DISQUS

The Moderate Voice: Federal Deficit Tops $1 Trillion For The First Time Ever

  • Don Quijote · 5 months ago
    Republican Fiscal Policies...
  • Ron Beasley · 5 months ago
    Unwinnable Wars
  • AustinRoth · 5 months ago
    Ron -

    BS. The war is winding down (supposedly), and why would it suddenly cost SO much more?

    Answer. It does not. The Chosen One has played all his supporters for fools, fiscally. And you are all now left making excuses for his and Congress profligate spending making things worse.

    Much worse.
  • Don Quijote · 5 months ago
    BS. The war is winding down (supposedly), and why would it suddenly cost SO much more?


    It's not costing more, it's just that this year it is not an off-budget item...

    Iraq War Facts, Results & Statistics at June 24, 2009

    U.S. SPENDING IN IRAQ

    Spent & Approved War-Spending - About $800 billion of US taxpayers' funds spent or approved for spending through mid-2009, including $76 billion requested by President Obama and approved by the House.

    U.S. Monthly Spending in Iraq - $12 billion in 2008

    U.S. Spending per Second - $5,000 in 2008 (per Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on May 5, 2008)

    Cost of deploying one U.S. soldier for one year in Iraq - $390,000 (Congressional Research Service)

    Lost & Unaccounted for in Iraq - $9 billion of US taxpayers' money and $549.7 milion in spare parts shipped in 2004 to US contractors. Also, per ABC News, 190,000 guns, including 110,000 AK-47 rifles.

    Missing - $1 billion in tractor trailers, tank recovery vehicles, machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades and other equipment and services provided to the Iraqi security forces. (Per CBS News on Dec 6, 2007.)

    Mismanaged & Wasted in Iraq - $10 billion, per Feb 2007 Congressional hearings

    Halliburton Overcharges Classified by the Pentagon as Unreasonable and Unsupported - $1.4 billion

    Amount paid to KBR, a former Halliburton division, to supply U.S. military in Iraq with food, fuel, housing and other items - $20 billion

    Portion of the $20 billion paid to KBR that Pentagon auditors deem "questionable or supportable" - $3.2 billion

    Number of major U.S. bases in Iraq - 75 (The Nation/New York Times)


    Obama Plans More Funding For Afghan War

    President Obama's new Afghanistan-Pakistan strategy will require significantly higher levels of U.S. funding for both countries, with U.S. military expenses in Afghanistan alone, currently about $2 billion a month, increasing by about 60 percent this year.


    There go a least 160 billion being poured down the drain...
  • AustinRoth · 5 months ago
    DQ -

    So, The Messiah and His Glorious Programs have nothing to do with the financial problems. It is The Great Satan BushCheney still at work, corrupting the Good Works for His People, who in his Benevolence, He is trying to save.

    The Great Leader is working diligently for you, fighting the Evil Capitalists who exploit His People. He brings only Good News and Tidings; his enemies bring only destruction.

    All hail the God-King Obama!

    btw - We are still running under last year's budget, so nothing has changed vis-a-vis how the war effort is being funded, or its impact on the budget, so the whole argument is a red herring.
  • NRafter530 · 5 months ago
    Considering none of his glorious programs have come to fruition yet...no, they have nothing to do with the financial problems...get back me in 2013.
  • Don Quijote · 5 months ago
    I will let the great leader complete four Friedman units in office before making a definite judgment, until then I will give him the benefit of the doubt...

    So far I am not impressed, but for totally different reasons than yours.
  • Anastasia Beaverhausen · 5 months ago
    Thanks for the tip-off...frightening thought that I and my children will be paying that off....or paying for it at least....Was explaining to my 9 year old that we borrow more than we generate as a country, and defining defecit for him. He asked, Mom...What comes after trillion? I said, I dont want to know, and neither do you...He thought for a moment and realized that he would never run his own finances that way. Out of the mouths of babes, right?

    But I promised my son that I would ask, who knows what comes after trillion???? Anyone?
  • NRafter530 · 5 months ago
    Quadrillon
  • Dr J · 5 months ago
    Universal health care.
  • superdestroyer · 5 months ago
    Now the question becomes: Why would anyone invest in the private sector. The future level of taxes will make many investments unviable. The looming health, energy, environment, employment, and finance regulations make so many segements of the economy uncertain and too risky to warrant investment.

    Also, the proposed healthcare regulations will add to the deficit and based upon past government performance, they costs will be much higher than estimated.
  • VoteTheDay · 5 months ago
    Will Barack the Great prove his words and make the federal deficit of US head down? Moreover, will he be able to half it till his first term in office is over? http://www.votetheday.com/americas-20/us-federa...