Tuesday, May 18, 2004
What Ever Happened to Fiscal Prudence or GWB=FDR?
One principle that pushes me into the Republican camp is their claim to be the fiscally responsible party. However, that seems to be a fading principle in the increasingly spend-thrift ways of the Republican super-majority. According to a recent CATO report, "Total federal outlays will rise 29 percent between fiscal years 2001 and 2005 according to the president's fiscal year 2005 budget released in February. Real discretionary spending increases in fiscal years 2002, 2003, and 2004 are three of the five biggest annual increases in the last 40 years."
Yes, we had a mild recession and yes we are at war (but remember war costs are 'off budget' items), but starting with a roughly $1.7 trillion projected surplus and turning it into a roughly $400 billion plus deficit is a joke. And unlike the deficits under Reagan and Bush, we can't point to irresponsible Democrats in control of the fiscal machinery. Where's the budget hawks?!
http://www.cato.org/pubs/briefs/bp-087es.html
Yes, we had a mild recession and yes we are at war (but remember war costs are 'off budget' items), but starting with a roughly $1.7 trillion projected surplus and turning it into a roughly $400 billion plus deficit is a joke. And unlike the deficits under Reagan and Bush, we can't point to irresponsible Democrats in control of the fiscal machinery. Where's the budget hawks?!
http://www.cato.org/pubs/briefs/bp-087es.html
