Category Archives: Government
Budget Baseline Camp
Uncle Sam’s starting point for spending is a baseline of the previous year CBO projections for the coming year.
“The most absurd current example is Mr. Obama’s claim that his “$4 trillion” plan reduces the deficit by about $800 billion over 10 years by ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. But those “savings,” as he calls them, are measured against a White House budget office spending baseline that is fictional. Those wars are already being unwound and everyone knows the money will never be spent. But they are called “savings” to gull the public and make the deficit reduction add up to a large-sounding $4 trillion.”
Borked
Robert Bork died late this year. He was a distinguished scholar. One of his many distinctions included having a last name as a verb form – “to bork”. The good judge was borked by Joe Biden and Ted Kennedy during senate hearings on his nomination to the supreme court.
The late senator from Chappaquiddick claimed, “Robert Bork’s America” was a place where “women would be forced into back alley abortions and blacks would sit at segregated lunch counters.” A more circumspect Biden would wait 25 years before claiming they would be seated in chains.
12 Days of Urban
In case any Buckeye football players are saving up to jump the plantation, Time reports that Ohio State is monitoring their checking accounts.
The last time indentured buckeyes got the fee market itch, they traded trinkets for tattoos. This led to the dismissal of Coach Tressel, and the ascension of Coach Urban. Urban, named for one or another of the popular Urban family of popes, immediately produced an infallible season: 12-0.
The almighty NCAA accepted this perfect offering and, after Coach Urban performs his penance of no Bowl Games this year, he and his team will be absolved of the sins of others.
Lied and Died
Federal judge Gladys Kessler last week ordered tobacco companies to admit, on every pack of cigarettes, that they deceived the public and caused death with their product.
