NBC has much more, but here’s a nibble:
Since 2000, spending has only dropped twice (if the president’s 2012 budget proposal is enacted) — both times under President Obama. But total government spending under President Obama is at an all-time high for the country.
I figured I’d start this post with some facts and figures, since John Boehner seems to care very little about either of those things, as you’ll see below. Federal employees will lose their jobs if the GOP cuts back on their respective agencies. Lots and lots of jobs will go the way of Sarah Palin’s. Oh wait. She quit.
The Boehner’s response to the unpleasant prospect of so many more unemployed Americans? In a word, pffft.:
“In the last two years, under President Obama, the federal government has added 200,000 new federal jobs,” Boehner said. “If some of those jobs are lost so be it. We’re broke.”
200,000 federal jobs! Wowee! Really, Boehner? Where’d you get that number from? Oh, out of your ass-ets? Thought so:
Ed O’Keefe of the Washington Post reported last September that there were only 20,000 more federal employees under Obama in 2010 than under George W. Bush in 2002 — and that, on a per capita basis (federal employees per 1,000 Americans), it’s at the lowest level at least since 1962.
Now let’s take a look-see at this estimate of what would happen under the GOP proposal:
A full $100 billion cut to discretionary spending would likely result in job losses on the order of 994,000, using OMB’s GDP projections (CBO’s projections are based on current law) and assuming a fiscal multiplier of 1.5.
The new GOP budget proposes cutting non-security discretionary spending by $81 billion relative to the president’s $478 billion request for 2011. Non-security discretionary cuts of this magnitude would likely result in job losses of just over 800,000. (2/15/2011)
So be it.
Hey Boehner, where are the jobs?
H/t: VNDNBRG:
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