What ever happened to those ‘Tax & Spend’ Democrats?

[Darwins Friend]

Government Spending Hits Record in March

By MARTIN CRUTSINGER, AP Economics WriterWed Apr 12, 6:08 PM ET

Government spending hit an all-time high for a single month in March, pushing the budget deficit up significantly from the red-ink level of a year ago.

In its monthly accounting of the government's books, the Treasury Department reported Wednesday that federal spending totaled $250 billion last month, up 13.7 percent from March 2005.

Government receipts also were up, rising 10.6 percent from a year ago, to $164.6 billion. That left a deficit for the month of $85.5 billion, a record imbalance for March.

Treasury Department officials said that half of the growth in outlays for March represented a $15 billion shift in payments for certain government benefit programs, including Medicare, into March rather than April. The benefit payments were made early because April 1 fell on a Saturday.

The March outlay record of $250 billion surpassed the old mark of $232 billion set in February.

Even though the deficit was a record for March, it was below the all-time monthly high of $119.2 billion, which was set in February.

So far through the first six months of this budget year, which began in October, the deficit totals $303 billion, an increase of 2.8 percent over the deficit in the first six months of the 2005 budget year.

The administration is forecasting that the deficit for this budget year, which will end Sept. 30, will hit a record $423 billion, surpassing the old mark in dollar terms of $413 billion set in 2004. The administration says the costs of the war in Iraq and reconstruction spending from the Gulf Coast hurricanes will drive the deficit higher.

The Congressional Budget Office is forecasting that the deficit will total $371 billion this year, and many private forecasters believe the red ink will be even lower, noting that the healthy economy has pushed revenues up sharply.

Through the first six months of this budget year, revenues have totaled $1.04 trillion, up 10.5 percent from the same period a year ago.

Spending during this six-month period totals $1.34 trillion, up 8.7 percent from the same period in 2005.

 

[CrimsonWhite]

Government Spending Hits Record in March

By MARTIN CRUTSINGER, AP Economics WriterWed Apr 12, 6:08 PM ET

Government spending hit an all-time high for a single month in March, pushing the budget deficit up significantly from the red-ink level of a year ago.

In its monthly accounting of the government's books, the Treasury Department reported Wednesday that federal spending totaled $250 billion last month, up 13.7 percent from March 2005.

Government receipts also were up, rising 10.6 percent from a year ago, to $164.6 billion. That left a deficit for the month of $85.5 billion, a record imbalance for March.

Treasury Department officials said that half of the growth in outlays for March represented a $15 billion shift in payments for certain government benefit programs, including Medicare, into March rather than April. The benefit payments were made early because April 1 fell on a Saturday.

The March outlay record of $250 billion surpassed the old mark of $232 billion set in February.

Even though the deficit was a record for March, it was below the all-time monthly high of $119.2 billion, which was set in February.

So far through the first six months of this budget year, which began in October, the deficit totals $303 billion, an increase of 2.8 percent over the deficit in the first six months of the 2005 budget year.

The administration is forecasting that the deficit for this budget year, which will end Sept. 30, will hit a record $423 billion, surpassing the old mark in dollar terms of $413 billion set in 2004. The administration says the costs of the war in Iraq and reconstruction spending from the Gulf Coast hurricanes will drive the deficit higher.

The Congressional Budget Office is forecasting that the deficit will total $371 billion this year, and many private forecasters believe the red ink will be even lower, noting that the healthy economy has pushed revenues up sharply.

Through the first six months of this budget year, revenues have totaled $1.04 trillion, up 10.5 percent from the same period a year ago.

Spending during this six-month period totals $1.34 trillion, up 8.7 percent from the same period in 2005.

Those "tax and spend" democrats are now refered to as neo-conservatives.

 

[theHawk]

I think the Tax and Spend Democrats are still around. I certainly don't hear Dems today asking to have all welfare systems cut out of our government or to suspend tax dollars from going to foreign aid and to idiotic ideas like "fighting AIDs" in other countries.

 

[5stringJeff]

As much as the GOP leadership is out of control with spending, there are still Democrats complaining that we don't spend enough on the poor, or on health care, or on roads, or on the military, etc. etc. etc.

 

[dilloduck]

I think the Tax and Spend Democrats are still around. I certainly don't hear Dems today asking to have all welfare systems cut out of our government or to suspend tax dollars from going to foreign aid and to idiotic ideas like "fighting AIDs" in other countries.

Exactly--they're still there alright. And envious as hell that they are getting to spend the bucks on the issues that they are so fond of.

 

[Darwins Friend]

idiotic ideas like "fighting AIDs" in other countries

Wow. Had to go pull the needle from the ‘troglodyte meter’ out of the wall!

 

[Bonnie]

As much as the GOP leadership is out of control with spending, there are still Democrats complaining that we don't spend enough on the poor, or on health care, or on roads, or on the military, etc. etc. etc.

Oh yes!!

 

[5stringJeff]

Wow. Had to go pull the needle from the ‘troglodyte meter’ out of the wall!

So you think that American tax dollars should be used to fund the health programs of irresponsible African dictators?

 

[theHawk]

Wow. Had to go pull the needle from the ‘troglodyte meter’ out of the wall!

Yea I know, I'm one of those whacky people that believe charities should get their money from donations. And somehow I doubt that these "good causes" we fund with our taxpayers is actually being used they way we want it to. Most likely its squandered in these governments that are far more corrupt than our own.

 

[Darwins Friend]

So you think that American tax dollars should be used to fund the health programs of irresponsible African dictators?

A million lives have been saved in Africa alone - already suffering from the highest percentage of orphans on the planet - per capita. Giving them condoms and showing them what their for isn’t going to make little Evangelical Johnny wack off here in the States, for Christ’s sake - the programs save lives. You just don’t give a shit cause they happen to have black faces. Watch what’s happening with the bird flu - travelling the flight paths of bird migrations to realize what can just as easily happen on a 747. Bigot.

 

[5stringJeff]

A million lives have been saved in Africa alone - already suffering from the highest percentage of orphans on the planet - per capita. Giving them condoms and showing them what their for isn’t going to make little Evangelical Johnny wack off here in the States, for Christ’s sake - the programs save lives. You just don’t give a shit cause they happen to have black faces. Watch what’s happening with the bird flu - travelling the flight paths of bird migrations to realize what can just as easily happen on a 747. Bigot.

Wrong-o, n00b. I'm all for charities, just not government charities. People want to give to charities who help AIDS orphans in Africa? That's great. I personally give to our missions funds in church which does work in Mozambique. But it is not a proper function of the US government to give US taxpayer money to foreign governments.

A word from the wise: learn who you're talking to before you start throwing around insults.

 

[BaronVonBigmeat]

A million lives have been saved in Africa alone - already suffering from the highest percentage of orphans on the planet - per capita. Giving them condoms and showing them what their for isn’t going to make little Evangelical Johnny wack off here in the States, for Christ’s sake - the programs save lives. You just don’t give a shit cause they happen to have black faces. Watch what’s happening with the bird flu - travelling the flight paths of bird migrations to realize what can just as easily happen on a 747. Bigot.

You ahhh...wouldn't happen to have a source for that assertion, would you?

I'd also like to point out that you don't have to be a bigot to oppose foreign aid. Mostly it just enriches tinpot dictators and crowds out private charity.

 

[Darwins Friend]

You ahhh...wouldn't happen to have a source for that assertion, would you?

Ummm....well, you could reference your president's last 'State of the Union' address for a clue.....eh?

:teeth:

 

[Darwins Friend]

But it is not a proper function of the US government to give US taxpayer money to foreign governments

Then the reason 11,000,000,000.00 U.S. Tax Dollars are given to the State of Israel would be.............(?)

 

[rtwngAvngr]

Then the reason 11,000,000,000.00 U.S. Tax Dollars are given to the State of Israel would be.............(?)

To have a loyal presence in the most dangerous region on earth.

 

[dilloduck]

To have a loyal presence in the most dangerous region on earth.

We pay em for thier loyalty???

 

[rtwngAvngr]

We pay em for thier loyalty???

Welcome to the real world.

 

[dilloduck]

Welcome to the real world.

Good enough for me----it's better than giving it to them for no reason at all.

 

[Darwins Friend]

To have a loyal presence in the most dangerous region on earth.

So, in this case - more than we spend on aid to all of the countries in Central America, in our part of the hemisphere, can "loyalty" be equated to being our prostitute.

 

[rtwngAvngr]

So, in this case - more than we spend on aid to all of the countries in Central America, in our part of the hemisphere, can "loyalty" be equated to being our prostitute.

If by prostitute you mean "regional ally", sure.