toldailytopic: The budget deal: what do you think of it?

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Nathon Detroit

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The TheologyOnline.com TOPIC OF THE DAY for April 12th, 2011 09:49 AM


toldailytopic: The budget deal: what do you think of it?






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Nathon Detroit

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Budget tricks helped Obama save programs from cuts

By ANDREW TAYLOR
WASHINGTON (AP) - The historic $38 billion in budget cuts resulting from at-times hostile bargaining between Congress and the Obama White House were accomplished in large part by pruning money left over from previous years, using accounting sleight of hand and going after programs President Barack Obama had targeted anyway.

Such moves permitted Obama to save favorite programs - Pell grants for poor college students, health research and "Race to the Top" aid for public schools, among others - from Republican knives, according to new details of the legislation released Tuesday morning.

And big holes in foreign aid and Environmental Protection Agency accounts were patched in large part. Republicans also gave up politically treacherous cuts to the Agriculture Department's food inspection program.

The details of the agreement reached late Friday night just ahead of a deadline for a partial government shutdown reveal a lot of one-time savings and cuts that officially "score" as cuts to pay for spending elsewhere, but often have little to no actual impact on the deficit.

As a result of the legerdemain, Obama was able to reverse many of the cuts passed by House Republicans in February when the chamber approved a bill slashing this year's budget by more than $60 billion. In doing so, the White House protected favorites like the Head Start early learning program, while maintaining the maximum Pell grant of $5,550 and funding for Obama's "Race to the Top" initiative that provides grants to better-performing schools.

Instead, the cuts that actually will make it into law are far tamer, including cuts to earmarks, unspent census money, leftover federal construction funding, and $2.5 billion from the most recent renewal of highway programs that can't be spent because of restrictions set by other legislation. Another $3.5 billion comes from unused spending authority from a program providing health care to children of lower-income families.

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some other dude

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I think it's time for Washington to wake up to the looming budget crisis and get serious about bringing expenditures in line with income.
 
Granite

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It's a farce. Like Ron Paul said, we're talking about pocket change here. Total posturing.
 
Sherman

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Obama needs to get his head out of the sand and quit spending America's money on worthless pork barrel projects. "Family Planning" and Planned Parenthood are pure pork that America doesn't need.
 
Cracked

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Granite said:
It's a farce. Like Ron Paul said, we're talking about pocket change here. Total posturing.
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Except if there is a program on which you rely that was cut. For example, in my state they've cut the budget deeply as to affect services to those developmental disabilities. Of course this isn't federal government.

Overall, however, I think that you are correct. Some cuts needed to be made, but the elephant in the room is our three wars - that and the supposed job creating tax cuts for the wealthiest.
 
Sherman

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I agree, this whole agreement is a farce. We didn't get anywhere.
 
TomO

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Granite said:
It's a farce. Like Ron Paul said, we're talking about pocket change here. Total posturing.
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Nah, man....ya gotta start somewhere. At least that's what the wife said before we declared Bankruptcy (when she volunteered to give up her weekly bag of potato chips as a way to avert our financial demise from being $1.5 million in debt). :plain:
 
WandererInFog

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Until we're willing to take a serious look at making significant changes to entitlement programs, all of these budget debate are merely quibbling over how fast we're going drive off the cliff.
 
B

bybee

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tambora said:
Yep.

They should stop trying to cut down a tree with a spoon and crank up the chain saw!
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Amongst the other cuts, I'd like to see the Congress begin with itself!
I believe their benefits and perks are completely out of line with comparable jobs in the private sector.
Also, I have read that they will continue to have their existing health plan and will not be FORCED to join the Health Care Plan being foisted on the rest of us.
Mind you, I am not opposed to a national health care plan. It is essential that we have one. I oppose how all encompassing it is.:mmph:
 
Sheila B

Sheila B

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bybee said:
Amongst the other cuts, I'd like to see the Congress begin with itself!
I believe their benefits and perks are completely out of line with comparable jobs in the private sector.
Also, I have read that they will continue to have their existing health plan and will not be FORCED to join the Health Care Plan being foisted on the rest of us.
Click to expand...

ditto! Let's see how serious they are by setting an example rather than pointing fingers at everyone else.
 
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