For one thing, it looks 10 years into the future. Bush's looked 5 years into a fantasy. The numbers do seem credible - although that's not something I can really comment on. At $3.6 trillion, a number that's too big to comprehend, he's allocating quite a lot to his pet causes. Everything from green power to health insurance gets addressed; taxes are shoved back in the direction where the rich have to actually pay something into the Treasury. This has a lot of people upset. The GOP is probably salivating, and is (probably, as I write) pasting their old phrases onto new red, white and blue posters.
I liked this phrase:
This is the legacy that we inherit—a legacy of mismanagement and misplaced priorities, of missed opportunities and of deep, structural problems ignored for too long. It’s a legacy of irresponsibility, and it is our duty to change itNothing like stating the obvious, hmm? :-)
Iraq is, for the first time, included in the overall budget. Also, veteran's health care is given a fair number. For all their shouting about "supporting the troops", the neocons of the Bush Administration were just about criminally negligent toward returning veterans. At first it was all about blaming Clinton, and then it was all about ignoring the problem of soldiers' pay, the hideous revelations that so many soldiers' families were on food stamps and the ridiculous lack of care provided for soldiers' once they left the army. All of this looks to change!
Education was always given short-thrift by Bush. The peculiar administration and management of American schools is not addressed, but that's probably not as much a priority as making the education system in this country actually work! It's been a bit of an embarrassment, of late. This is going to be one area where his supporters and detractors will be able to get together and cry "Foul!" More likely, they'll howl at the moon and expect that to change the system.
All in all, it's a believable budget. It's even readable, something that I've never particularly noted about other budgets. It's going to be attacked by those who benefit from the status quo, and not everyone will like what's in there. But I think Obama has the political capital to actually get through most of what he wants, and the nation needs.
The Republicans will be screeching about socialism and the welfare state (there's no socialism in the budget, and ridiculously little welfare state). They'll not make any original points, so we don't have to waste time listening to them. Some of the more left wing Democrats will shout about Iraq (they're doing that, already) and the lack of social services in the budget - but that' fine. They won't really offer anything new, either. It'll be left to the White House to get the budget through; it'll change from what's proposed and what's actually passed, but I don't think it thre will be too many changes. The arguments in the document(s) are just too compelling, and too reasonable!
The man is moving fast - and it is catching his opponents off guard. They're left flailing around, trying to figure out how to respond coherently, and Wham! There's another initiative! I must admit I'm not 100% happy with the budget - I'd prefer more social welfare, and a larger budget for advanced research efforts - but I do think it's a good budget.
Good luck on getting it passed, President Obama. We need it!
Carolyn Ann
PS Maybe Gordon Brown could be a little more dynamic. Instead of his current condition, which is best described as "comatose".
It's obvious to you, CA, and to me, but to the opposition? Not in the least. Not in the *least*.
ReplyDeleteNot at odds over your statement but, President Obama's 2.9% pay raise amount utilizes the exact same methodology of the previous administration of using the Employment Cost Index (ECI) published by the Department of Labor.
ReplyDeleteAin't that the truth, Bill!
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure what that means, Tom!
2.9% does seem a little low, but it's higher than may pay rises! (My wife, for instance, hasn't had a pay increase in 3 years!)
My understanding of military pay rises (which is probably faulty) was that the previous administration didn't do much to raise military pay to be reasonably competitive with the private sector. This is a concern (I'm trying to recall a speech I heard in December, I think) when it's coupled with the endless tour od duty. Officers and senior NCO's leave, either to places like Blackwater (or whatever they call themselves, these days) or just leave the defense field altogether, causing a serious "brain drain".
I think we can all look to continued miserable pay rises - unless you're a CEO, of course...
Thanks for dropping by and commenting,
Carolyn Ann
:) My point is that going back almost as far as I can remember (26 years in the Navy) each raise was excepted by congress or was increased to attempt to "close the gap" of pay, but each President (except Reagan who actually started the whole thing with some pretty good raises) used the ECI number as a base line. Most people have no idea how military pay works and only focus on the base pay number. Should the military get additional raises, absolutely but IMO we are not far off from getting it right. In my first reply my sig link is to the proposed 2010 numbers for base pay but if you follow the military pay link it shows a number of other pays and allowances members receive (if eligible).
ReplyDeleteUnder the current retirement plan for active duty members, we get 50% (depending on the plan and year you joined) of what we are making base pay at 20 years of service, we start getting the check the first month after we retire, for the rest of my life. I retired with just over 26 years as a Master Chief (E-9) and get 65% of my base pay number plus increases based on the consumer price index (CPI) just like Social Security. Retirement pay once you retire is no longer tied to military pay, your percentage amount is based on the basic pay amount of the year you retire (or last 3 year average if under high 3 plan).
One very good thing President Obama did in the budget was add for ALL disabled veterans concurrent receipt for retired pay and VA disability pay (currently it is only available if 50% VA disabled)
Hope this makes sense.
Hi, Tom! My apologies: I was going to respond last night, but it was late when I got to the computer, and then I was a little distracted, today! (The Mrs can do that...)
ReplyDeleteI get the feeling that military is a highly complex beast. I'm still not sure that I understand it! (Nor, unfortunately, do I think I could, unless I was actually immersed in it.)
Thanks for explanation, though! :-)
Carolyn Ann