lkk@teddy.UUCP (07/09/85)
Point of Information: 1980 Defense Budget: $136 Billion 1985 Defense Budget: $260 BIllion The Defense Department is the largest purchaser of goods and services in the United States. -- Sport Death, Larry Kolodney (USENET) ...decvax!genrad!teddy!lkk (INTERNET) lkk@mit-mc
bakken@fluke.UUCP (Greg Bakken) (07/11/85)
In article <890@teddy.UUCP> lkk@teddy.UUCP writes: >Point of Information: > >1980 Defense Budget: $136 Billion >1985 Defense Budget: $260 BIllion > >The Defense Department is the largest purchaser of goods and >services in the United States. > >Sport Death, >Larry Kolodney >(USENET) ...decvax!genrad!teddy!lkk >(INTERNET) lkk@mit-mc Much more relevant point of information: In 1962, the entitlements, etc. budget was about half that of the military. In 1981, the entitlements, etc. budget was about twice that of the military. It's very easy for the press and other people inclined to ignore these facts to blame the budget deficits on Reagan, but he has been powerless to control social spending. Recall that the Constitution specifies that *all* spending bills originate in the House, which has been controlled by the Dems almost exclusively for the last 50 years. Also consider that the house has not passed a comprehensive budget for a number of years, instead relying on individual appropriations bills. This of course means that they have never had the the responsibility to add up all the suggested budget items at once and do some compromising to get a balanced budget. The Dems fear a balanced budget amendment (while many, if not most Republicans favor it) because it would force them to be responsible and would not allow them to pass bills favoring their special interests without considerable scrutiny. Mondale had a reputation of being a captive of special interests (most anyone with letterhead and a mailing list), but this is not unique to him, as many of the leading Dems trade spending bills, tax breaks, etc. for the support of individual constituencies, ignoring the good of the country as a whole. If you want to fairly blame Reagan for the deficit (I am assuming that you would like to do so fairly), then give him a line item veto and let him put the "fear of God" into anyone who tries to introduce excessive spending bills. The governers of something like 42 states have line item vetos; its about time that the President of the U.S. had it. It is no coincidence that the Democratic party is in serious decline. The people of this country are finally realizing what BS the press and the Democrats have been telling them and doing to them. Greg Bakken John Fluke Mfg. Co., Inc.;PO Box C9090;MS 269D;Everett WA 98206;(206) 356-6298 {uw-beaver,decvax!microsof,ucbvax!lbl-csam,allegra,ssc-vax}!fluke!bakken "Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of management... etc. ad naseum."
oliver@unc.UUCP (Bill Oliver) (07/12/85)
In article <teddy.890> lkk@teddy.UUCP writes: >Point of Information: > >1980 Defense Budget: $136 Billion > >1985 Defense Budget: $260 BIllion > > >The Defense Department is the largest purchaser of goods and >services in the United States. > > >-- > >Sport Death, >Larry Kolodney >(USENET) ...decvax!genrad!teddy!lkk >(INTERNET) lkk@mit-mc Thank you for this interesting consult. Unfortunately, such numbers are useless without attribution. It seems, for example, that various mortality statistics derived from the American Tobacco Institute occasionally disagree with those given by the American Cancer Society. Raw statistics, while adding a certain flair to a conversation, are not preferred to those properly broiled. At least to a connoissieur, the preparation is as much an art as the display. Bill Oliver Office of the Chief Medical Examiner State of North Carolina Usual disclaimer.