OT - Republicans at work

[Wrave]

Here's the link to all the facts... http://libertyvault.com/gwb.html The following was clipped from the above link. The "[source]" notations are links on the original page to supporting documentation. The list begins... Do Republicans really support smaller government? Here are some interesting facts: * Republicans controlled both Houses of Congress from 1995 through 2001 during which time the federal budget grew from $1.4 trillion to $2.1 trillion (about $100 billion annually). [source] * Since Republicans took control of the House in 1995, federal discretionary spending has grown by a rate of about 7% annually. The number of earmarks lawmakers have put in the spending bills to steer federal funds to their districts has also grown. By one estimate, between fiscal years 2001 and 2002, they increased from about 6,300 to 8,300, or 32%. [source] * Social welfare programs under George W. Bush have grown by $96 billion in just two years, versus $51 billion under six years of Clinton, according to economist Stephen Moore of the Club for Growth. [source] * When Reagan took office in 1981 the federal budget was $600 billion. [source] * The last Republican president to preside over a decrease in federal spending was Warren G. Harding who served from 1921 until his death in 1923. During that time federal spending decreased 38% from $5 billion to $3.1 billion. [source] SOCIALISM, GOVERNMENT WASTE, PORK-BARREL PROJECTS * [source ] Airline bailouts via the Air Transportation Safety and System Stabilization Act. $5 billion in emergency aid and a $10 billion loan. The measure passed 356 to 54 in the House and 96 to 1 in the Senate. * Post Office bailout. * [source] $521 million Amtrak budget for fiscal 2002. * [source] $205 million bailout plus $100 million loan to Amtrak. * [source] Dept. of Transportation budget increased by 6% over fiscal 2001 to $59.5 billion. (riddled with pork) * [source] $145 million for the New Freedom Initiative to ensure transportation alternatives for people with disabilities. * Federal prescription drug subsidies, $350 billion over 10 years. * [source] "Homebuyer bill of rights" to Reform Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act -- federal regulation of real estate. * Continued anti-trust lawsuit against Microsoft. * Federal subsidies for the poor to purchase homes. * Additional funding for Medicare. * [source] Health care subsidies for laid-off workers and expanded job retraining benefits ($10 billion to $12 billion over 10 years). * [source] Wage insurance -- federal wage supplement. * [source] $67 million in taxpayers' money to finance presidential campaign via federal matching funds. * [source] Issued executive order creating the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. * Submitted largest budget ever to Congress, $2.13 trillion. * [source] Increased debt-limit from $5.95 trillion to $6.4 trillion. * [source] Scholarships for Cuban students and professionals via the Initiative for a New Cuba. * [source] Increased budget for National Health Service Corps by $44 million to $191.5 million. * [source] $150 million for the Coast Guard and the Customs Service to hire new personnel. * Increased farm subsidies by $180 billion over 10 years via the Farm Security Act. * [source] Increased Pentagon budget by 12% over fiscal 2001 from $316 billion to $355 billion. * $560 million USA Freedom Corps. * [source] $3.5 million for SuperBowl anti-drug ads. * Increased funding for IRS and BATF. * Faith-based subsidies. * Increased federal spending on education from $39.9-billion to $44.5-billion via the "No Child Left Behind Act.". * Signed Congressional payraise of $4,900. * Patients Bill of Rights. * [source] Federal Compassion Capital Fund, $700 million over 10 years. * [source] $100 million to beef up investigative manpower and technology at the SEC. * $6 million to upgrade a U.S. Geological Survey data center near Sioux Falls, S.D. * $10 million to help farmers near the Rio Grande River involved in a water dispute with Mexico. * $7 million for enhancing water supplies in New Mexico. * A provision pressuring the Agriculture Department to reimburse poultry producers in West Virginia and Virginia for losses from avian influenza. * $1 billion for Pell grants for low-income students. * $417 million for veterans' medical care. * $400 million to help states improve voting systems. * $100 million for countering western wildfires and floods. * [source] Taxpayer-funded national memorial, congressional gold medals, and gold coins for victims of 9/11. * [source] Scholarships and grants to nurses and help hospitals with retention. * [source] Increased the NEA budget by $10 million, to $126 million. * [source] $200,000 for a trucker congestion notification system in Tacoma, Washington. * [source] $500,000 to save the Prebles Meadow Jumping Mouse in Colorado. * [source] $62 million to promote the Sacajawea dollar coin. * [source] $100,000 a month to monitor news reports and offer advice on media strategy for the Pentagon. * [source] $1.5 million for maintenance of the Vulcan Statue in Alabama built for the 1904 World's Fair. * [source ] $20 million annually for "Strategic Milk Reserve." Was phased out in 1999 by the 1996 Freedom to Farm Act. Congress extended it temporarily, and then made it permanent again in the farm bill that President Bush signed into law in May. * Federal aid to Texas flood victims. * Federal recovery assistance to typhoon victims in Guam. * Steel and lumber tariffs. * $300 million for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) via the Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2001. * Federal disaster relief for tonado victims in Maryland. * Federal disaster relief for Minnesota because of storms, flooding, and tornadoes. * Payoff to families of 9/11 victims with taxpayer money. * School vouchers. * $450,000 in federal funds for the Chicago Project for Violence Prevention for fiscal year 2003 on top of $750,000 in 2002. * [source] $752 million in drought aid to livestock farmers. * [source ] $30 million in research grants over the next five years to develop new ways of making industrial products from plants and natural waste materials. * $10 billion military reserve fund for the Pentagon. * [source] National Institute of Health to spend $24 million on a retirement facility for chimpanzees. * [source] $750,000 for grasshopper research in Alaska. * [source] $2 million to house a worm collection at the Smithsonian museum in Washington, DC. * [source] $400,000 to study manure management at the National Swine Research Center in Iowa. * [source] $4.2 million for a shrimp aquiculture research project in six states. * [source] $400,000 for the Montana Sheep Institute. * [source] $23.1 billion for the National Institute of Health for fiscal 2002, a 13.5% increase over fiscal 2001. * $10 million upgrade for Amber Alerts. * $1 million to upgrade a law enforcement communication system in Placer County, CA. * $850,000 for a wastewater treatment facility in Placer County, CA * $1.7 million to purchase 6,100 acres of land along the American River. * $14 million for restoration projects in the Lake Tahoe basin. * $3 million for the acquisition of land for rare plant preserves in El Dorado County, CA. * $600,000 for the West Blount sewer system. (Alabama) * $1 million for the Duck River Dam. (Alabama) * $99,000 for sidewalk improvements at Vinemont Middle School. (Alabama) * $100 million in grants for communities to develop mosquito-control programs. * Reauthorized Import-Export bank. Increased loan limit to $25 billion. Taxpayers must guarantee loans. * $165 billion deficit for fiscal 2002. * $14.2 million for Phoenix Sky Harbor traffic control tower replacement. (pending) * $4.2 million for Phoenix bus facilities. (pending) * $500,000 for a Scottsdale pilot project to determine the best technologies for removing arsenic from drinking water. (pending) * $300,000 for a Southwest Transit Assessment and Review Team (START) project for Bus Route 131, which runs through Avondale. (pending) * $500,000 for Central Arizona College to continue implementation of the Science, Engineering, Math and Aerospace Academy in Pinal County. (pending) * $1 million for Rio de Flag (Flagstaff) flood-control project. (pending) * $1.5 million for Maricopa County's AZTech Integrated Emergency and Transportation Communications Network. (pending) * [source] Creation of new federal bureaucracy, Office of Rare Diseases. * [source] $100 per month federal subsidy to welfare parents who marry. * [source ] $8 million to maintain a heating oil reserve to stabilize prices in the U.S. Northeast. This fund was created in 2000 by Bill Clinton. * [source] $2 billion over 10 years to help companies develop cleaner-burning coal. * [source ] $87 billion in corporate welfare which includes (but is not limited to) funds for oil companies through the fossil energy research and development program, research subsidies to aerospace companies, the National Agricultural Statistics Service, the Foreign Agriculture Service, and the Conservation Reserve Program. * [source] $6 million for teaching English through the Elementary School Foreign Language Incentive Program. * [source] The federal government currently provides $700-800 million in annual ethanol subsidies. * [source ] $37 billion through 2007 for the National Science Foundation via the National Science Foundation Authorization Act of 2002. (pending) * [source] $15 billion for NASA fiscal 2003. * [source] $903 million in grants to spur federal agencies, industry and universities to devote more energy to cyber security research. * [source] $533 million over two years for Project Safe Neighborhoods. Billed on the official website as "America's Network Against Gun Violence." FOREIGN-AID & INTERVENTIONIST FOREIGN-POLICY * Thousands of civilians killed, hundreds of thousands displaced by areal bombing in Afghanistan. * Invaded Afghanistan without Congressional declaration of war. * [source] Boost in American foreign-aid by 50% to more than $15 billion annually. * Continued funding of World Bank. * Engaging in nation-building. * [source] Meddling in Zimbabwe by threatening to withhold foreign-aid (Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act of 2001). * Foreign debt relief. * $474 million to combat HIV/AIDS overseas, including $100 million for a global trust fund, and $200 million for international disaster assistance. * $676 million for South American anti-drug plan. * $768 million in assistance to independent states of the former Soviet Union. (2001) * $2.04 billion in military financing and $720 million in economic assistance for Israel. (2001) * $1.3 billion in military assistance and $655 million in economic assistance for Egypt. (2001) * $75 million in military financing and $150 in economic assistance for Jordan. (2001) * $582 million to United Nations. (2001) * $2-billion in foreign-aid to Egypt. (2002) * $1.3-billion in foreign-aid to Columbia to fight Drug War. (2001) * $440 million to Columbian military to fight drug war. (2002) * [source] $120 million in foreign-aid to Uzbekistan. (2002) * $40 million in foreign-aid to the Taliban government of Afghanistan (May, 2001). * $500 million in funding to combat AIDS in Africa. * [source] $255 million over two years to expand US media influence in predominantly Muslim countries. * [source] $1.5 billion bailout of Uruguay. * [source] $64 million for "Education and Equipment" program to train Georgian military. * [source] $1.1 billion loan from the U.S. International Monetary Fund to Turkey. * [source] $4.5 billion spending plan to help african nations reduce disease and famine and cultivate energy, clean water and forests. * U.S. Drug Czar calls for War on Marijuana during visit to Canada. * Continued sending fuel to North Korea under the 1994 Agreed Framework despite the intelligence community's suspicion that North Korea has had nukes since the early 1990's. * Agreed to pay Pakistan $700 million plus an economic package in exchange for the use of Pakistani air bases from which the US launched air strikes against Afghanistan. * Bush Administration withheld news of North Korea confirming its nuclear weapons program for two weeks while it secured Congressional support to attack Iraq. * [source] Threatened Canada with trade sanctions if Canada relaxes its marijuana laws. * [source ] White House said pre-emptive attacks are permissible for the US against Iraq but the same logic does not hold for India which is fighting Pakistan-sponsored terrorism. * [source ] White House detailed a plan to install an American-led military government in Iraq if the US overthrows the current government. * [source] $10 million in foreign-aid to the Philippines to "fight terror." * [source] Agreed to give North Korea two nuclear power reactors. * [source] $3 billion in foreign-aid for Afghanistan (pending). LIBERTIES, CONSTITUTION, & POWER GRABS * [source] Invaded and bombed Afghanistan without Congressional declaration of war. Only Congress can declare war. * [source] Working to circumvent Posse Comitatus in order to use military for law enforcement. * [source] Signed Campaign Finance Reform. * [source ] Made his intention clear to exclude non-believers from serving on the juduciary in violation of Article 6, USC which states, "...no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office..." * Creation of new federal bureaucracy, Dept. of Homeland Security. * Wall St. ordered to report "suspicious" transactions, or series of transactions exceeding $5000. * Freezing private assets without due process under the guise of anti-terrorism. * [source] Domestic spying by FBI without evidence of criminal activity. * Ashcroft plans to fingerprint Arab and Muslim visitors to the US. * Refused to allow airline pilots to arm themselves. * Federalized airport security. * [source] Continued federal asset forfeiture. * Enron scandal. Questionable campaign contributions. * [source ] Secret trials, military tribunals, monitoring of conversations between lawyers and suspects, indefinite detention of suspects without due process. * [source] "Magic Latern" FBI spyware. * [source] Dept. of Justice monitoring cable modems without warrants. * Continued crackdown on medical marijuana. Cannabis Clubs raided. * Transportation Security Administration to place armed law enforcement officers at ticket counters and other public areas at airports. * [source] Proposed 'federal standards' for state drivers licenses. * [source] Public schools required to turn over student information to military recruiters. * Federal drug czar denounced a measure on Arizona's November ballot that would decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana, calling it a "stupid, insulting con." * [source] FCC blocked EchoStar's plan to acquire rival Directv. * [source ] BATF forced owner of Bob's Gun & Tackle Shop to hand over sales record for each used firearm bought and sold at the store in 1999. * Supports ballistic fingerprinting for guns. * Believes in stronger enforcement of existing gun-control laws (but not the repeal of any gun-control laws). * [source] Added 444,000 acres in Clark County, Nevada to the national wilderness preservation system.

[Dan South]

When the government gives a small amout of money to the poor, it's called Welfare. Welfare is very unpopular. When the government gives a moderate amount of money to the middle class, it's called Socialism. Socialism gets a neutral response at best. When the government gives billions of dollars to the richest of the rich, it's called Capitalism. Capitalism is divine.

[Jotown]

[quote]When the government gives billions of dollars to the richest of the rich, it's called Capitalism. Capitalism is divine. [/quote]No, I think it's called "Corporate Welfare", or the "Good Old Boys Network" or something like that.

[AlanThomas]

Yeah, so what's your point?

[Salyphus]

For a current example of this, take a look at all the pork that they stuffed into the 'Homeland Security' thing they are trying to pass now. As if the main part of the bill wasn't bad enough :(

[Franknputer]

Yeah, what is up with that crap about allowing contracts with companies who set up shop out of the country to avoid taxes? Real f*ckin' patriots, huh?

[Dan South]

[quote]Originally posted by Christopher Kemp: [b]Yeah, what is up with that crap about allowing contracts with companies who set up shop out of the country to avoid taxes? Real f*ckin' patriots, huh?[/b][/quote]And they're branding the Dems as "unpatriotic" for complaining about it. News flash: John McCain is complaining about it, and he's the most patriotic man in the building.

[Wow]

The entire point with corps moving is this, are you going to tell a corp that moved to America that if they move back out of the country that they can never do business with America again? What kind of commie shit is that? If the taxes in this country were not ALL paid by the top 10% then we would not have this problem. Tax should be done evenly.

[Bunny Knutson]

Hey, everybody! According to CM, the taxes in our country are ALL paid by the top 10%!!! That means none of us ever has to pay taxes again!!! YAY!!! :rolleyes:

[Wow]

Look at any breakdown of who pays taxes, and 97% of all taxes are paid by the top 50% . The top 10% pay 55% of all taxes. The scale is WAY lopsided . You only have to make $90,000 to be in the top 10%. Its lower than you would think. I am not saying that you pay no taxes, what I am saying is that the top earners in this country pay the majority of the taxes.

[Salyphus]

Can I have a sip from your 'special' cup? :D

[Bunny Knutson]

CM, I had a feeling I could make you back down from that ridiculous statement. Carry on.

[Wow]

What are you talking about "back down", I have not backed down from anything. I dont think I have. What are you referring to.

[Wow]

[quote] Can I have a sip from your 'special' cup? [/quote]Would you like cream with that?

[Jotown]

I knew that it was just a matter of time before a cold conservative wind was going to blow through this thread. I hope that you don't make Craig get his digital scissors out. ;)

[Bunny Knutson]

You backed down from saying that the top 10% pays ALL the taxes in this country. Are we both speaking the same language here? :confused:

[Wow]

OK, replace the word ALL with 97% . Are we all happy now? Conservative wind brings change and the TRUTH. Are we really gonna argue taxes tonight?

[Bunny Knutson]

CM, this isn't a good moment for you to talk to us about TRUTH, considering your previous FALSE statement.

[Salyphus]

I'm done falling for troll bait, sorry to disappoint you :wave:

[Wow]

I never said you didnt pay any taxes. You guys need to watch out before I get Bralalala on ya. :D Dan, quit hanging your argument on that one thing "all" , can you do better than that?

[Bunny Knutson]

Hey, man, that's ALL my argument was about. Can't you ever lose gracefully?

[Wow]

I didnt start this thread. Just because my point is different than yours makes me a troll?

[Wow]

[quote] Hey, man, that's ALL my argument was about. Can't you ever lose gracefully[/quote]OK, I lose and you win , sound good? :p

[pumpcat]

The obvious reason that the rich pay most of the taxes is because they control the vast majority of the wealth. When the top 1% controls over 50% of the resources in this country, I certainly hope that they're paying [b]at least[/b] 50% of the taxes. Not to mention the majority of corporations in this country that pay [b]no[/b] tax whatsoever.

[Bunny Knutson]

[quote]Originally posted by C.M.: [b] [quote] Hey, man, that's ALL my argument was about. Can't you ever lose gracefully[/quote]OK, I lose and you win , sound good? :p [/b][/quote]Hey, man, if you're serious, I just gained a truckload of respect for you. Rock on, Garth.

[patrick_dont_fret]

Wow, the great folks of the SSS at it again. Bralalalalalalalalalalalala might as well be here. But an aside from the current argument at hand... Do you really think things would be any better if the houses were controlled by the Democrats? I'm speaking from a non-party stance here, too, so don't cut my foot off. Do you really think, think hard now, that any of this stuff would just disappear if the Dems were in office? Maybe not disappear, but it sure wouldn't get any better, I can tell you this...politicians are politicians, no matter the race, creed, party, nation, state, religion, etc., etc., etc.

[robmix]

Here's some comments, from an independent: "* Republicans controlled both Houses of Congress from 1995 through 2001 during which time the federal budget grew from $1.4 trillion to $2.1 trillion (about $100 billion annually). [source]" So when good things happened during the Clinton admin he got the credit (i.e. reduction of federal deficit), but when spending increases repubs get blamed. Interesting.... "* Since Republicans took control of the House in 1995, federal discretionary spending has grown by a rate of about 7% annually. The number of earmarks lawmakers have put in the spending bills to steer federal funds to their districts has also grown. By one estimate, between fiscal years 2001 and 2002, they increased from about 6,300 to 8,300, or 32%. [source]" What was the increase during democratically controlled terms ? " * Social welfare programs under George W. Bush have grown by $96 billion in just two years, versus $51 billion under six years of Clinton, according to economist Stephen Moore of the Club for Growth. [source]" There's recession. So publically the dems say he isn't doing enough but on the books you're saying he spent too much. " * The last Republican president to preside over a decrease in federal spending was Warren G. Harding who served from 1921 until his death in 1923. During that time federal spending decreased 38% from $5 billion to $3.1 billion. [source]" Let's take a look at who was controlling congress during those other republican presidential terms. "* [source ] Airline bailouts via the Air Transportation Safety and System Stabilization Act. $5 billion in emergency aid and a $10 billion loan. The measure passed 356 to 54 in the House and 96 to 1 in the Senate." Is this good or bad ? Should we have let them go under ? * Post Office bailout. same comment * [source] $521 million Amtrak budget for fiscal 2002. same comment * [source] $205 million bailout plus $100 million loan to Amtrak. same comment "* Federal subsidies for the poor to purchase homes. * Additional funding for Medicare. * [source] Health care subsidies for laid-off workers and expanded job retraining benefits ($10 billion to $12 billion over 10 years). * [source] Wage insurance -- federal wage supplement. * $1 billion for Pell grants for low-income students. * $417 million for veterans' medical care. * $300 million for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) via the Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2001. * $300 million for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) via the Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2001." Again dems say he's not doing enough for the poor, yet here he gets slammed for spending too much on social programs. * [source] $67 million in taxpayers' money to finance presidential campaign via federal matching funds. "* Submitted largest budget ever to Congress, $2.13 trillion. * [source] Increased debt-limit from $5.95 trillion to $6.4 trillion." How much of this is too clean up the crap that left us hanging under Clinton ? "* [source] $150 million for the Coast Guard and the Customs Service to hire new personnel. * [source] Increased Pentagon budget by 12% over fiscal 2001 from $316 billion to $355 billion. * $560 million USA Freedom Corps. * Increased funding for IRS and BATF. * $10 billion military reserve fund for the Pentagon." Maybe we watch different news, but these seem relatively important right now. * [source] $100 million to beef up investigative manpower and technology at the SEC. Again, dems pummel him for being in bed with big business, and again when he tries to hold BB accountable. "* [source] Increased the NEA budget by $10 million, to $126 million. * School vouchers." Seems good to me. "* [source] $200,000 for a trucker congestion notification system in Tacoma, Washington. * [source] $500,000 to save the Prebles Meadow Jumping Mouse in Colorado. * [source ] $30 million in research grants over the next five years to develop new ways of making industrial products from plants and natural waste materials. * [source] $400,000 to study manure management at the National Swine Research Center in Iowa. * [source] $4.2 million for a shrimp aquiculture research project in six states. * [source] $400,000 for the Montana Sheep Institute. * $850,000 for a wastewater treatment facility in Placer County, CA * $1.7 million to purchase 6,100 acres of land along the American River. * $14 million for restoration projects in the Lake Tahoe basin. * $3 million for the acquisition of land for rare plant preserves in El Dorado County, CA. * $1 million for the Duck River Dam. (Alabama) * [source ] $8 million to maintain a heating oil reserve to stabilize prices in the U.S. Northeast. This fund was created in 2000 by Bill Clinton. * [source] $2 billion over 10 years to help companies develop cleaner-burning coal. * [source ] $87 billion in corporate welfare which includes (but is not limited to) funds for oil companies through the fossil energy research and development program, research subsidies to aerospace companies, the National Agricultural Statistics Service, the Foreign Agriculture Service, and the Conservation Reserve Program." Bush supporting the environment ? Interesting. Just my thoughts. Seems like the dems commentators can't make up there minds. In the same article they bash him for spending and not spending. Rob

[Bunny Knutson]

Thank you, Patrick. That was SO profound. I need to take some time to think hard now.

[patrick_dont_fret]

You're very much welcome, dBunny. Just don't think TOO hard, you might bust your cranial.

[Wow]

robmix Please just post a link. dBUNNY rock on wayne.