Bush proposes first $3 trillion budget

[dex]

Details of the budget here:
Budget FY 2009 - The Budget Documents

about 1 trillion in discretionary spending.

 

[DallasGuy]

Any cost estimates on what nationalized health care would cost? I think this budget would look minute if that beast comes to life...........

Just in the last 6-8 years I've completely changed my thinking on government spending. I used to think that no spending increase was good or should be encouraged....in other words, we should have less government. Now that Bush has pushed us into the Iraq war and we have billions going to that with no end in sight, I figure "heck, we're going to spend record amounts of money anyway, why not eliminate the wasteful spending on the Iraq war and at least spend it on something that will benefit our own people". Perhaps health care. Perhaps research into making our country energy independent...or something else. What's so bad about supporting our own people? Face it, the money is always going to be spent in record amounts by our government so why not spend it at home?

 

[FinanceDude]

Just in the last 6-8 years I've completely changed my thinking on government spending. I used to think that no spending increase was good or should be encouraged....in other words, we should have less government. Now that Bush has pushed us into the Iraq war and we have billions going to that with no end in sight, I figure "heck, we're going to spend record amounts of money anyway, why not eliminate the wasteful spending on the Iraq war and at least spend it on something that will benefit our own people". Perhaps health care. Perhaps research into making our country energy independent...or something else. What's so bad about supporting our own people? Face it, the money is always going to be spent in record amounts by our government so why not spend it at home?

I'll agree on the energy thing. When I heard a couple weeks ago that we asked Saudi Arabia to pump more oil, and their response was to "think about it" ,and then decide not to.........if I was President I would tell them to "pound sand"............

 

[armor99]

I'll agree on the energy thing. When I heard a couple weeks ago that we asked Saudi Arabia to pump more oil, and their response was to "think about it" ,and then decide not to.........if I was President I would tell them to "pound sand"............

Ok.... now here is something that I did reseach on that I was completely blown away by. Fist off, was how little oil we actually get from OPEC countries. For example, we actually get more oil every year from Mexico, than from Saudi Arabia. I also did some checking, and about 1/4 of all the oil that we need every year comes from all OPEC countries combined. (Check on the DOE website if you want to check the stats) I think that as a nation we should be able to overcome the 25% from OPEC from somewhere else. I see this as being an achievable goal.

 

[FinanceDude]

Ok.... now here is something that I did reseach on that I was completely blown away by. Fist off, was how little oil we actually get from OPEC countries. For example, we actually get more oil every year from Mexico, than from Saudi Arabia. I also did some checking, and about 1/4 of all the oil that we need every year comes from all OPEC countries combined. (Check on the DOE website if you want to check the stats) I think that as a nation we should be able to overcome the 25% from OPEC from somewhere else. I see this as being an achievable goal.

That may increase with oil from Iraq..........

 

[Wags]

I must have failed my government class in high school, doesn't CONGRESS approve the budget? I am failrysure the President can put forth any budget he or she wants, but it STILL has to be approved, right??

If so,there will be a lot of changes. Plus, there will be a LOT of changes going forward, regardless of who gets in the White House.

Any cost estimates on what nationalized health care would cost? I think this budget would look minute if that beast comes to life...........

And that's why the Dems and some of the Reps like Sen Judd Gregg are saying NO to Old George W's proposed $3 trillion budget.

Bush unveils $3.1 trillion budget proposal with tax cuts - Feb. 4, 2008

Even some Republicans faulted Bush's budget sleight of hand.

"They've obviously played an inordinate number of games to try to make it look better," Sen. Judd Gregg, the top Republican on the Budget Committee, said in an interview with The Associated Press.

"Let's face it. This budget is done with the understanding that nobody's going to be taking a long, hard look at it," said Gregg, R-N.H.

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I agree with Dallas Guy if they are going to be spending billions on the Iraq War then they might as well spend those billions here at home taking care of our citizens. Our borders, our airports and our seaports need to be secured maybe some of those billions could be spent there.

GOD BLESS US ALL

 

[dex]

Ok.... now here is something that I did reseach on that I was completely blown away by. Fist off, was how little oil we actually get from OPEC countries. For example, we actually get more oil every year from Mexico, than from Saudi Arabia. I also did some checking, and about 1/4 of all the oil that we need every year comes from all OPEC countries combined. (Check on the DOE website if you want to check the stats) I think that as a nation we should be able to overcome the 25% from OPEC from somewhere else. I see this as being an achievable goal.

Isn't a supply/demand thing - not where we get the oil.
World output larger than world demand = failing world oil prices

In theory the USA could buy all it's oil from non middle east countries. This is not a good idea because it might cause a regional imbalance in the supply demand equation.

Where the USA gets it oil is often determined by where the oil is needed in the USA. For example, some of the Alaska oil might go to Japan because it isn't needed on the west coast when it is available. If the USA needed oil on the east coast then it might come from the middle east.

Another factor is the type of oil - the USA wants oil that is low in sulfer and other things to reduce polution. The oil from the Middle east is some of the best oil.

 

[Independent]

I must have failed my government class in high school, doesn't CONGRESS approve the budget? I am failrysure the President can put forth any budget he or she wants, but it STILL has to be approved, right??

If so,there will be a lot of changes. Plus, there will be a LOT of changes going forward, regardless of who gets in the White House.

Any cost estimates on what nationalized health care would cost? I think this budget would look minute if that beast comes to life...........

Congressional democrats have already said that they plan to put Bush's budget in the round file and create their own. And, I'm expecting that their budget will have more spending, more taxes, and a similar deficit.

Both parties believe that Americans want the gov't to spend a lot of money, but they don't want to pay enough in taxes to actually cover that spending.
I think the voters are capable of making better choices than that, but it would take an effort to explain the real choices to them, and nobody gets re-elected for telling inconvenient truths.

 

[hankster]

It seems that this isn't just a modern day problem: "The budget should be balanced, the treasury should be refilled, and the public debt should be reduced. The arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled. And the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed, lest we become bankrupt." Cicero, 63 B.C.

 

[Retire Soon]

Americans will experience intense deprivation if and when we decide to pay down the U.S. outstanding debt. But, the alternative may be far worse.

 

[FinanceDude]

Americans will experience intense deprivation if and when we decide to pay down the U.S. outstanding debt. But, the alternative may be far worse.

So, the USA could practice LBYM?? That WOULD be groundbreaking..........

 

[HFWR]

It seems that this isn't just a modern day problem: "The budget should be balanced, the treasury should be refilled, and the public debt should be reduced. The arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled. And the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed, lest we become bankrupt." Cicero, 63 B.C.

Dang libertarians...