While I certainly agree there is a ton of waste and a huge need to create smaller government, I never give credence to an argument when it starts out attacking only conservatives.

Some of these guys come over here from wing-nut sites just to screw around and say things that make FR look bad.

[DoctorMichael]

.....they ARE doing what they came to do.......

Sad but true. I cannot dispute this as they themselves are providing the evidence of their intentions.