Feb

22

2013

“Government budget about to be SLASHED! We’re all gonna DIE!”

by Tim Condon

Tax Money down the toiletA few weeks ago I wrote about the Washington Monument ploy. It’s a tactic the political class uses to lash out against the people to inflict  as much pain and punishment as possible whenever government spending is reduced.

“Is reduced”?

Did I say that?

Hell, we’re talking about…

…even the suggestion that government spending might be reduced (that’s why the Washington Monument tour was closed by a high-level bureaucratic pig in 1969).

“Reduced”? Did I say government spending might be reduced?

I must be delusional (don’t respond to that). Who’s kidding whom? The political class will lash out at the public when there’s even a hint that the planned increases in government spending might be curtailed.

So it is with the upcoming March 1st “sequester.” The federal government spends about $3.8 trillion a year, of which more than 40% is borrowed. The sequester boogeyman will stop the planned increase in spending by $85 billion . That is a “cut”—in the rate of increase—of less than 2.5%.

Resulting media headlines? “Agencies  Outline Deep Cuts Under Sequestration” (federaltimes.com). “Legal Aid Groups Lose Big if Federal Budget Slashed” (National Law Journal). “Military Service Leaders Decry Cuts” (Washington Post). “MacDill (air force base) Warns of Deep Cuts” (Tampa Tribune). ”Federal Cuts Would Devastate Military” (federaltimes.com).

More to come. It’s early yet.

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by Tim Condon

I’ve been political my entire life, starting out with Barry Goldwater and The Conscience of a Conservative in the1960's. In 1967 I enlisted in the U.S. Marines for four years, spending nearly two of them in South Vietnam. In 1972 I was a Florida presidential elector for Prof. John Hospers, the first Presidential candidate of the national Libertarian Party which was founded that same year. During the late 1970's and into the 1980's I was a contributing editor and monthly columnist for Reason magazine, and I’ve authored numerous articles in the print and online media about various subjects relating to individual rights and personal freedom. Today I'm a lawyer by profession; I divide my time between New Hampshire and Florida all year long, spending much of my time practicing law in Florida. As an early supporter and past member of the board of directors of the Free State Project, I was drawn to the Live Free or Die state of New Hampshire in late 2003 when it was chosen by a vote of the first 5,000 FSP participants. In 2004 I founded the Republican Liberty Caucus of New Hampshire, and continue today to work within the state political system to advance the traditional NH values of frugal small government, low taxes, small business, free enterprise, and self-responsibility. To all, I say "Come and see what we are building in the beautiful, healthy, livable Free State of New Hampshire!"

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Leave a Comment

  • C. dog e. doG

    In New Hampshire, there’s a litmus test for severity of cuts:
    1. Dept. of Cultured Affairs
    2. Highway beautification: median-strip flowers, grass mowings, tree trimmings
    3. Pot prohibition
    4. DRED
    5. I-93 highway waistline expansion project
    6. New Hampshire Board of Cosmetology and haircuts
    etc.
    – C. dog’s electric acid kool-aid test

  • IWKAGGP

    As a teacher I can vouch for the fact that the claim that “teachers will be laid off immediately” is simply fear-mongering. We’re more than halfway through the current school year. This school year has essentially been bought and paid for. It’s not going anywhere. NEXT year there may be folks laid off – but it ain’t happening “immediately.”

  • Pingback: The Sequester: We were warned, but we just wouldn’t listen! — GraniteGrok

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