Obama to Cabinet: Show Me Your Cost Cuts

“California and North Carolina in March posted their highest jobless rates in at least three decades, as unemployment increased in all but a handful of states during the month, the Labor Department said Friday.
“California’s unemployment rate jumped to 11.2% in March, while North Carolina rose to 10.8%, the highest for both since the U.S. government began a comprehensive tally of state joblessness in 1976.
“The state-by-state employment figures showed only a few states avoiding the deterioration seen nationwide. Unemployment rose in 46 states during the month, and 12 states plus the District of Columbia posted unemployment rates in March that were significantly higher than the 8.5% nationwide figure the government released earlier this month.”
This one’s on you, Mr. Obama. You own it.

Wgat’s the biggest “pork barrell project” around… The wars in Iran Afghanistan and the covert war going on in IRAN… Just think if we stopped our empire and brought the troops home to protect US from terrorists, guarded OUR borders and kept US safe! And they would even spend their money HERE in the US??? NO, Obama can’t do that, he’s too busy “spreading the goodness of America through the barrell of a gun!!!” Just like Bush II, I, Clinton, Reagan, Carter, JOhnson, JFK, et. al…
But NO Obama doesn’t want to end all of that, he wants to go after earmarks which account for a whopping 1 percent of the federal budget! Nice move Barack, way to put your neck out!
Isn’t the real reason why you hate earmarks is because it is the only Constitutional way for taxpayers to get some of their own money back from Washington, and take care of local problem, through their own local reps.???
Hate that huh, Barack? Oh well, keep doing what your doing… After all Jimmy Carter thinks your doing a great job! (impersonating him!)

Fascist Hyena- How does he own it? This is not something that happened over night! Thank Boy George for this mess! When this started, did you call out the Repubs who drove this nation into the ditch?

Do you really want a budget cut proposal? Resign! The United States simply can not afford you, Mr Obama.Thanks to you, gun sales are at an all time high. You simply can’t keep giving this country away to the world. And for you to apologize to various nations on behalf of the United States of America is totally ludicrous and daft, as well as an insult to anyone who as ever served in the U S military. The practical citizen of this country is already becoming fed up with your vision toward socialism and this new wave on the horizon is going to become a tsunami and throw your sorry butt out of office. Simply put , those with one ounce of common sense are becoming madder than hell and are not going to take it much longer.

“With that in his back pocket, he will advance the American agenda much further with soft power…”
A lot of good that did in getting Europeans to imitate his “stimulus” folly, or in getting them to provide further combat troops in Afghanistan. A lot of good it has done him in putting a halt to North Korea’s nuclear program, and ditto Iran’s. And a lot of good it has done him in getting the imprisoned American journalist out of the hellhole she’s in in Iran.
But hey, he’s sure “graceful.”

This from the man who claimed a new era of “resonsibility” had come to Washington after he announced the deficit this year will be at least 1.75 TRILLION dollars and might be as high as 2 TRILLION dollar according to the CBO.
This from a man that has proposed 3.6 TRILLION dollars in new spending (his own numbers).
This from a man that just spend 800 BILLION dollars on a stimulus plan that was full of pork and special interest give-aways.
This from a man that jets around on Air Force One spending tens of thousands of dollars in fuel while working families are struggling to get by.
Obama is Carter. When the public has to begin to pay for these policies they are going to be upset to say the least.

Unbelievable.

One more set of number that illustrate the madness of Obama’s spending:
Interest fiscal year 2009 thru February 148,762
Interest same period 2008 198,518
Deficit fiscal year 2009 thru February 764,525
Deficit same period 2008 264,541
Receipts fiscal year 2009 thru February 860,877
Receipts same period 2008 967,153
Outlays fiscal year 2009 thru February 1,625,402
Outlays same period 2008 1,231,694
Gold assets in March 11,041
Icome to the federal government is down significantly and spending has skyrocketed. Obama has produced a 764 Billion dollar deficit so far this year and as previously noted, the CBO believes it might go as high as 2.1 TRILLION dollars.
How can anyone support this? Unfortunately, the new spending under Obama has many long-term programs that will only magnify the deficit in coming years. George Will has rightly pointed out that much of the welfare reform that was passed over the past two decades was undone in the Obama stimulus plan. All of this combined is simply staggering when you consider the long term implications for our families and future generations.

We have your back, Mr. President.

this is raw politics and not serious. He signed the bill with all the pork then talks about wasteful spending? He creates a debt that will, along with other entitlements, consume 80% of the federal budget, and he talks about fiscal responsibility? This speech was a response to the protests but pure rhetoric. Obama is destroying the country’s economics long term.

sngorgia- He was not left a $20T budget deficit, he created it and he owns it 100% He signed the stimulus package which wasted another $1T and he owns it. You lefties are always looking to blame somebody else for the mess you create.

The next Obama promise to fall will be on taxes. There is already a proposal to raise taxes on everyone making more than $104,000. That number will go lower and lower because there simply are not enough people making that much money to fund trillion dollar deficits. Sooner or later taxes will need to be raised across the board or the Obama spending will need to be undone. We simply cannot afford it.

This all has to do with votes. The numbers are in from the Tea Parties: 400,000 to 600,000 people nationwide according to outlets including CNN, NPR, and Drudge. Millions more watched on tv. Obama knows he can’t overspend. Bush shot the economy. But Obama cut its head off.

I agree with sngeorgia! Keep working and praying with God as your captain Mr. President. When God take you to it, HE will take you through it!!! Keep looking to the mark of the high calling of God, Mr. President!!! No matter what is said and what it look like, people, understand this, “GOD HAS CALLED THIS UNION, IT IS TIME FOR A CHANGE!!!” When prayer was in the school and the Bible was being practiced, i.e., spare not the rod, spoil not the child! Look at our children, everyday, killing-destruction-children against parents-parents against children-siblings against each other…..it is time that we “Get back to the Basics”.
He who is without sin cast the first stone. We just celebrated the “Easter Season”. We are aware, I hope that the reason for the season is “JESUS”!!! Not colored eggs, candy shaped like eggs, bunnies, and baby chicks, baskets, and special activities to find the hidden treasure. Let’s face it, if we don’t turn around, change our minds, follow THE CREATOR, read our Bible, … basically GET BACK TO BIBLE BASICS and follow the “rule book” for life.
TO GOD BE THE GLORY!!!

Trent, are you telling me that you are not one bit concerned with trillion dollar deficits? The congressional budget office has projected that Obama’s budget will create permanent trillin dollar deficits. Not one bit of concern over this? Do you not realize what this will mean to hard working Amercians as they try to earn a living and to provide food for their families? You sound like you are blinded by your ideology; are you really willing to mortgage our future and in all likelihood cause an economic collapse just because you support Obama’s liberal social stances?

James wrote: “Trent, are you telling me that you are not one bit concerned with trillion dollar deficits”?
That’s exactly what I’m telling you. Give President Obama time to get this mess he was left cleaned up. You Righties want him to fail so badly that you jump the gun, start squawking and end up looking like fools. But, by now you should be used to that.

Duh! Couldn’t he have done that with the last massive budget and the stimulus he signed. If he did, you wouldn’t have seen the Tea Party movement. It’s not spending, it’s wasteful spending that everyone is up in arms about. Good to see that he is thinking of it now, but honestly, the last budget and the stimulus was where he should have started.

You know what Obama should cut–aid to those insolvent banks. But apparently they ARE sacred cows. He can cut from now until doomsday. It will never get close to the trillions of taxpayer money the Fed and Treasury have doled out to AIG, Goldman Sachs, BOA, Citicorp who continue to rape the public while cashing in on free money from the taxpayer. And we are sheep, going quietly to slaughter. One thing I can say about France–no way, Jose would this ever happen there. The people wouldn’t allow it.

One suggestion, would be to cut diversity programs which cost a fortune to cities, counties and federal govt. WE are capable of all getting along. We always have been and in my opinion diversity programs like women’s lib programs simply pit everyone against each other. The white male has been made out to be the most evil creature in the world. Stop it already president obama.

All citizens deserve a voice just as obama says but lately we have no voice. We just pay the taxes. Non citizens, residents aliens, illegal aliens and politicians have the voice. We have none. Foreign students are accepted to Dental school over citizens. We are lied to during campaigns only to have a candidate win and do the opposite.

Here’s a budget cut…lower your own salaries, get the members of congress to pay their taxes.

VLK, good point. The governor of the state of Wa. just gave herself a raise about a year ago. It was something like 27%. I don’t hear any politicians offering to take a paycut or pay back their raises. They all are a bunch of elitists that think they deserve the benefits we give them.

Wonder what Gen. Colin Powell think of Mr. Obama now

He’s done enough damage in Washington it’s time for him to go back to Chicago. And some of us thought Jimmy Carter did a number on America. We haven’t seen anything yet..Obama’s well on his way to making Jimmy Carter look like one of the good guys.

Solution to economic catastrophy: Raise the minimum wage to no less than 10 dollars an hour. Free Medical and University for all just like its done in Europe. How many children are living in poverty that are gifted? Future Einsteins that will be grateful to say that their country gave them the opportunity to study the career of their choice, and they will give the best of their knowledge back to help humanity. Look at a picture of planet Earth from space, we are mere specks on a blue globe floating in nothingness. Let us be nicer,kinder,patient with everyone no matter race,color or creed. Your neighbors problem today might be your problem tomorrow. Think people! We are all human beings. Stop arguing and lets work together for the good of all.

The stupidity of Bush does not give Obama the excuse to be even worse. While I would applaud his efforts to cut costs, it seems pretty superficial, and I expect him to cut a few billion where he spends trillions. Cutting 100 Billion is nothing if you spend 20 times that.

Trent has said that he supports the trillion dollar deficits that Obama has proposed. Well, are you ready to pay your part? Your bill just for the first three years, using CBO figures, comes to $16,700. If you have a wife, or husband, or kids, then you need to pony up $16,700 for each of them as well.
When can we expect your check? I will personally drive it to Washington and give it to Mr. Obama if you would like. On the other hand, if you are not willing to fork over the money then I would humbly ask you to be quite.

Tea Parties work. Tea parties from now until congress understands who they work for, the TAXPAYERS. Tea is tne new coffee.

If only 40% of adults pay taxes then it’s obvious where the burden is falling. Thank goodness we even have rich people to foot the bill otherwise the taxpaying middle class will fold. Instead of an energy footprint how about we have a taxuser footprint that measures how much you produce vs. use of govt services.

Trent, Obama’s approval rating has not been at 69% since his inauguration. His current RCP average is 60.4, which is rather average for a new president during the first 100 days. The spread between Republican and Democratic party identification has fallen from an RCP average of 7.2% during the election to 2.8% today. Obama’s approval rating according to Rasmussen Reports, which is usually cited by politicians is at 55%, again a little low for a new president.
Obama has squandered the goodwill he gained during the election. If his economic policies continue to produce trillion dollar deficits he will be a one term president like Carter.

Many parts of government need cutting. The National Education Assoc. eats up money for bureaucrats and education specialists, all for dubious benefits inside the classroom. As the NEA grows, the problems with American public education also grow.
The EPA budget also should be closely scrutinized for expenditures that fall outside the boundaries of legitimate government interference.
Tremendous savings could be accrued by putting Congress’s spending under a microscope. Congressional staffs are highly paid, and some members have staffs in the hundreds.
Separate House and Senate committees each have their own staff. The numbers are enormous, and anyone who has worked in Washington knows you could get rid of half of them and no one would know the difference. You could also cut out half of Congress’ redundant and byzantine committee and subcommittee structure and not notice an iota of change in the country. These are empire-building and rice bowl opportunities for individual members we shouldn’t be paying for.
Congress itself should not be a sacred cow when it comes to budget cutting. Expense accounts, boondoggles and overseas trips should all be out on the table.

In my opinion obama shoved and the Dems shoved that obese pork bill down our throats to get their pet projects through that would otherwise have no hope like bullet trains. Do we really need bullet trains. We spent a fortune on a rail service and nobody even uses it becuase it’s a pain in the ***. Every time theres a storm it shuts down so you have to drive during bad weather.

We have a train system in my city and people still drive and take the bus because it’s more efficient and less likely to get shut down due to weather. Ask people if they’d rather drive or ride a train and most woudl rather drive. And why dhould you, olivia, decide how people should get to work.

Obama wants all departments to submit budget proposal cuts! WOW!! He has ordered stimulus packages or butgets every month he has been in office and now he says nothing in Washington is a sacred cow. He has people in “his” administration who didn’t pay their taxes, who call American cowards and one day Obama states the Great Depression is upon us and then the next week we should buy stocks. Sounds like a man with a great plan. Say something different each week, no one will notice.

This man is the epitome of hypocrisy . . . he rapes the treasury and mortgages the futures of several generations then decides he want budget cuts. Who in the world does he think he’s fooling?

Bush’s tax cuts kept us from plummeting into a deep recession after 9/11. He kept us prosperous and helped moved most of the world into prosperity. It wasn’t until it looked like obama was going to win the nomination did most big investors ran for the hills. Housing was bound to pop and look no further than Barney and Chris for that one.

Want to cut spending, first place to go is all entitlement programs. If you are on an entitlement program then you should be subject to random drug testing, fail the test and you are off of the entitlement program. It sounds tough but alot of us with jobs are subject to the same testing if we want to work. Why should it be different for those receiving our tax money?

This is a joke. So Obama doubles Bush’s already disgraceful deficits and keeps us in massive deficits for the next decade – and then has the audacity to say he will cut wasteful spending. Maybe if he wasn’t already planning to expand federal spending or the power of the federal government over the people. We need to slow federal spending and cut it if possible.

He’s expanding spending on lib programs by trillions, but wants us to think he’s willing to cut spending. Looks like a tailored response to the tea parties. I don’t think he’s listening, but he wants people to think he is so he can do what he wants anyway. After all, as he said himself, he won. %3,000,000 voted against him, but he has a mandate.

Huh?? What?? I’m sorry, maybe I missed the latest update while gazing at the cool handshake between BO and Chavez…. didn’t the Big Man on campus just pass his budget?? NOW he wants to trim the fat?? From what?? The budget in 2012?? What a joker… you go, Funny Man!… maybe he should stick to his day job: running the dog and picking up poo!!

The Chinese are quietly transferring to copper and other precious metals as a reserve instead of the US dollar. They obvioulsy know what anyone can figure out; the huge deficits coming out of the Obama administration are going to severely weaken the dollar. What is Obama going to do when he can’t find enough fools to invest in government bonds? Will he moderate spending? Not likely, more likely is that he will simply print the money and allow inflation to run wild. This man clearly does not have a clue. Obama has said to hold him accountable – that is one statement he has made that I can agree with.

Is this really Obama.. I thought he would never ask.

Won’t anyone thing of our future? Why should us kids have to pay for the money being spent today? My parents make me pay for the stuff I want out of my allowance and if I spend it all I just have to go without new music and games. Why can’t adults do the same?
Posted by: Taylor | Apr 18, 2009 2:58:49 PM
======================================
Taylor, you have got the message!!!
Some adults do the same as you do, but
you must remember this is the Federal Government we are dealing with here.
Guess their parents weren’t the good
teachers your parents are. Can only hope for your sake and my grandkids
it gets better. Bless you!!!

Kind of like shutting the barn door after the horse is already gone. He should have thought of this before he signed the stagnant bill to bankrupt the country!!

Obama wants to tax and spend and cut. Doesn’t he understand that he can’t do all of that? He also wants a nuclear weapons free world. Give your head a shake, Obama. Do you think for one minute that having gotten rid of America’s nukes that North Korea or Iran won’t stop making them? Either you are naive or plain stupid. Whatever it is, it makes you look like a moron.

Thats fine mr. Obama but the fact of the matter is you have tripled the national debt!!!! I think we are to far gone because of your lack of leadership.

I think most people posting here are of a certain party that should not throw stones in glass houses. Bush did precisely the same without actually investing in our country but flushing down the money in other countries. Obama at least is investing all that spending in our country. Where was the outrage from all you conservative ilk, when this was happening?

The right does not get it ! They want more of the old trickle down Reagan style economics that has proven not to work. Sure , booming deficits are an issue … but this is not normal times . Obama needs to clean up the mess left to him by the GOP !

“The right does not get it ! They want more of the old trickle down Reagan style economics that has proven not to work.”
Trickle down doesn’t work? What do you think is going on all around you right now? When times are good, workers get raises. When times are bad, workers get laid off. Trickle down economics is in effect at all times.

All you people on the left need to understand the bill of rights. Let me give it to you in terms that you should be able to understand.
“We the sensible people of the United States, in an attempt to help everyone get along, restore some semblance of justice, avoid more riots, keep our nation safe, promote positive behavior, and secure the blessings of debt-free liberty to ourselves and our great-great-great-grandchildren, hereby try one more time to ordain and establish some common sense guidelines for the terminally whiny, guilt ridden, delusional, and others. We hold these truths to be self evident: that a whole lot of people are confused by the Bill of Rights and are so dim they require a Bill of NON-Rights.”
ARTICLE I: You do not have the right to a new car, big screen TV, or any other form of wealth. More power to you if you can legally acquire them, but no one is guaranteeing anything.
ARTICLE II: You do not have the right to never be offended. This country is based on freedom, and that means freedom for everyone — not just you! You may leave the room, turn the channel, express a different opinion, etc; but the world is full of idiots, and probably always will be.
ARTICLE III: You do not have the right to be free from harm. If you stick a screwdriver in your eye, learn to be more careful; do not expect the tool manufacturer to make you and all your relatives independently wealthy.
ARTICLE IV: You do not have the right to free food and housing. Americans are the most charitable people to be found, and will gladly help anyone in need, but we are quickly growing weary of subsidizing generation after generation of professional couch potatoes who achieve nothing more than the creation of another generation of professional couch potatoes ..
ARTICLE V: You do not have the right to free health care. That would be nice, but from the looks of public housing, we’re just not interested in public health care.
ARTICLE VI: You do not have the right to physically harm other people. If you kidnap, rape, intentionally maim, or kill someone, don’t be surprised if the rest of us want to see you fry in the electric chair.
ARTICLE VII: You do not have the right to the possessions of others. If you rob, cheat, or coerce away the goods or services of other citizens, don’t be surprised if the rest of us get together and lock you away in a place where you still won’t have the right to a big screen color TV or a life of leisure.
ARTICLE VIII: You do not have the right to a job. All of us sure want you to have a job, and will gladly help you along in hard times, but we expect you to take advantage of the opportunities of education and vocational training laid before you to make yourself useful. (AMEN!)
ARTICLE IX: You do not have the right to happiness. Being an American means that you have the right to PURSUE happiness, which by the way, is a lot easier if you are unencumbered by an over abundance of idiotic laws created by those of you who were confused by the Bill of Rights.
ARTICLE X: This is an English speaking country. We don’t care where you are from, English is our language. Learn it or go back to wherever you came from! (Lastly….)
ARTICLE XI: You do not have the right to change our country’s history or heritage. This country was founded on the belief in one true God. And yet, you are given the freedom to believe in any religion, any faith, or no faith at all; with no fear of persecution. The phrase IN GOD WE TRUST is part of our heritage and history, and if you are uncomfortable with it, TOUGH!

Let’s face it the big prize is the boomer money and obama has his eyes on it. Notice the death tax is coming back. Boomers take note, your life’s work is going to go to the govt. It’s a bit ironic actually. Since originally it was the govt. we protested.

If you want to see where Obama’s policies will lead us then watch New York city. They have just levied huge tax increases on the rich, businesses, and the things that everyday Americans purchase. We are about to see a flight out of New York. Businesses will not stay in a city that does not allow success and in fact actvely punishes it. Look for a lot of moving vans leaving the city headed to the south and middle America. When Obama’s policies cause the same failure on a national level I am afraid we will see anger, violence, and civil unrest. Americans simply will no longer put up with economic pain, especially economic pain caused by higher taxes.

uh, Jalo, where have you been? the corporations have had all but a tax holiday and have left for cheaper labor, the boomers got busted when the housing market tanked thanks to deregulation, The conservatives have had the last 8 years and the country is in the poorest and worst condition it has been in since the 1930′s.

I’ll take 2 trillion in investment that pays for itself in 10 years and that produces jobs, innovation and opens the markets than over a trillion+ spent,some billions of which just fell into the pockets of Iraqi officials, 6000 dead, and a less stable region of the world than when we found it and has provided 0 revenue for little else than Haliburtion, that pays no taxes on said revenue.

Thank god for the rich people. They’re the only ones paying enough taxes to keep this boat afloat. Without them we’re all doomed. Plus the tickle down is exactly what their cash offers those of us with small businesses.

hmmm….Do you think ACORN would be considered by some a pet project?

Would Nancy Pelosi’s mouse study be considered a pet project?

Frieda “Thank god for the rich people. They’re the only ones paying enough taxes to keep this boat afloat. Without them we’re all doomed. Plus the tickle down is exactly what their cash offers those of us with small businesses.”
Unfortunately, there are not as many rich people as there used to be. If you were to take all the income from those making over $200,000 a year you would only collect 1.3 trillion. Obama has submitted a budget that calls for 3.6 trillion in spending. Now, where do you suppose he will need to make up the nearly 2.9 trillion that will still need to be brought in through taxes, even after soaking the rich?
If you make between 29k and 70k then you are part of the group that brings in the bulk of the income. You too will have the, aah, pleasure of supporting Mr. Obama’s taxes one way or another. Obama doesn’t have the honesty to just raise your income tax to fund his spending schemes but I would suspect you will see higher taxes on everything you buy, transport, inherit, donate, license, and in any other way spend money. Higher fees for government services? Absolutely. Enjoy…

“We finally have a leader who is ready to do more than increase the bottom line of the fortune 500, I’m very ok with that.”
Let’s see. I guess if Obama reduces the bottom line of the fortune 500 they will then create jobs. And the economy will greatly improve when all businesses make close to zero or post a loss.
Boy did I have it wrong all these years!

Watching to see if this is about cutting Republican “unnecessary programs” and states and regions that didn’t vote for him. Also will Nancy’s mouse be cut out of the budget?
Here again we have ONE man deciding what I like and don’t like done with my money.

Kent said “conservatives want lower taxes and Obama gives 95 percent of Americans lower taxes, conservatives complain about government spending and Obama directs his cabinet to identify savings — still the poor loosers rant”
Kent, you do realize that the $13 a week tax cut that Obama gave just a few months ago was rescinded in the 2009 budget plan?
Maybe you can go to your leftwing blog, posing as an “economic comparison expert”, and make yourself feel better about the 2 trillion dollar debt that Obama will run up this year. Maybe they will give you a miniture statue of keynes that you can snuggle with at night.

Maybe it would help if Obama stopped thinking of himself as the guy who must solve all the world’s problems. He’s the latest of a long line of presidents. That’s all. After him there will be more presidents and more problems to be solved. In fact every time changes are made to solve problems they only produce new problems. As our national debt grows, solving problems becomes more and more difficult because all the government’s income is obligated. There’s no money to spend or invest. This administration is obligating more than the people have to give or ever will have to give.

Get the bailout money back before it’s too late!!!

For those who are applauding the over spending by Obama… I would like to know how do you think that money is going to get paid back?
The Debt Fairy?
No, we the people will pay it back, by paying more taxes and Inflation, arent we already paying double for the banks bailout? yes we are, we are paying higher interest rates and bank fees, while these bailed out banks are now reporting profits.
Don’t be too quick to put Obama on a pedastal, it will be a harder fall for him when he fails.

From sandcrab1612: “PSALM 2008-2012: FIRST BOOK OF DEMOCRAT
OBAMA IS MY SHEPHERD, I SHALL NOT WANT. HE LEADETH ME BESIDE STILL FACTORIES. HE RESTORETH MY FAITH IN THE REPUBLICAN PARTY. HE GUIDETH ME IN THE PATH OF UNEMPLOYMENT. YEA, THOUGH I WALK THROUGH THE VALLEY OF THE BREAD LINE, I SHALL NOT GO HUNGRY. OBAMA HAS ANOINTED MY INCOME WITH TAXES, MY EXPENSES RUNNETH OVER MY INCOME, SURELY, POVERTY AND HARD LIVING WILL FOLLOW ME ALL THE DAYS OF MY LIFE.
THE DEMOCRATS AND I WILL LIVE FOREVER
IN A RENTED HOME. BUT I AM GLAD I AM AN AMERICAN, I AM GLAD THAT I AM FREE.
BUT I WISH I WAS A DOG AND OBAMA WAS A TREE.”

Get taxpayer’s bailout money back from the Wizards of Wall Street before it disappears.

Jason “Get the bailout money back before it’s too late!!!”
Jason, do you realize that the Obama administration has refused bank repayments because they want to maintain control over some banks? We have quite the little petulant dictator in Obama.

Olivia…
Your spewing does nothing for me at all…
I am not from the far right and have no problems viewing all opinions, even those that I do not agree with.
Tone down your hostility and get a grip, you look desperate for approval

Nick- RIGHT ON!

Olivia – Since it is data taken from an official government website I figured that anyone could find it. If you google government debt you will be lead to an area where the data can be found on these two pages

As a society we should ask the simple question of citizens; are you a contributor or producer or are you a continual drain and liability on society? Many not including the elderly, retired and disabled are simply a burden and will always be a burden and have absolutely no desire to contribute. What to do with them?

Jake, it’s now Monday morning. After waiting with baited breath for the cost savings inputs from their budgets to be made by our department heads, I guess we can all exhale……the numbers I am hearing seem to make the process another meaningless one to the taxpayer…of course, they will be the ones to suffer if something can be cut ‘cuz perish the thought if we should ask the leader of our Executive branch just how much has been added to his own staffing costs so far in the first 100 days………including a bunch of “behavioral economists” figuring out the best ways to get folks to do what they want…..I guess they will attempt to save paper in the West Wing by getting Congress to ok whatever it is that Obama has in mind for his Health Plan as no one has seen a P-L-A-N
yet. (Isn’t it fun to jam big ticket items through the legislative branch ( the one which “speaks for the people” down on the Potomac…..the beat goes on!

Posted by: mmonroeliveson | Apr 19, 2009 12:47:55 PM: “Do you still think deficit spending to the tune of trillions of dollars annually is going to make life better for us and future generations?”
I can only speak from experience on the state level. To be sure, not everyone agrees with borrowing to stimulate the economy, but I live in Oregon, a state that’s used this strategy during the last 2 economic downturns, and it worked.
Our state issued bonds (borrowed) to create jobs and we also opened wider eligibility for federal food stamps. The money circulated throughout the state, helping build jobs. We rebounded, attracted new employers like INTEL, and even built a rainy day fund – this growth has not compensated for ALL the borrowing, but it has not broken the backs of our children either. We don’t even have a state sales tax and car licenses are a flat fee of around $20 bucks.
It is true that borrowing can be a double edge sword. In the past Oregon was forced to borrow to build new prisons due to tougher sentencing laws and one year our legislators even borrowed to balance its budget. IMO, that’s the kind of borrowing that backed California into a serious deficit.
Oregon’s economy is also heavily dependent on forest products, so the housing bust hit us hard. With unemployment over 12%, Oregon has once again borrowed to help our economy while we wait for federal stimulus money. We already started spending this month for every local County’s economy on infrastructure projects to eventually have 3,000 people working and off unemployment.
The key focus has to be long term jobs. We’ll be using upcoming federal money to help build healthy new tax payers by investing in school districts, summer jobs for low-income teens, training and community college scholarships.
Building healthy new jobs helped pay down borrowing in the past. Now, I don’t agree with everything our President has advocated, but think it is worth stepping outside failed patterns to discover whether or not certain proposals have value.
I’ve learned it’s not clear cut Republican OR Democratic policies that work. And tax cuts are not the only solution when kids go hungry today and we need to build new jobs for tomorrow’s taxpayers.

idahogirl; Some infrastructure spending is not only beneficial, but wise. The states should maintain what they’ve built as should the federal gov’t. The purpose is to deter the high costs of completely rebvuilding as opposed to maintaining what is already in place. There’s also need for improvements of infrastructure, but you missed my point. This administration is going into deep debt. We’re talking TRILLIONS of dollars we don’t have that are being spent. Even with a healthy economy which we don’t have, every penny earned by every American and every American business for the next twenty years is currently obligated to our creditors. I’m questioning the wisdom as well as the math. A bullheaded plunge into doing “what’s right” and “what’s been promised” when we are broke doesn’t seem like level headed leadership to me. Sorry Obama inherited a global recession, but he did. More mismanagement of the US dollar won’t make things better. Now is not the time for pursuit of his ambitions or fulfillment of his campaign promises at the expense of already overstressed taxpayers. As it has always been, there’s a time to spend and a time to tighten the belt. In my opinion growing the government will only lead to more debt. Besides, the only thing the federal government has ever done well is provide national defense. They should concentrate on what they do well and leave the rest to the states.

I don’t even think $100 million will cover the interest on the $4 trillion for a single day. Obama is con. Get rid of him.