Barack Obama, from his podium deep inside The Office of the President-Elect (?!), announced today that his administration would conduct a full and complete review of every government program, determine which ones we need – and which ones we don’t – and then cut funding to everything that’s not essential.
Bravo!
I’ve frankly been waiting for someone in power to do that for years. I’ve advocated a zero-based budget process since the Clinton years. It’s encouraging to hear the President-Elect talk about doing just that.
There’s just one, teensie, tiny little ol’ problem.
Who defines what’s “essential,” and what’s not?
Let’s play a little game. We’ll ask a token Conservative, a token RINO (Republican in Name Only), a token Blue Dog Democrat, and a token Left-winger that question.
| A Definition of Essential versus Non-essential programs | |
|
Conservative
|
|
|
Essential
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Non-essential
|
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Military Defense
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Welfare/Entitlements
|
|
Border Security
|
Farm Subsidies
|
|
Transportation/Roads
|
Arts Entitlements
|
|
Communications
|
Research Grants
|
|
Global Warming/Climate Change Regulations
|
|
|
UN Dues
|
|
|
RINO (Republican In Name Only)
|
|
|
Essential
|
Non-essential
|
|
Military Defense (as long as it promotes the Military/Industrial complex)
|
Welfare/Entitlements
|
|
Border Security (as long as it doesn’t offend Hispanic voters)
|
Arts Entitlements (especially ones that are morally objectionable)
|
|
Transportation/Roads
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Research Grants (unless they go to benefit big business)
|
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Communications (except far-right pundits who criticize RINOs)
|
Global Warming/Climate Change Regulations
|
|
Farm Subsidies
|
|
|
Blue-Dog Democrat
|
|
|
Essential
|
Non-essential
|
|
Military Defense
|
Arts Entitlements
|
|
Border Security
|
Research Grants
|
|
Transportation/Roads
|
|
|
Communications
|
|
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Welfare/Entitlements
|
|
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Farm Subsidies
|
|
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Global Warming/Climate Change Regulations
|
|
|
Left-wingnut
|
|
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Essential
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Non-essential
|
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Global Warming/Climate Change Regulations
|
Military Defense
|
|
War Reparations/UN Dues
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Border Security
|
|
Welfare/Entitlements
|
Transportation/Roads
|
|
Arts Entitlements
|
Communications
|
|
Research Grants
|
|
|
Farm Subsidies
|
|
As you can see, what is “essential” depends on who you ask. What I’m afraid of is that the people doing the picking are going to gut what’s REALLY essential (defense and security) in favor of all the touchy-feely crap upon which the government wastes our tax dollars.
I’m heartened by any news of fiscal responsibility on the part of the government. But I’m not holding my breath.
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