A shocking secret about the sequester
By Tom Quiner
The president tells us we’re going to go to hell in a hand basket if his sequester kicks in.
I use the word “his” because the sequester was President Obama’s idea.
I use the word “his” because he signed the automatic cuts into law.
Now the president says if HIS sequester kicks in, it’s going to practically shut down the American way of life. And, of course, the Blamer-in-Chief blames the dastardly Republicans.
Here’s the shocking secret that hasn’t kicked in for us yokels out in the hinterland: even if the sequester takes place, federal spending will still be more this year than last.
The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) crunched the numbers. “Only” $44 billion in cuts will actually take effect this year. $35 billion is discretionary spending; only $9 billion is mandatory spending.
That means, says the CBO, that we will spend $3.553 trillion this year compared to $3.538 last year, as you can see on the chart above.
Even more, we will spend more this year than any year in the history of the Republic, except for 2011.
Will we feel the impact of the sequester? We could, especially if the president follows through on his implied threat to withhold funds in areas that will hurt the public the most.
His “sky is falling” rhetoric, though, is just a bunch of hot hair designed to destroy the Republicans.
Mr. Obama is all about about hysteria and blame.
What a leader.
The federal budget automatically grows each year because of baseline budgeting. Baseline budgeting provides an automatic annual increase in the budget of each federal entity, with no justification needed. Any talk of cutting spending usually applies only to that automatic increase, not the overall budget. Consequently, federal spending continues to grow even with so-called “cuts in spending.” It is time to return to zero-based budgeting so that each federal entity has to annually justify its budget.
A logical, intelligent idea.
Another great idea!
Where’s a good impeachment when you need one?
Bill Clinton got impeached and it only made him more popular with the Dems.
Every now and then someone will mention that proposed spending cuts really aren’t cuts at all, just a slowing of the rate of increase of spending. I never have understood why Republicans who want to make spending cuts don’t make a big issue of this. Could it be that Republicans really don’t want REAL spending cuts, either?
This is also why I have been a proponent of STARTING with a spending FREEZE, not spending CUTS that aren’t really cuts. I believe that a freeze would be easier to sell to the public than the idea of cuts.
I like the idea of the freeze because it is clear and clean. Also, everyone participates in the pain.
Great idea! Stop the growth, rather than just slow it down a tiny bit. AND easier to convince others to do! Winner of an idea, in my humble opinion!
Excellent post. Thank you! I do not see a leader in the current administration. I appreciate your voice of reason.