This really is a stunning visual aid about where our money goes.

[Lex]

Send it to all your right-wing friends/relatives and maybe they'll understand finally:

http://www.truemajorityaction.org/oreos/

[lligrd]

1. I Loved It. Thanks!

Even a 5 year old could understand that. Of course, it could still be beyond some right wingers. I wonder if * could get it?

[lligrd]

2. You Should Post This In The Economic Forum Too nt

[Juche]

3. That info has some problems

By only talking about k-12 education and federal funding, they are ignoring the role of state funding in k-12 education.

http://www.ed.gov/about/overview/fed/10facts/index.html

Total taxpayer investment in K-12 education in the United States for the 2004-05 school year is estimated to be $536 billion.


Also our military budget is much more than $400 billion.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_federal_budget%2C_2008

$481.4 billion (+12.1%) - United States Department of Defense
$145.2 billion (+45.8%) - Global War on Terror
$39.4 billion (+18.7%) - United States Department of Veterans Affairs

"The Iraq war and the Afghanistan war are not part of the defense budget; they are appropriations."

So probably another $170 billion for the Iraq & Afghan wars.

Also, medicaid generally helps poor kids

$209 billion (+5.6%) - Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP)

Plus states pay a large matching amt to medicaid and SCHIP.

[Lex]

4. "they are ignoring the role of state funding"

It wasn't about state funding, was it?

[Juche]

6. It is misleading

Unless you are a mindless partisan who already has made his mind up, it is not too influential to present misleading information because the truth will eventually out.

That is like when Rush Limbaugh says 'the top 50% of income earners pay 96% of income taxes'. Yeah, and they pay less in SS and FICA taxes. It is a misleading argument and once people figure it out, it backfires.

The reality is the US (local, state & federal) spends about 3 trillion on education, healthcare, social security & welfare and only about 700 billion on the military.

I'm open to more social spending, but when you only give half the facts people end up turning on you eventually.

[Lex]

7. The Federal Budget is the topic. He says that in the beginning.

It's only misleading if you change the premise, such as you have done.

[Juche]

9. It is misleading because it ignored pertinent info

Limbaugh has done the same thing.

http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/menu/cy2003.guest.html

http://www.moderateindependent.com/v1i15taxnumbers.htm

By selectively picking and choosing which taxes count and which ones do not Limbaugh is implying that the rich are taxed too heavily and the poor are taxed too lightly. And when people find out the truth, this makes Limbaugh look untrustworthy.

This group is doing the same thing, ignoring taxes and spending that occurs that show we are spending far more on education or social welfare than this PSA implies.

[Apinionated]

10. Welcome to DU & thanks for the Rush Limbaugh links.

Making Limbaugh "look" untrustworthy, eh?

[Quantess]

20. Oh, so you're linking to a Rush Limbaugh site.....

As though we will pounce upon it.

No way, nobody nohow's gonna make me go to a Rush Limbaugh site willingly. Seriously, I won't. Nope...eh....no......no thanks.

[Lex]

21. very interesting, linking El Pigboy

here, I'd say :thumbsdown:

[synapsesfiring]

12. Missing the Point

You are looking at 1 tree and not seeing the forest!

States fund schools through property taxes, but they are subsidized by the federal government. One interesting point would have been to ask what is happening to all the Lottery money? State lotteries generate millions every year, but I never hear about how much goes to schools (which is the rationale behind state-sponsored gambling).

Higher totals for defense spending only reinforce the point: we are GROSSLY OVERFUNDING DEFENSE while IGNORING MUCH NEEDED DOMESTIC PROGRAMS

[Juche]

13. I agree somewhat

We don't need $700 billion in military spending, there is no reason for it. No conventional military compares to ours, and at the same time we can't occupy a 3rd world country (which is good as it means the death of imperialism) like Vietnam or Iraq.

So yeah we should cut 200-300 billion out of the military via ending the war in Iraq and cutting conventional military force and spending it on social programs.

i don't see how I'm missing the point though because when you look at federal and state spending we spend about 4x more on welfare, education and healthcare than the military.

[MattSh]

14. Another look at the Federal Budget.

Total Outlays (Federal Funds): $2,650 billion
MILITARY: 54% and $1,449 billion
NON-MILITARY: 46% and $1,210 billion




That's WAY more than $700 Billion.

http://www.warresisters.org/pages/piechart.htm

[Winterblues]

19. That doesn't even take into account what we pay in debt expense

We pay about as much in Interest on our National debt as we do Defense spending. If we paid down/off our debt we could spend the same on defense and have all the other programs well financed as well. National Health Care would could our expenses tremendously...and it would free up business to cut prices and increase wages..We live in a retarded nation..

[walldude]

5. Joined...

K&R I think my right wing relatives still wouldn't get it though... :rofl:

[defendandprotect]

8. Social Security Surplusses are being used fo pay for Bush's tax cuts and Iraq . . .

and who knows what else --- !!!

We were supposed to have the fund/surplus locked --- but WAR/national security are always
winning arguments -- !!!

Since the days of the first Gulf War --- and maybe before/I'm not positive -- we've had
OFF BUDGET items . . . kind of the same idea of what the corps have been doing in false reporting!!!

In other words, we're creating debt that isn't even part of our KNOWN budget ---

Kind of like "off the record" . . .

I'm sure someone here can explain this better ---

[Yael]

11. K&R and Joined.

Thanks!

[Lex]

15. cool

:thumbsup:

[Quantess]

16. This is cool. K & R.

[spin]

17. Joined and sent to relatives, thanks (nt)

[Lex]

18. awesome

:thumbsup: