Page 18 - the Noise February 2017

Interest on Debt
WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH
(from Foreign Wars)
AMERICA’S NATIONAL BUDGET?
Even though the United States
currently owes
$19.9 Trillion to
foreign countries
due to military
and economic campaigns that apparently did not make a profit, it still
is considered the “norm” to spend about $4.2 Trillion a year on two distinct yet over- lapping budgets:
(1) The Legislated Mandatory Spending Budget — comprises all the money outlaid to programs enact- ed by Congress and signed into effect by the President. These funds are considered the “bare minimum” that departments and agencies require to be able to carry out their prime directives.
$303BILLION 7%
$1.15 TRILLION
Food & Agriculture
$24.7BILLION 2% Science
$31.7BILLION 4% International Affairs
66%
$41.3BILLION 4%
Medicare & Health
HERE ARE A
$12 BILLION <1%
Energy & Environment
Housing & Community
$10 BILLION <1% Military
Education
If we presume the President’s Discretionary Budget is just that — that it’s whatever a sitting President wants to accomplish in a year, and that he alone has the power to influence the direction of the nation in its budgetary priorities, then wouldn’t it make sense a new President who campaigned on a domestic “let’s build it!” platform would be able to curb a “let’s blow it up!” foreign policy from the national agenda?
In our present philosophic inquiry into the depth and breadth of an enduring Constitution ... an Independent President’s Discretionary Budget presumes a Command- er In Chief who is in full control over the disbursement of funds from the United States Treasury in the amount currently held at around $1.15 Trillion annually.
Fully presuming that same Commander in Chief was truthful and “honest” in promising the American people “first priorities” of infrastructure and American jobs, and he is actually able to convince his newly ap- pointed generals to sacrifice military spending abroad and refocus that same outlay of manpower and tax payer funds to homeland priorities, we can imagine a great new America ...
GOT AN IDEA? Mail a postcard to: Post Office Box 1637 • Flagstaff AZ • 86002
or join us for our meetings the every other Tuesday &
Wednesday at a local library near you.
$22 BILLION 1% Transportation
$10 BILLION <1% International Affairs
$84 BILLION 3% Veteran’s Benefits
$4 BILLION <1% Science
$104 BILLION 4% Food & Agriculture
$1BILLION <1%
$126BILLION 4%
TOTAL FEDERAL SPENDING
$4.2 TRILLION
LEGISLATED MANDATORY SPENDING
PRESIDENT’S DISCRETIONARY SPENDING
$2.78 TRILLION
$41.4BILLION 4% Energy & Environment
(2) The President’s Discretionary Budget —
is a separate budget created and maintained by the President, reflecting popular priorities, and often influenced by ranking party and cabinet members.
$12.8BILLION 1% Transportation
27%
$30.7BILLION 3% Social Security & Unemployment
$58.6BILLION 5% COUPLE IDEAS:
Medicare & Health
Social Security, Unemployment & Labor $1.36TRILLION 48%
$1.12TRILLION 39%