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That's About One Billion Thousand for Each Registered Voter
From Congressional Quarterly:
President Bush on Monday signed a $186.5 [billion] supplemental spending bill that provides funding for another year of military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan while greatly expanding GI Bill education benefits for veterans of the two wars. [...]
The military funding section of the new law provides $161.8 billion to support operations related to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, with $95.9 billion for the remainder of fiscal 2008 and $65.9 billion for fiscal 2009, which begins Oct. 1. The money will fund war operations through next June. [...]
The bill provides $24.7 billion for domestic programs, including money for Midwest flood and tornado relief, and funds to rebuild levees destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.
It greatly expands veterans' education benefits, extends unemployment benefits for up to 13 weeks beyond the normal six months, and delays six Medicaid regulations proposed by the administration that would shift some costs to the states.
Remember − until the Republican-led Congress changed the rules, previous wars were paid for with emergency supplemental spending (in other words, totally off-budget) only for as long as the wars could be described as "emergencies"; i.e., a year or two max. Now, throwing scores of billions down a black hole of pent-up Democratic desires is as easy as saying "support our troops."
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|6.30.08 @ 11:08AM|#
I think that this habit came out an honest belief by the war's supporters in 2004 and 2005 that we really were just about to mop up the last of the resistance, and that there really was no need for long-term planning or budgetting.
|6.30.08 @ 11:08AM|#
President Bush on Monday signed a $186.5 supplemental spending bill that provides funding for another year of military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan while greatly expanding GI Bill education benefits for veterans of the two wars.
All that for $186.5?! Well shoot. I'd be happy to kick in an extra $200 this year. How many veterans can you put through college on that?
Matt Welch|6.30.08 @ 11:14AM|#
Fixed that Warren, thanks.
Nigel Watt|6.30.08 @ 11:22AM|#
If they're going to blow $1 billion for each registered voter, they could at least send it to us.
|6.30.08 @ 11:22AM|#
That's About One Billion for Each Registered Voter
Umm.. there are only 186.5 voters?
|6.30.08 @ 11:25AM|#
I think that is supposed to be $1000.
Matt Welch|6.30.08 @ 11:27AM|#
I swear to God I won the City of Long Beach's Jr. High Math Bowl back in 1983....
|6.30.08 @ 11:28AM|#
Also, I think the that's about one thousand per registered voter, not billion. Nothing to sneeze at. I'm sure I'd put my share to better use...
Nigel Watt|6.30.08 @ 11:28AM|#
Damnit, I'm doing engineering work here and I didn't even pay attention to that.
|6.30.08 @ 11:38AM|#
I swear to God I won the City of Long Beach's Jr. High Math Bowl back in 1983....
That must have been prior to the Asian Invasion.
Guy Montag|6.30.08 @ 11:39AM|#
Mr. Welch, you criticized hundreds of Democrats in your comment? Better hide from Mr. Weigel for a few days.
Damnit, I'm doing engineering work here and I didn't even pay attention to that.
I am working on training budget stuff here and I think I can get through that sum before the end of the first quarter of FY09.
Matt Welch|6.30.08 @ 11:45AM|#
That must have been prior to the Asian Invasion.
Nope! Long Beach was already a primary center for Southeast Asian refugees and South Korean immigrants back then. The boy had skillz ... long since vanished.
Snarky Anti-Libertarian|6.30.08 @ 11:52AM|#
@ Matt Welch
Obviously libertarianism and its associated vices have rotted your brains. Maybe your neurons will heal once you have rejoined the liberal-conservative divide.
|6.30.08 @ 11:52AM|#
funds to rebuild levees destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.
They need to study that, don't they? There's no point in rushing headlong at this stuff.
----
The boy had skillz ... long since vanished.
I've forgotten more than I'll ever know.
Guy Montag|6.30.08 @ 12:20PM|#
They need to study that, don't they? There's no point in rushing headlong at this stuff.
Yea, we would not want to damage the environment by protecting humans or anything.