Frustrations Grow as House Passes Temporary Spending Bill

Reader Comments
Back to article

Every day we hear more about the need to cut federal spending, and every day the sacred cow in Washington, D.C., is avoided like it's the cash cow there--as in contributions from defense contractors to the political parties. We spend a trillion dollars a year on National Security, more than is spent on it by the rest of the world combined. And we're the world's biggest debtor nation while we're at it.
Don't you, too, wonder why? Don't you, too., wish there were open discussion and debate of the foreign policy decisions causing extravagance on National Security while our infrastructure needs are woefully underfunded year after year--bridges, highways, airports, sewers, water mains, etc.? Aren't you just a little suspicious that the military/industrial complex Dwight Eisenhower warned us about more than 50 years ago is today more worrisome than ever? Why is Great Britain able to spend on Intelligence such a tiny fraction of what we do? Why is China's National Defense spending just 18% of ours every year? Why is our spending on Nation Building mammoth compared with that spending anywhere else you look? How can we afford, as the world's largest debtor nation, the foreign aid we offer countries like Egypt ($90 million pledged just the other day) on a regular basis?
Yes, it's a trillion dollar a year habit avoided for discussion or debate in Washington, D.C., probably for a very good reason. It, and not Social Security, is the new third rail in politics, don't you think? Sacred cow, cash cow, third rail.

Ron W. Smith of UT 4:35PM March 17, 2011

This kind can be driven out only by prayer and fasting. This is Lent. Let us pray -- and fast.

LOUIS SANDBERG of NY 10:24AM March 17, 2011

If you want to see the absurdity of the "we can't cut spending" argument, please take a minute and a half to watch this video:
http://wimp.com/budgetcuts/

Sherlock Holmes of NH 9:11AM March 17, 2011

“A man may be personally ever so well off, and yet if his country be ruined he must be ruined with it; whereas a flourishing commonwealth always affords chance of salvation to unfortunate individuals.”

Jeugenen of MA 12:38PM March 16, 2011

2010 my fat arse. Only thing we got from 2010 is STALEMATE. And while the politicians are crawling all over themselves to see who gets the biggest piece of American Pie, a few of them seem to understand that you can't milk a dead cow.
Aside from political affiliation (makes no darn difference to me, they all stink), I see it breaking down like this:
We have group 'A'. the politicos that want all the money and the power that goes with it, thereby to establish politics as a club hobby - like Bridge or Pinnochle - to be played only by hard-core politicos (with other peoples money, of course) who like to think they've really outsmarted each other (this time)... Once in awhile a scrap will land on the floor for us 'little people'.
We have group 'B' - the politicos who recognize that they haven't yet made their huge fortunes, and won't be able to get milk if the cow dies... so they pester the 'A' group for priority access to bigger scraps.
And we have group 'C' - the politicos that would love to horse whip everyone in group 'A' and group 'B', flip over their tables and take all their money (for some better causes - as yet undetermined), but they lack a meaningful long term plan, the vision to wield power effectively, and are unable to coalesce into a formidable political body because they all have their own agenda. This group will lose members to group 'B' over time. Others will quit in disgust.
Group 'D' ?? - well that's us. The citizen-powered engine of change that is driving America headlong off the cliff. Maybe we get lucky and run out of gas first.
Hooray for 2010.

Mark6dot2 of WA 7:50PM March 15, 2011

With apologies to William Shakespeare, author of Julius Caesar
Friends, Members, Senators, lend me your ears;
I come to praise Obama, not harm him.
The deficits men leave live on for years,
The life of surpluses is very slim;
So it is with Barack too. The noble Reid
Hath told you that Barack’s a budget hawk:
If it were so, we should in truth pay heed,
And frequently we all have heard that talk.
Here, under leave of Harry and the rest –
For Harry is an honorable man;
So are they all, as I can sure attest –
Come I to ask for a new master plan.
Obama gave us all Obamacare,
But Harry said he is a budget hawk;
And Harry is a gentleman foursquare.
And have we not all heard Barack’s sweet-talk?
Did he not say that we should spread the wealth?
Does this Obama seem to penny-pinch?
When everyone receives free care for health?
I think the fists of thrift should have more clinch.
Yet Harry calls him parsimonious.
And Harry is a truthful man for sure.
Obama signed the stimulus excess,
With payoffs for his unions to secure,
With other organizers: Minginess?
Yet Harry sees only a budget hawk.
And Harry’s honor seeps with all largesse.
I speak not to engage in just small talk,
But here I am to speak what I do know.
You all did love Barack, not without cause:
But now is time to deficits forgo.
O spending! Thou art fled to blind applause,
And men have lost their reason! Bear with me;
My heart is in decline much like our land,
And I must pause till it come back to me.
thebardofmurdock.blogspot.com

thebardofmurdock of NE 6:58PM March 15, 2011

shut the government down

michael of MS 6:44PM March 15, 2011

Stop travel junkets and the use of "We the People" owned, government purchased aircraft, cars, limousines and sell off those luxury assets like Air Force One, and Limousines.
Let the people who like to make up laws live by those same laws. Let ALL government employees get their own retirement funds AND Healthcare commercially and NOT from "We the People".
Lay off or "Downsize" all of the various support staff for these branches.
Stop payment on or to all external items specifically, the UN, the WTO, Planned Parenthood, and others.
Bring our Military back to within our own borders AND reduce the size and spending. Bringing the military back to within our own borders would generate millions of dollars of revenue for local businesses through purchasing of day to day living expenses.
Stop funding entitlement programs and remove them all together.
These are but a few, I'm sure there are Many, Many more.

Time to change of WI 6:38PM March 15, 2011

All the politicians do is play games. It's sickening and they wonder why everyone has such a low opinion of them.. Idiots. Republicans don't like anything that the Democrats come up with, Democrats don't like anything that the Republicans come up with. It's a lose-lose situation for the American public. What's really bad is the way they play fast & loose with the elderly and young children. It would really be nice if we could just take a bunch of sticks and whack these duma$$es every time they start playing these games. But we can't so let vote these fockers out!

Sid Ated of AL 6:33PM March 15, 2011

I understand that the deficit is over $1 trillion now.
And they are arguing over $6 billion of cuts in government spending?
That is nothing, it is a waste of time even to talk about it.
They need to be talking about $200 billion a year in real cuts (cuts from the current level of spending, not just cuts in projected increases) for the next five or six years.
Then we might eventually close the budget gap.

cfh of CA 6:29PM March 15, 2011