The President's Annual Proposed Budget is about as useful, like my Dad used to say, as tits on a Bull.... Yes, he did have a way with words, but it's true. Why? Because it's about the same as if you or I submitted it. It still has to go through Congress, where it will be changed, perverted and morphed - to the point where it's almost unrecognizable. Basically, it's one guy's plan that has to go through 435 other guys.
Yeah, it's like lining up 436 people and the message you started with is totally different by the end. In a way, it's good, because Barack Obama's 2013 budget is pretty bad. No, we didn't expect a balanced budget, but it's not much to be enthused about. Hey, he can't get shot down any worse than the 97-0 asswhipping last year's budget took in the Senate, right? Well, it could be 100-0....
First the good news - sort of. The budget deficit is estimated to be $901 Billion.. No, that's not good news, but compared to last year's $1.3 Trillion, it is better. However, these are estimates.. For example, last year's budget estimate started at $1.0 Trillion, $300 Billion less than it actually was. That's why they're called estimates... So, how does the deficit get reduced? Mainly through tax increases, and the lower defense budget from the Sequestration of last year's budget deal, and the ending of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.. I might disagree with Republicans about that. If you end a war, and spend less, then you are spending less.. It's a budget cut, let's stop splitting hairs...
Also, revenues should go up from the economy turning slowly in the right direction. Simple fact: if people are working, they make more, and they pay more in taxes. Easy economic reality there. But, Obama is planning on jacking up taxes in a lot of areas, and worse, spending more. The supposed $350 Billion in new 'stimulus' is both unnecessary and relatively ineffective. The economy is turning around on it's own, so stimulus isn't warranted, and possibly could send inflation upward. To us, it's a matter of the bigger problem. Right now, it's deficits... If the economy were still sputtering, then maybe stimulus would make some sense. But, in 2013, we should be progressing. Save the money, and get that deficit down to $550 billion. That'd be more impressive...
The sad part is that there are no changes to entitlements at all. These are the programs, along with the interest on the National Debt, that are killing our budgets year after year - and he's doing nothing about it. Reforms are needed, but he doesn't have the cajones or will to do it. As little as this budget proposal really matters in the end, it's Obama's first budget once he wins re-election. If he wins...
In essence, he is telling voters that he is not going to cut spending, just raise taxes. Both need to be done, but the big problem is that Washington spends too much, not that it doesn't pay enough in taxes. The budget needs to reflect that... Skip the stimulus, work on small adjustments to entitlements, and we'd be a lot closer...
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