After their landmark 1994 congressional elections where Republicans gained control of Congress , they promised to eliminate the deficit and reduce wasteful spending. That lasted a nanosecond.
They went on a spending spree that broke records. Total federal outlays rose 29 percent between fiscal years 2001 and 2005 . Real discretionary spending increased in fiscal years 2002, 2003, and 2004 are three of the five biggest annual increases in the last 40 years. Large spending increases have been the principal cause of the government's return to massive budget deficits. When the electorate started getting eneasy, Cheney made his now famous " Deficits Don't Matter' quip. Of course they don't unless there is a Democrat in the Oval Office. Then they are watching every dime.
President Bush signed into law a highway bill passed by his own party with more than 6,000 earmarked projects. The bill Bush ultimately signed came at a price of $286 billion, $295 billion if you count a few provisions disguised to make the bill look cheaper than it actually is. Not exactly holding the line.
President Bush made little attempt to restrain nondefense spending to offset the higher Pentagon budget. Nondefense discretionary outlays increased about 36 percent during President Bush's first term in office. Republicans have forfeited any claim of being the fiscally responsible party in Washington.
Tell me when a republican president has cut spending.
ὤTṻnde΄ӂ
2012/05/05 21:28:46
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Top Opinion
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Rebel Yell 2012/05/05 22:24:41
Although Clinton balanced the budget, he was not the first to do so. Prior to Clinton, the federal government had a surplus in 1969, 1960 (transition years), 1957, 1956, 1951, 1949, 1948, 1947....and before 1931 America had a surplus every year back to WW I.
While the overwhelming majority of the budget surpluses occurred with Republican Presidents, I will concede the Republican Party bears little resemblance in geography or policy to the Republican Party of 2012. In the last 50 years, the GOP has done a wonderful job of demonstrating the Thomas Paine remark "virtue is not perpetual....neither is it hereditary."
According to these tables in 2010 total outlays by the Federal Government were $3,456 Billion, down $61 Billion from the $3,518 Billion of outlays in 2009. This is easily explained because the TARP program implemented by the Bush Administration was in 2009.
2008 4,671.8
2009 5,169.9
2010 5,077.7
2011 5,294.3
Guess it depends wether you call it "expenditures" or "outlays" I guess. I agree that the main stream GOP is just as bad though. The spending of 2009 was Bush's budget and it was a high one.
As far a the infamous Clinton balanced budget- check the funds that were robbed out of Social Security those years "off the budget" Boss Hog Newt tried to take credit for the balanced budget for those same years. He shut his mouth after the SS robbery was brought up.
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They went on a spending spree that broke records. Total federal outlays rose 29 percent between fiscal years 2001 and 2005 . Real discretionary spending increased in fiscal years 2002, 2003, and 2004 are three of the five biggest annual increases in the last 40 years. Large spending increases have been the principal cause of the government's return to massive budget deficits. When the electorate started getting eneasy, Cheney made his now famous " Deficits Don't Matter' quip. Of course they don't unless there is a Democrat in the Oval Office. Then they are watching every dime.
President Bush signed into law a highway bill passed by his own party with more than 6,000 earmarked projects. The bill Bush ultimately signed came at a price of $286 billion, $295 billion if you count a few provisions disguised to make the bill look cheaper than it actually is. Not exactly holding the line.
President Bush made little attempt to restrain nondefense spending to offset the higher Pentagon budget. Nondefense discretionary outlays increased about 36 percent during President Bush's first term in office. Republicans have forfeited any claim of being the fiscally responsible party in Washington.
I am going to list some possibilities below and want your opinion is the most likely to balance the budget within four years. Not that they will do it just the MOST likely.
1.President Obama is reelected and the democrats capture both house of Congress.
2. President obama is reelected but republicans control both houses of Congress.
3. Romney is elected and republican controls both houses of Congress.
4 Romney is elected and the democrats control both houses of Congress.
5. Ron Paul runs as a thritd party candidate, elected but democrats control Senate and republicans the house.
6. Enough representitives that are supported by the TEA party movement are elected to Congress to guarantee that there will be no more debt limit increases through the house.
7 The scenario that you think would ensure the spending cuts the country needs.
Although Dems keeping control of the Senate is unlikely.
If we can agree that money is vital to make society function then you must at least consider that it's fantasy to believe we can continue to spend more than bring in at anywhere near the rate we have.
Can you honestly tell me that you believe that President Obama can or will drastically cut spending?
The unfortunate fact is that we will either cut spending or we will destroy the 'golden goose' that has made the society we have enjoyed.
If our country, does indeed survive our situation it will be done by a simple refusal to continue to spend money at the rate we are republican, democrate it doesn't matter.