Bush thinks you're stupid

[bd]

Well I guess he knows a couple of you are....

Anyway

That Yale MBA is paying off.


TOO CLEVER BY HALF....Guess what? The end of the federal government's fiscal year — September 30 — is rapidly approaching, and George Bush's minions have had a brainstorm: federal bureaucrats should put off as many purchases as possible until October so that this year's spending looks nice and frugal. After all, we don't want any headlines about skyrocketing government spending just before the midterm elections!

Alternatively, if no actual purchases can be delayed, just delay payment for services already rendered. Like, say, for Medicare services:
The bureaucratic brainstorm was straightforward — simple-minded is, perhaps, a more appropriate description — don't pay doctors, hospitals and their army of auxiliaries tending to indisposed old folks and the afflicted disabled for their labors in the last nine days of the current fiscal year. Instead, send them a check for what you owe them, sometime after the first of October, the start of the government's fiscal '07. In essence, those doctors, hospitals et al. are making an involuntary loan of nine days' pay without interest.

That way, point out the gleeful budgeteers and Medicare pooh-bahs, all of whom presumably are glowing with health, Uncle Sam's Medicare tab this fading fiscal year will be $5.2 billion less than it otherwise would have been. Or at least would seem to be $5.2 billion less — in Washington, as we all know, appearance and reality are not invariably the same phenomena.

Apparently, these people genuinely think that no one has ever thought of this trick before. And they're right, as long you don't include every sales manager and CFO who's ever lived. Needless to say, that $5.2 billion will get tacked right onto next year's budget, so it's not like we're saving anything. It's just that we don't have any elections next year.

Honest to God, every time you think these guys can't get any more puerile, they do. It's like having a bunch of scheming high school freshmen running the country.

I know that quite a few of you will think this is good business practice. But you all will be the same ones that still think that WMDs are buried in the desert and they're only listening to terrorists on those wiretaps.


bd

[invssgt]

BD,

I like you; you're allright. But I've got to tell you something- all politics is based on the candidate thinking that the voter is stupid. Hell, Clinton thought we were all stupid criminals. That's why we now have to stand there like prospective bank robbers, waiting for NICS to tell the nice gun dealer that we actually have permission to buy that gun.

Find me another Harry Truman, and I'll vote democrat this time.

[cucamelsmd15]

Originally Posted by invssgt

Find me another Teddy Roosevelt, and I'll vote for him.

There ya go, fixed that for you

[invssgt]

Originally Posted by cucamelsmd15

There ya go, fixed that for you

I'd race you to the polls to vote for another TR!

[cucamelsmd15]

Originally Posted by invssgt

I'd race you to the polls to vote for another TR!

Amen!

[DoctorDawg]

Bush thinks? C'mon....

(and anyway, his new name is 'Shrub')

[JakeUSA]

I don't know if you've ever done government work, but this is the way it works across the board. The money is all spent well before the fiscal year ends, and unless a supplimental budget is approved, all further spending must be relegated to the coming year. Bush does it, Clinton did it, and I promise you the next president will.

[Paladyn]

Originally Posted by JakeUSA

I don't know if you've ever done government work, but this is the way it works across the board. The money is all spent well before the fiscal year ends, and unless a supplimental budget is approved, all further spending must be relegated to the coming year. Bush does it, Clinton did it, and I promise you the next president will.

FWIW, I work in public education and we don't spend what we don't have. We simply can't. On a federal level they can, though, and I think the distinction is important. If my public school could sell treasury bonds for working capital we would!

[nickb]

Originally Posted by Paladyn

FWIW, I work in public education and we don't spend what we don't have. We simply can't. On a federal level they can, though, and I think the distinction is important. If my public school could sell treasury bonds for working capital we would!

But, when was the last time any form of government spent less than they had budgeted?

I've never seen it.

[Paladyn]

Originally Posted by nickb

But, when was the last time any form of government spent less than they had budgeted?

I've never seen it.

Well of course not. The mere act of spending a budget (which, by definition, is meant to...you know... be spent) does not immediately mean it was spent poorly. Heck, let's put a hold on fixing all roads for a couple of years and then swim in the cash. It'll be great! We can use the surplus to help pay for new shocks, struts, and windshields.