A technical question about the budget

[Angela Shelley]

I have a technical question about the budget.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080204/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush_budget

By MARTIN CRUTSINGER, AP Economics Writer

WASHINGTON - President Bush unveiled a $3.1 trillion budget proposal on Monday that supports a sizable increase in military spending to fight the war on terrorism and protects his signature tax cuts.

---- SNIP ---

The budget proposal, which shows the government spending $3 trillion in a 12-month period for the first time in history, squeezes most of government outside of national security, and also seeks $196 billion in savings over the next five years in the government's giant health care programs — Medicare for the elderly and Medicaid for the poor.

--- SNIP ---

The 6 percent overall increase in spending for 2009 reflects a continued surge in spending on the government's huge benefit programs for the elderly — Social Security and Medicare, even with the projected five-year savings of $196 billion over five years. Those savings are achieved by freezing payments to hospitals and other health care providers.


Does that mean that the government will save money by not paying its bills?

[nightrider767]

1. Yes

The government will spend more on war and less on people.

Er, well, I guess bombing people in middle eastern countrys is spending money on people, bombing people. SO to refine my point, he'll spend less money on helping people who need it at home and more money on bombing people overseas who don't need it.

Yes I know...

It's a mystery to me too.

PS, I too would like more real info on this, not the nonsense I offer. So I'll be watching this post.

Cheers.