There is much to criticize in the President's budget plan, not the least of which is its freewheeling, trillion dollar deficits. But amidst the fiscal carnage, there are a few worthy nuggets, including the proposal to drastically cut federal subsidies for the arts and humanities.
Congress
loves to play Santa Claus. Dispensing gifts, in the form of legislation, is a time-honored custom of the nation's political class. That was especially so with earmarks, the pet projects congressmen would get funded, often in exchange for their votes on other legislation.
The nearby video puts in rather stark terms the grave problems runaway federal debt ($20 trillion and rising) has on the broader U.S. economy. Want slower growth, fewer jobs, and less economic security?
The federal government makes billions of dollars in payments each year to individuals, businesses and organizations. But as we all know, not all of those payments are legitimate. Fraud, waste, and old-fashioned incompetence mean that huge sums are paid out in error. How much? According to the Manhattan Institute, enough to put a nice dent in the yearly deficit:
House Republicans have unveiled their proposed budget, and it includes a number of spending reductions and reforms that are long overdue.
As the Trump administration grapples with what sort of tax cut program it intends to push through Congress, others are looking at the spending habits of official Washington, and where cuts should be made.
One of official Washington's worst habits is trying (once again) to make a comback:
One of Donald Trump's first acts as president was signing an executive order instituting a hiring freeze in the federal workforce.
