Prospero
12th October 2003, 12:43 PM
I just came across the government's 2004 budget summary (http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/fy2004/highlights.html) and have to wonder at it. Being a scientist myself, I was especially amused that well over three times the amount of money spent on research and development is given to the Dept. of Defense. And that's not even taking into account the $100 or so billion spent on the Homeland Security agency. Oh, and then the part I thought was really nice: at the bottom it has the list of "highlights" for the budget and some of them includes firing 3,000 civilian employees from the DOD and the Dept. of Health and Human Services consolidating 40 personnel offices into 7 and soon 1. It may sound good and practical, but that's a lot of jobs being lost.
Other highlights: Veterans get three times the amount that the environment gets. Because, you know, veterans will be around longer and are more important than the environment.
Then there's the $2.5 billion spent to help out faith-based organizations do stuff. I'm so happy that my money's assisting a drug rehab program that simultaneously preaches Bush's religion at them. Because you know there are no Islamic centers getting assistance.
It's a shame the government can't be run by practical-minded people. Instead we have to suffer through the insipid philanderings of politicians seeking popularity over truly effective governing. And so as not to make myself sound a hypocrite from the above comment on the DOD and HHS, those two situations are probably extremes of impracticality. I'm sure there are hundreds more offices that need to be consolidated, but aren't due to guilty consciences etc. I'm just saying that a sweeping reform is justified while a token effective action is not.
Other highlights: Veterans get three times the amount that the environment gets. Because, you know, veterans will be around longer and are more important than the environment.
Then there's the $2.5 billion spent to help out faith-based organizations do stuff. I'm so happy that my money's assisting a drug rehab program that simultaneously preaches Bush's religion at them. Because you know there are no Islamic centers getting assistance.
It's a shame the government can't be run by practical-minded people. Instead we have to suffer through the insipid philanderings of politicians seeking popularity over truly effective governing. And so as not to make myself sound a hypocrite from the above comment on the DOD and HHS, those two situations are probably extremes of impracticality. I'm sure there are hundreds more offices that need to be consolidated, but aren't due to guilty consciences etc. I'm just saying that a sweeping reform is justified while a token effective action is not.