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Jewish World Review
March 23, 2012/ 29 Adar, 5772
The federal budget: A game of make-believe
By
Dale McFeatters
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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
The annual budget of the United States used to be a big deal, back before whichever party wasn't in the White House took to announcing the document "dead on arrival" on Capitol Hill, usually without having even seen it.
In those days -- which now seem quaint to Washington old-timers -- the budget was a closely guarded secret right up until its release mid-morning on a February Monday.
The previous weekend, individual federal agencies held press briefings on their portion of the funding. Reporters were enjoined to secrecy -- "not to break the embargo," as the phrase went -- and agencies, in turn, pledged not to leak the contents to favored members of the press.
Surprisingly, for years both sides kept up the bargain, and at the magic hour on Monday newspapers and TV would burst forth with detailed, numbers-packed stories that had been written in advance.
The actual, physical budget was simultaneously made available at the Government Printing Office by members of the White House budget office, giddy with relief at the conclusion of months of tedious work, who would pass out cookies and pastries and sometimes dress in costume for the occasion.
There was then the problem of finding a cab back to the office, in competition with dozens of other reporters, because the budget was no small document. It still isn't. And each Washington news bureau is no longer entitled to one free set.
The budget still comes in four volumes -- this year, fiscal 2013, a handsome royal blue.
There is the actual budget, known as the "basic budget," 255 pages for $39. Then there is the Appendix, 1,476 pages for $76. And then there is my favorite -- because you can look up how far off all the previous budgets were -- the Historical Tables, 358 pages for $50. And, finally, Analytical Perspectives, also 358 pages, for $53. And if you crave even more numbers, Perspectives comes with a CD-ROM. Oh, yes, there's a mobile app for all this.
That's the president's budget. But Congress insists on coming up with its own budget, or would if it could ever agree on one. Until it does, the budgets put forward by the two parties are only resolutions. They don't have the force of law.
Senate Democrats haven't passed a budget resolution since April 29, 2009, and probably won't pass one this year. House Republicans passed one last year. The Senate ignored it. Republicans have another one ready to go, but they're having trouble getting the many wings of the GOP to agree on it.
House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wis., says, rather tentatively, that he thinks he has the votes to pass it. One would hope so, but you can't count on anything.
In his budget, the president must specify how every penny will be raised and spent. Not so the congressional budget committees.
Ryan, for example, promises great savings through tax reform, but he cannily doesn't specify the reforms. And for good reason: The reforms involve abolishing tax breaks extremely popular with voters -- the child-care tax credit and deductions for charitable contributions, mortgage interest and employer subsidies for health insurance. Taxpayers will be very angry when they hear about this.
However, to put this in some sort of perspective: The total federal budget for next fiscal year as proposed by President Barack Obama is $3.8 trillion. About 60 percent of this is on automatic pilot -- such as Social Security and Medicare -- and outside Congress' direct control.
Legislators can wrangle about the other 40 percent -- defense, health, education, law enforcement, highways, etc. -- but eventually they'll buckle down and approve it.
So what are they fighting about? The difference between the $1.047 trillion the two parties agreed on last summer and the $1.028 trillion the Republicans now want, having gotten cold feet about the larger number.
As they say on certain TV shows: "Don't you kids try this at home. These are trained professionals."
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Previously:
• 03/21/12 In Iraq, blame the U.S., but drive American
• 03/20/12 Too late, bin Laden realized killing Muslims was a mistake
• 03/16/12 Hu and Wen leaving. China asks: What next?
• 03/14/12 Tide, favored by housewives and drug dealers alike
• 03/09/12 'Spring forward' obsessives and seasonal purists
• 03/08/12 Really, no place is safe when you think about it
• 03/06/12 Putin 'carousel voting' victory
• 02/28/12 Fighter of future still glued to tarmac
• 02/27/12 Every candidate has to have a tax-reform plan
• 02/23/12 Au revoir, mademoiselle: It's been bonne
• 02/21/12 A new way of attacking food-stamp fraud
• 02/20/12 Feds don't want you driven to distraction
• 02/15/12 Putin has found can't lose campaign issue: Promoting a randier Russia
• 02/14/12 Obama's budget lays down battle lines for the fall
• 02/10/12 Filming in D.C. creates hassle for Hollywood
• 02/08/12 At Lake Vostok, Russia taps into new realm
• 02/07/12 'Granny dumping' in prisons
• 01/30/12 National Defense Authorization Act indefensible
• 01/23/12 Barbie sparks fear among Iran's mullahs
• 01/19/12 From overseas, U.S. industry is looking good
• 01/18/12 American posterior a growing problem for mass transit
• 01/16/12 Planets and roaches
• 01/13/12 Not exactly a biblical plague, but certainly an annoyance
• 01/12/12 Fewer young Americans interested in driving
• 01/05/12 Majoring in unemployment
• 01/04/12 Cutting the military by blunt force
• 01/02/12 Pragmatic look at top words
• 12/22/11 Basketball the way to Kim's heart and nuclear weapons
• 12/21/12 Speculation and wishful thinking can get scary
• 12/20/11 A third Kim has North Korea by the throat
• 12/19/11 Congress pats itself on back for budget bill
• 12/15/11 The U.S. government is cashing in its chips, literally
• 12/14/11 TSA might try trusting its own people
• 12/12/11 That $1.2 billion? It's around here some place
• 12/09/11 State Department Creates ‘Virtual Embassy’ For Iran
• 12/08/11 If you've ever tweeted, you're in the Library of Congress
• 12/07/11 Discoveries go to the core of what makes us humans
• 12/06/11 Stealing elections badly in Russia
• 12/05/11 Sometimes paranoia is common sense by another name
• 12/02/11 When the U.S. truly became one nation
• 12/01/11 Last chance to snap up a Maybach
• 11/30/11 Iran wants respect without earning it
• 11/29/11 Surprise! ‘Spider-Man’ may weave a profitable web
• 11/28/11 Italians entertain novel proposition: Paying their taxes
• 11/25/11 No time to let up on al-Qaida
• 11/24/11 Congress Quietly Abolishing Friday
• 11/23/11 Cleaning up after supercommittee implosion
• 11/22/11 Jailing minors with adults adds to problems
• 11/21/11 Brilliant strategy? Action by inaction
• 11/18/11They're going to eat horses, aren't they?
• 11/17/11 A pretend stick shift for pretend drivers
• 11/16/11 Clinton's ‘vast experiences’: Did NBC pick the wrong Chelsea?
• 11/15/11 Occupy protesters, you've made your point. Now, scat
• 11/10/11 Our vets are a national problem?
• 11/09/11 Requiem for a once-great sport
• 11/08/11 A toilet as smart as its occupant
• 11/07/11 Prerevolutionary gems in need of TLC
• 11/04/11 Feds must stop scam of stealing from dead children
• 11/03/11 Bank listens ‘very closely’ to customer lynch mob
• 11/01/11 TV that's leading the people away from ‘core socialist values’
• 10/31/11 NATO should not be a victim of its success
• 10/28/11 Iran mulls getting rid of president and presidency
• 10/27/11 Bienvenidos a Dayton and bring your businesses with you
• 10/26/11 Archivists long for Obama's teleprompter
• 10/25/11 United Nations to run the Internet?
• 10/24/11 Attention, world: You've got the cash. We've got the houses
• 10/19/11 Oil pipeline must be in America's future
• 10/18/11 U.S. plans ‘limited’ mission in an Africa with no limits
• 10/17/11 Social Security's grave mistakes
• 10/12/11 NASA's help-wanted sign for astronauts
• 10/10/11 Saving Thomas Jefferson''s chimneys
• 10/06/11 Uncle Sam's answer to deadbeats --- robo-calls
• 10/04/11 Christie should ignore jibes on his weight
• 10/03/11 Iran says its warships will head for Jersey shore
• 09/29/11 Europeans bristle at Obama's lectures
• 09/28/11 Jessica Rabbit for the defense
• 09/27/11 Russia learns outcome of next March's presidential election
• 09/26/11 Another try at leaving no child behind
• 09/23/11 This generation needs a job more than a name
• 09/22/11 In the lane next to you: A driverless car
• 09/20/11 Cloudy, cool, chance of falling satellite
• 09/14/11 Humanitarian extortion
• 09/13/11 Paging Dr. Watson; he's there in 3 seconds
• 09/09/11 Forecasting 100 percent chance of heavy metal
• 09/08/11 A jobs program at Obama's doorstep
• 09/07/11 Iran's government afraid of the water
• 09/06/11 Congress returns, tanned, rested and testy
• 09/05/11 Space nations must clean up after themselves
• 09/02/11 Osama bin Laden died a failure and he knew it
• 09/01/11 Time to retire political pie in the face
• 08/31/11 Labor Day celebrates what, exactly?
• 08/30/11 These arrestees really are framed
• 08/25/11 When in an earthquake, block traffic
• 08/23/11 A case for discretion in deportation arrests
• 08/22/11 Tough times or not, parents shell out for school
• 08/18/11 Being unpleasant for fun, profit, promotion
• 08/17/11 Time to prepare for the end game in Libya
• 08/16/11: ‘Super Committee’ starts facing reality
• 08/15/11: World's fastest plane disappears even faster
• 08/12/11: British cops track rioters through security cameras
• 08/11/11: Relax. There is no Death Star
• 08/10/11: House pages run final errands
• 08/09/11: U.S. treading water on job creation
• 08/08/11: Uncle Sam, the world's permanent guest
• 08/05/11: Most 9/11 victims not on federal death records
• 08/04/11: Russian PM calls U.S. a ‘parasite.’ He should be so lucky
• 08/03/11: Congress goes from one bind to another
• 08/02/11: D.B. Cooper may no longer be a mystery
• 08/01/11: Libya's latest weapon against NATO --- lawsuits
• 07/29/11: He'll always be known as Hot Wheels Handler
• 07/25/11: Recruiting children to save a dying town
• 07/22/11: Bachmann's admirable medical candor
• 07/12/11: Social Security's grave mistakes
• 07/08/11: Debt crisis need not be constitutional crisis
• 07/07/11: Startups entice new talent with kickball, treehouses
• 07/05/11: Stranded tourists get rare treat
• 06/30/11: The dollar Americans refuse to spend
• 06/27/11: The hangman doesn't cometh
© 2011, SCRIPPS HOWARD NEWS SERVICE
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