Money Can’t Buy You A Legacy (AKA: $3 Trillion For What?)
President Bush submitted his final budget today, and it isn’t sitting too well with everyone. The $3.1 trillion budget has significant increases aimed at strengthening national defense, but makes cuts to funding for education, medicare, and medicaid.
Ohio Congressman Charlie Wilson has already issued a statement condemning the budget, saying that he plans “to take a look at the President’s priorities and identify wasteful spending”.
“This troubling budget plan put forth by the President takes this country in the wrong direction. Overall, I’m very disappointed to see heavy cuts in social programs. Programs like LIHEAP, Medicaid and Medicare are important to the residents of Ohio’s Sixth District. As a Blue Dog Democrat I’m committed to keeping spending under control, however, cutting Medicare by $556 billion over 10 years and cutting heating assistance by $570 million is not the answer. That’s just cutting people who are already hurting. Over the next couple of weeks I plan to take a look at the President’s priorities and identify wasteful spending.”
– Rep. Charlie Wilson
According to Wilson’s press release, Ohio would lose the following under Bush’s budget:
- $5,408,000 in law enforcement grants
- $24,018,000 in firefighters grants
- $14,369,000 for dislocated workers
- $4,788,000 in grants to improve teacher quality, as required by No Child Left Behind
- $45,210,000 in career and technical education funding
- $1,342,000 in Child care development block grant funding
- $16,173,000 in LIHEAP funding
- $22,125,000 in federal-Aid Highways Program funding
Apparently President Bush must be preparing to become a used car salesman when he leaves office, because this budget is a lemon.
February 5th, 2008 at 7:11 am
You’ve noted before (and I agreed), that Bush’s legacy is already set. This budget isn’t about his buying his legacy.
One thing I’ve come to realize about Bush is that he sincerely believes he was put in office for a reason. He seldom plays politics. You may not agree with his choices, and I don’t always agree with them, but he follows his internal compass. He compromises at times, sometimes when I wish he wouldn’t.
Legacy? I don’t think he’s worried about it.
February 5th, 2008 at 10:14 pm
I’ll say this in Bush’s favor: I think most of his administrations problems have been because he has put too much faith in the wrong people.
As for his intentions, it doesn’t matter much. This country is more divided than it’s been in my lifetime, we have a huge deficit, we’ve alienated our allies, and went into a preemptive war under false pretenses. Knowing that Bush believed in what he was doing doesn’t make up for any of that.
February 6th, 2008 at 12:13 pm
This country is more divided than it’s been in my lifetime,
- I think that’s partially true - but not completely. I think the press overstates the divisions. The press can’t make money if nothung is going on
We have a huge deficit,
- Also true. Spending in general is out of control. However, the last time we came close to a low deficit was through increased tax revenues, generated by tax cuts. We have to be very careful “fixing” the deficit.
We’ve alienated our allies
- I disagree. France is coming back around after changes in their leadership. Germany is pretty much neutral. Australia and England are just as tight with us as they have been. Again, the press overstates things.
Went into a preemptive war under false pretenses.
- I totally disagree with. But that’s been stated enough that people believe it.
Knowing that Bush believed in what he was doing doesn’t make up for any of that.
- Very true. But your headline was on legacy. Understanding Bush’s motivation helps understand his legacy. 20 years from now, what will people say about him? That’s his legacy.
I think that he has little he can do now to impact his legacy (back to the original comment). The $3T budget won’t impact it. A lot depends on the next 20 years in Iraq and in terrorist’s activities. That will determine his legacy. And the book is far from closed on those subjects.
February 8th, 2008 at 2:20 pm
You’re right, a lot of his legacy does depend on the next 20 years in Iraq. I’m a little worried that this budget is intended to put pressure on his successor to follow Bush’s plan for Iraq rather than create their own plan. Furthermore, he’s doing so at the expense of our domestic programs, which have already suffered as we send more and more money to these wars.