John Stossel: The Sequester is not even a cut:
If you’re reading this, you’ve survived the “sequester” cuts!
That may surprise you, since President Obama likened the sequester to taking a “meat cleaver” to government, causing FBI agents to be furloughed, prosecutors to let criminals escape and medical research to grind to a halt!
The media hyped it, too. The NBC Nightly News said, “The sequester could cripple air travel, force firefighter layoffs — even kick preschoolers out of child care!”
The truth is that the terrifying sequester cuts weren’t even cuts. They were merely a small reduction in government’s planned increase in spending. A very small reduction.After a decade, the federal government will simply spend about $4.6 trillion a year instead of $4.5 trillion (in 2012 dollars).
Actually, we don’t even need to balance the budget. If we just slowed the growth of government to 1 or 2 percent a year, we could grow our way out of unsustainable debt.
He goes on to list a few programs [among many] that should be cut:
— $140,000 to study pig feces in China.
— $100,000 for a videogame about aliens saving planets from climate change.
— $88,000 for a comedy tour in India called “Make Chai, Not War.”
— $55,000 to study immaturity and drinking.
I would add the $250 million to Eygypt and $155 million to ‘Syrian Rebels’. Bullshit, both of them.
Closing the people’s house, setting thousands of criminal illegals free… obama’s playing a ruthless game with us… and he must have an ulterior motive, because just making the GOP look bad is not enough of a reason when his own numbers are in the tank.
So guess what? Among the federal employees now faced with unpaid time off, add Border agents.
60,000 Border and Customs Agents Told to Take Furloughs
Some 60,000 Customs and Border Protection agents and other employees will be furloughed for up to 14 days, according to notices dated Thursday. The furloughs could begin April 21 and last through the end to the fiscal year in September, according to the notice, which attributes the move to across-the-board budget cuts that began taking effect March 1.
The agency is also freezing hiring, reducing overtime and comp time, and curtailing travel and training, Aguilar said.
Because of budget uncertainties, the number of furlough hours per pay period may vary, according to Thursday’s notice. If furloughs are needed, employees will be told before each pay period how much unpaid time off they’ll need to take off “to allow CBP to meet its financial obligations,” it added.
Taxes up, pay down, unemployment off the charts, crazy illegals swarming, check.
At no time in the past have I been so sure that obama is trying to bring us down. He hates us. He really, really hates us.
That is what the political sonsabitches do. They always cut the things we need while keeping what they want. Just before I retired there was a stink where the county cut some beputies and EMS types while refurnishing the commissioner’s offices and meeting rooms with high end furniture.
Bastards.
The things he mentioned aren’t even under federal funding. They may get some, but they’re mainly locally-funded. He has no morals whatsoever.
“He has no morals whatsoever.”
Nope.
Wow, a dem from Oregon jumped on board with Rand? That’s rather amazing.
I really think those in DC making these decisions should cut their own salaries before they start taking things away from others.
That’s my one and a half cent.
Especially since they keep getting raises, no matter what!
I wish I had a job (ever in my life) where I got a raise just ‘because’
Yeah, just doesn’t happen in the ‘real’ world…
Real world? What’s that?
That’s where most of us operate. The rest act like they’re in the second act of ‘House of Cards’.
and 33 repubs went to dinner with Obama instead of supporting Rand – the USA did not go to hell in a hand basket, it became Obamaland where you can live off the working class while you make baby’s, party, & anything else that used to – never mind, no one gives a shit if we rant
A couple of those elephants supported Rand even though they went to dinner with obummer.
But you are right: no one gives a shit if we rant. This has become an echo chamber of sorts…
I’m sure that, after filing 5 weeks ago, the reason I still haven’t gotten my refund is because of Uncle Obama.
It usually takes us days but this year it took a couple of weeks.