by Kerry Thomas
August 22, 2009
Stop me if you’ve heard this before: Government is too big and it spends too
much.
I know, I know.
We’ve been hearing this same old refrain all of our lives. But since the Democrats seized control of
the nation’s purse strings in 2007, and with Liberals now in control of both
the Congress and the White House, the people we’ve chosen to govern our
Republic have turned up the flames fueling this smoldering cauldron of debt
even beyond maximum.
And now, on Friday August 21, the Obama White House announced
that over the next ten years America will spend
another $9 Trillion over and above what we collect in taxes and other payments
to the federal government. This up from
the $7.108
Trillion in deficit spending they had announced just weeks ago.
Maybe
they haven’t heard there’s a recession?
Borrow and spend, borrow and spend. This seems to be Barack Hussein Obama’s modus operandi. And why not? It’s not his
money. Besides, it’s just one more
thing he can blame on President George W. Bush. Obama inherited this mess, right?
When Barack Hussein
Obama became President of the United States on January 20, 2009, he assumed
responsibility for all matters concerning the United States, good as well as
bad. He didn’t inherit anything. Responsibility comes with the job.
On January 20, 2009,
the official U.S. public debt was $10,626,877,048,913.08, according to the Bureau of the Public Debt. As of August 20, 2009, that debt has climbed
to $11,720,828,555,380.16, an increase of $1,093,951,506,467.08 (more than
10%) in our national debt in just seven
months.
It’s being reported that the Obama White House will lower the official deficit
forecast for this fiscal year, which ends September 30, from $1.84 trillion to
$1.58 trillion, after removing $250 billion that had been set aside as part of
the bank bailout program. So America
only spent a Trillion and a half more than we took in this year.
These loony
Liberals – they’re so responsible when it comes to spending your hard earned
money, aren’t they?
Let’s
see. Thee was the $700 Billion
Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) bailout of the banks (more formally known
as the Emergency
Economic Stabilization Act of 2008), now minus the $250 Billion above.
There was the $787
Billion “stimulus bill” (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act) that was rushed through
Congress in such an emergency that no one bothered to read the bill before they
voted on it. We were told that
America’s economy was under such a severe threat that, unless this stimulus was
passed right away, the unemployment rate would rise to 8%. The stimulus bill was passed – and the unemployment rate is now 9.5%
and headed for double digits. According
to Vice-President Joe Biden, “We
misread how bad the economy was.”
No kidding.
While the world was having a collective cow over the death
of yet another famous drug addicted freak, the House of Representatives pushed
through the Waxman-Markey cap-n-trade “clean energy” bill (HR2454:
American Clean Energy and Security Act) that
plowed through the House by a vote of 219-212 (roll call vote number 477), with virtually no one having read
the 1500+ page bill. This monstrosity
of a bill has hidden costs to you and me that are flat out incalculable.
There’s the
Billions that were spent to keep GM and Chrysler out of bankruptcy. That sure worked out well, didn’t it?
There’s the
$ 177.3 Billion emergency supplemental spending bill (H.R. 2346), which included that $1 Billion +
$2 Billion more under the ‘‘Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save (CARS)
Program’’ for buying used cars which
had to then be destroyed instead of being recycled.
And now
those governing our Republic want to spend some $1.2 Trillion more to pay for
health insurance for 50 million people they say have no health insurance, and “transform”
America’s health care system, against the objections of a majority of Americans. (see H.R.
3200 America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009)
Maybe
they haven’t heard there’s a recession?
But
believe it or not, President Obama is not to blame for all these reckless
spending programs. Neither can we blame
President Bush. No, the real blame
falls squarely on the Congress of the United States.
Recall
your grade school civics classes. No
money is spent unless first approved by Congress. Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution
says “Congress shall have power…to borrow money on the credit of the United
States.” Article I, Section 9 says “No
money shall be drawn from the treasury, but in consequence of appropriations
made by law.”
Deficits
aren’t caused by a lack of revenue; deficits are caused by overspending. Never underestimate Congress’ ability to
spend your money.
When
Congress spends your money it’s called appropriations. And the one person in charge of all
appropriations of taxpayer money is the Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee,
Wisconsin’s 7th District Congressman Dave Obey.
In
April, 1969,
the first month Dave Obey was a Member of Congress, the United States spent
$1,079,848,755.73 more than it took in in taxes and other receipts, although
the U.S. had a year-to-date fiscal surplus of $10,887,379,725.29. In FY 1969 (which ended June 30, 1969),
the U.S. had a gross public debt of $353,720,253,841.41, but for the fiscal
year actually had a surplus of receipts over expenditures of
$6,141,847,415.53. Democrats controlled
Congress; Nixon was in the White House.
By
the time the Democrats seized control of the nation’s purse strings
and made Dave Obey Chairman of the Appropriations Committee on January 3, 2007,
our national debt was $8,677,214,255,313.07.
As of August 20, 2009 it was $11,720,828,555,380.16, an increase in
deficit spending of $3,043,614,300,067.09 (more than 35%) in just over two and
a half years. Thank you, Dave Obey.
Maybe
he hasn’t heard there’s a recession?