How Would You Interpret This Report?
 

I don't know if you missed it, but the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) just "scored" the newly passed "$38.5 billion spending reduction bill" that the members of Congress on both sides of the aisle are almost breaking their arms patting themselves on the back for passing. Everyone is taking credit for this "historical" spending reduction.

Just a couple of facts get in the way unfortunately...

• The bill was passed with no detail provided to the voting members...or the public for that matter...by the Congressional leadership who negotiated it. Am I recalling that the former majority party was villified for performing in this manner? "Transparency" was supposed to become the norm with a new majority party, wasn't it?

• Now that the COB has actually gotten the bill that was passed and "scored" it, guess what? They come up with a substantially different number by which spending will be cut. It's not $38.5 billion says the COB...it's only $312 million! After two weeks of late night negotiation the 535 members of Congress that we sent there have agreed to cut government spending by .0000008%! Amazing. Absolutely amazing.

• In the eight days that the Congress negotited what they claimed to be $38.5 billion in spending cuts, the national debt actusally increased by almost $59 billion. Even using their numbers, which have now been proven to be inaccurate to the tune of almost 99%, we're not even coming close to breaking even in balancing the budget.

If any of you assert that it's the liberal Democrats that are the cause of the financial crisis, or that everything will be OK when we get the conservative Republicans in control, I hope you're all noticing what's happening.

The problem, it appears, is that we don't have anybody from either political party or representing any political idealogy in elected positions in Washington who are even close to being capable to addressing the critical fiscal problem we're facing. Yet they hope that we all agree when they pat themselves on the back and tell us of the wonderful work they're doing in our behalf.

It was noted yesterday there was a significant amount
 

of "accounting girations" in the make up of the so called $38 billion.
In addition there is also more cost avoidance than cost reduction. They listed programs that have been delayed for years and declared let's not do these...that isn't even cost avoidance it is just out and out screwing with the books and we the people.

It is no surprise the number is less than a billion in real spending reductions.

As pointed out by VK it isn't so much a surprise that the number is a smoke job (again)....but the real concern is the theatrics and lies with the crisis of a shut down and meetings every day....to present what? A phony list that does absolutely nothing toward the objective that both parties were so diligently working on.

Every single warm blooded, thinking citizen of the USA should make it known to the representatives (I always choke up when I use that word!!) and Obama that we are not as stupid as they portend.

It does not matter whether there is an R or a D after the name....BUSINESS AS USUAL IN WASHINGTON.

btk

RINO's still in charge of the party. When Tea Party legislators and true Conservatives have control of both Houses, that will be the only way we'll know for sure if there's any hope. RINO's give lip service to the Tea Party freshmen and then act as they always did, and that is to compromise principles for perceived short term political gain.

I know of no answer except to keep electing Tea Party supported candidates in the primaries and throw the RINO's out. The Socialists who have their hands around America's throat and the RINO's who cooperate with them have got to be exposed and defeated. It won't be easy and it won't be quick, but it can be done.