Will Bush Ever Stop Spending

[RunInRed 16,487]

Revenues = Expenses. What is so freaking hard to understand?!

Bush asks for record $3.11 trillion in spending

Posted: 10:15 AM ET

Bush sent Congress a $3.11 trillion budget request Monday.

WASHINGTON — President Bush sent Congress Monday a $3.11 trillion budget request that projects a deeper deficit than expected over the next two years but projects (I hope this is not like the rest of his "projections") a balanced federal budget by 2012.

A key Democratic senator said the spending plan "will be quickly forgotten."

In the short term, under the president's proposal, the deficit for next year is already estimated at $407 billion. The current year deficit was originally supposed to be only $162 billion, but has shot up to a projected $410 billion because of added war costs and other supplemental expenses. This formal request for Fiscal Year 2009, which begins October 1, asks for a 6 percent more in total government spending.

"The primary reason for increasing deficits in the near term is the president's economic growth package and an expected slowing of receipt growth, due to an expected reduction in corporate tax receipts from recent record highs," according to the to the budget request.

The president is asking for $515 billion in defense spending, which does not yet include most of costs of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan (those amounts will come in supplemental requests later).

[channonc 466]

The president is asking for $515 billion in defense spending, which does not yet include most of costs of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan (those amounts will come in supplemental requests later).

This is what annoys me the most. We are in a war, a war the President Bush says we will be fighting for a long time. So this begs the question, why does he not budget for it?? Instead we are forced to go outside of the regular budgetary process and pay for it with supplementals.

[Tiger Al 0]

The president is asking for $515 billion in defense spending, which does not yet include most of costs of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan (those amounts will come in supplemental requests later).

This is what annoys me the most. We are in a war, a war the President Bush says we will be fighting for a long time. So this begs the question, why does he not budget for it?? Instead we are forced to go outside of the regular budgetary process and pay for it with supplementals.

To be fair, I don't think any war costs are ever figured into Defense Dept's. budget but are funded through supplementals as needed.

[channonc 466]

The president is asking for $515 billion in defense spending, which does not yet include most of costs of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan (those amounts will come in supplemental requests later).

This is what annoys me the most. We are in a war, a war the President Bush says we will be fighting for a long time. So this begs the question, why does he not budget for it?? Instead we are forced to go outside of the regular budgetary process and pay for it with supplementals.

To be fair, I don't think any war costs are ever figured into Defense Dept's. budget but are funded through supplementals as needed.

You are correct. And I understand this logic if this is a new endeavor. But we know we are going to be at war for a while. Why can't you factor this into your budget?

For example, if I was diagnosed with cancer, the first year it would be difficult, as it was an unseen expensive. However, if the doctor said I would need years of treatment, I should probably factor in my increased medical expenses into my overall budget in the next few years.

BTW- my annoyance with this would not change regardless of Administration.

[Tiger Al 0]

The president is asking for $515 billion in defense spending, which does not yet include most of costs of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan (those amounts will come in supplemental requests later).

This is what annoys me the most. We are in a war, a war the President Bush says we will be fighting for a long time. So this begs the question, why does he not budget for it?? Instead we are forced to go outside of the regular budgetary process and pay for it with supplementals.

To be fair, I don't think any war costs are ever figured into Defense Dept's. budget but are funded through supplementals as needed.

You are correct. And I understand this logic if this is a new endeavor. But we know we are going to be at war for a while. Why can't you factor this into your budget?

For example, if I was diagnosed with cancer, the first year it would be difficult, as it was an unseen expensive. However, if the doctor said I would need years of treatment, I should probably factor in my increased medical expenses into my overall budget in the next few years.

BTW- my annoyance with this would not change regardless of Administration.

The budget is funding for base administration, pay for military members, and the costs of repairing and procuring equipment, etc. My guess is that because war is so fluid that an estimation one year in advance might not be very accurate. Also, it may be done through supplementals/discretionary spending so Congress can approve the funding throughout the year to better monitor the spending.

[channonc 466]

The president is asking for $515 billion in defense spending, which does not yet include most of costs of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan (those amounts will come in supplemental requests later).

This is what annoys me the most. We are in a war, a war the President Bush says we will be fighting for a long time. So this begs the question, why does he not budget for it?? Instead we are forced to go outside of the regular budgetary process and pay for it with supplementals.

To be fair, I don't think any war costs are ever figured into Defense Dept's. budget but are funded through supplementals as needed.

You are correct. And I understand this logic if this is a new endeavor. But we know we are going to be at war for a while. Why can't you factor this into your budget?

For example, if I was diagnosed with cancer, the first year it would be difficult, as it was an unseen expensive. However, if the doctor said I would need years of treatment, I should probably factor in my increased medical expenses into my overall budget in the next few years.

BTW- my annoyance with this would not change regardless of Administration.

The budget is funding for base administration, pay for military members, and the costs of repairing and procuring equipment, etc. My guess is that because war is so fluid that an estimation one year in advance might not be very accurate. Also, it may be done through supplementals/discretionary spending so Congress can approve the funding throughout the year to better monitor the spending.

All of this will be done through the appropriations process anyway. Again, still don't see the need. But we can agree to disagree.

[LegalEagle 22]

I think that Chaney said before the invasion that the total cost of the War in Iraq would only be $100B or so. I'm thinking the largest outlay of capital would be to reimburse the Iraqis for the cost of all the flowers they'd be tossin' at us when we arrived.

He said it was much less than $100B, didn't he?

Where is our economic windfall from 8 years of Bush rule?

Where is our little tiny federal government after Bush has hacked on it for 8 years?

Our government is out of control and it is growing larger each day. It feeds on our taxpayer dollar. It needs to go on a diet. We have to quit feeding it.

[bigsixfive 328]

If you're tired of Bush spending, just wait until McCain or Hillary get to sit in his chair....

[LegalEagle 22]

If you're tired of Bush spending, just wait until McCain or Hillary get to sit in his chair....

Yeah, they may do like Bill Clinton did, and get us out of the red. I'd fear that.

What is your opinion of Bush's new budget?

Did you know he put a $70B "plug" in the budget to "hold a place" for funding of his wars knowing that the $70B was not accurate at all? He justified that number because the true cost could not be accurately estimated. Duh. Why didn't he put a figure in that space that was a legitimate best guess? He doesn't want to admit the price of his excesses and mistakes. What kind of stand up guy is this Bush?