From the Horse's. . .
Jeff Jacoby looks at Bush's newfound fiscal restraint:
"More than $500 million for the president's `Jobs for the 21st Century' initiative . . . a $1 billion increase for high-poverty schools . . . a $900 million increase over last year for aviation security and transportation security . . . $568 million (190 percent increase) to improve America's food and agriculture security . . . budget for VA medical care is over 40 percent larger . . . $2 billion in total funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program . . . $1.4 billion for the Superfund, a $123 million (10 percent) increase."
The quotes come from a fax received by Jacoby from the White House Communications Office.
$1 billion for high-poverty schools isn't a lot and it might cover testing for the NCLB act.
And let's face it, VA's got a reason to survive now.
high poverty?
Low income?
Superfund?
excellent adjectives
Ed
It's a pity that a Republican Congress that (during the Gingrinch/Contract with America era) was once willing to hand a DEMOCRATIC president the line item veto can't do the same for one of their own.
Oh, sure, the Supremes object. So? Try, try again.
The thing is, if the president veto'd just a few pet pork barrell projects in an omnibus appropriation (things neither he nor a majority in Congress wanted, but had been added by heavy-hitters in conference committee) then Congress would feed obligated to retaliate with cutting or refusing to pass appropriations for things the President requested. The snits might escalate. Soon, nothing but absolutely necessary items would be able to get support from enough people to be enacted.
Which would be a good outcome.
As is, whenever somebody identifies a need for a flag pole, Congress enacts for us a Christmas tree, filled with goodies for all the kids. Somehow we got to break up that dynamic.
Calling Professor Gingrich...
