The new Bush $2.5 trillion budget

[Phi for All]

Personally, I wouldn't mind paying more taxes if it meant some of these programs didn't have to be cut. Bush has never vetoed a spending bill but won't raise taxes to cut the deficit. What's going on here?

 

Bush's $2.5 trillion budget story

[Tetrahedrite]

Personally' date=' I wouldn't mind paying more taxes if it meant some of these programs didn't have to be cut. Bush has never vetoed a spending bill but won't raise taxes to cut the deficit. What's going on here?

 

Bush's $2.5 trillion budget story

It starts.......This is how GW Bush is going to repay those in rural areas who got him into office so comfortably. Community programs, the sick, and the poor don't really matter because they were probably democrat voters anyway. As long as the rich have their tax cuts everything's alright! To all you right wingers out there, I say try and defend what Bush is doing!

[Phi for All]

But he's cutting some of the rural projects as well. Farmers aren't going to like this new budget one bit.

 

This doesn't sound like he's trying to set brother Jeb up in 2008. He may not think he has to maintain popularity since he can't run again, but if he burns too many people he'll throw the election to the Democrats in 2008 (and the House and the Senate before that). Even if you believe he can fix the election results, does keeping taxes low really gain him enough popularity to offset burning the majority?

[Coral Rhedd]

But he's cutting some of the rural projects as well. Farmers aren't going to like this new budget one bit.

 

Farmers aren't oilmen and he's probably got most of them anyway on the religious values thing and his willingness to trash environmental laws.

 

This doesn't sound like he's trying to set brother Jeb up in 2008.

 

And he's been unselfish when?

 

He may not think he has to maintain popularity since he can't run again' date=' but if he burns too many people he'll throw the election to the Democrats in 2008 (and the House and the Senate before that).[/quote']

 

Yeah.

 

Even if you believe he can fix the election results, does keeping taxes low really gain him enough popularity to offset burning the majority

 

It worked before.

[Aardvark]

But he's cutting some of the rural projects as well. Farmers aren't going to like this new budget one bit.

 

Good.

 

Agricultural subsidies are an obscenity.

 

They result in environmental damage through over production and intensification.

 

Economic harm as they result in misallocation of capital.

 

Social harm as they divert money from other areas such as schools and hospitals into the pockets of rich farmers and agri businesses.

 

And finally, they cause farmers in third world countries poverty as markets are closed to them and their markets are flooded with subsidised dumped produce.

[Coral Rhedd]

Well argued Aardvark. Most people have the false impression of a small struggling family farm on the brink of bankruptcy being saved by subsidies. It stems from all those emotional movies in the eighties

[Aardvark]

Well argued Aardvark. Most people have the false impression of a small struggling family farm on the brink of bankruptcy being saved by subsidies. It stems from all those emotional movies in the eighties

 

Thank you, you are right, people do have a misapprehension about where the money is going.

 

Most of the money goes to the richer, bigger farmers and agribusinesses, not the smaller, poorer farmers who could genuinely use a helping hand. As subsidies are linked to production the bigger the farmer the bigger the subsidy, while the small farmer is left out in the cold.

 

(and i never did like those sentimental movies anyway )

[Phi for All]

Good.

 

Agricultural subsidies are an obscenity.

My point was not in support of agricultural subsidies. It was in response to Tetrahedrite saying, "As long as the rich have their tax cuts everything's alright!"

 

I'm starting to think maybe Bush put the farming cuts in the budget knowing it would eventually get stricken, giving Congress a way to impress their constituents. He can always point back later and say, "I tried!"

[Coral Rhedd]

 

I'm starting to think maybe Bush put the farming cuts in the budget knowing it would eventually get stricken' date=' giving Congress a way to impress their constituents. He can always point back later and say, "I tried!"[/quote']

 

That makes enormous sense.

 

What I cannot understand is why he cares nothing about his legacy. Surely this deficit spending is going to kick us in the butt later. Maybe he thinks that by the time he is finished the welfare system and they programs that keep people from living on the streets will be in such disarray that it will take years to restructure them.

 

He cut HUD funds 11%. I will be the first to admit that the program has many problems but part of the problem is inadequate funding. In my community the local homeless shelter will keep families for two years, but this is deceptive. Many people have their children removed largely because of poverty and then they no longer qualify as "families." Many of these families apply for Section 8 Housing when they enter the shelter (almost a requirement) but the waiting list is longer than two years. That means back on the street again and more families broken up. This is a poor community with a wide income gap between the rich and the poor. Housing here is just not affordable for most single parent families making miniumum wage.

[john5746]

I like that he is looking at cutting spending. He should also repeal some of the Tax cuts also, though. He could easily say that sacrifices must be made, that the economy is coming back and therefore the tax cuts can be repealed.

 

I doubt that he will fight hard for some of the cuts, like farms, etc.

[Phi for All]

I like that he is looking at cutting spending.

I'm not optimistic about him doing much more than looking when I hear he quotes spending increases based on what Congress approved, rather than on the amounts actually spent due to his discretionary powers. He's waving figures about that he's not entitled to since he's hiding the real numbers with the other hand.