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FEEDING THE BEAST

"Feeding the beast" is a term used on occasion by those in Washington when referring to the Federal Government system. Parties from both sides of the aisle use the term to justify the need to keep spending more tax dollars than they take in every year. And so the beast grows, and will continue to grow until a change is made in the attitude of those "on the hill", and all across America.

According to the Congressional Budget Office, and taken from correspondence sent to the "Sneaker (Speaker) of the House", the increase in the National Deficit for the remainder of this fiscal year will be $185 billion (This figure is only taking into consideration the passing of HR 1, and must be added to the $488 billion pre-Obama), and an additional deficit next year of $399 billion. All of this, of course, will be added to our National Debt via borrowing still more money from China, and using Federal Treasury Bonds as the collateral. Those Treasury bonds are backed by a mere $11 billion held in Ft. Knox, and the projected revenues from our tax dollars.

So how much comes in? From where? And where does it all go? Simple questions, not so simple answers, thanks to the smoke and mirrors of Congress. Total receipts for this fiscal year were projected to be $2.7 trillion, before the bottom fell out, while outlays were projected to be $3.107 trillion, before the $787 billion "Stimulus" and the "Minibus" addition of an estimated $410 billion (CBO Report not currently available) to the Omnibus bill, and all the other "Bank Bailouts", etc., still to come. It's not that hard to believe the Federal Budget for fiscal year 2009 could easily exceed $5 trillion, while revenues are going down. If those figures are accurate, we would have a National Debt in excess of over $13 trillion by the end of the fiscal year.

What feeds the beast? Revenues are divided into several categories, some of which are supposed to be placed in Trust Funds not to be touched, like Social Security and Medicare. But Congress has already "borrowed" over $800 billion just from Social Security over the last 50 odd years, and our President intends to drop the Trust Fund from its current balance of $188 billion to $5 billion over the next two years, using the monies to reduce the National Deficit so he can show a reduction in his budget next year and the year after. And Medicare will be stripped, though the number is not yet available, to fund National Health Care. It's all a matter of "robbing Peter to pay Paul". But in this case, we are Peter and the beast is Paul. But I digress. Individual Income Taxes are the single biggest source of revenue, with a projected $1.26 trillion, followed by Social Security at $950 billion, Corporate Taxes at $339 billion, Excise Taxes at $69 billion, and "other" at $83 billion.

Where is it all spent, and why do they need to "print" more money to spend? This is where it gets tricky, there are twenty-eight listed agencies, and one category for "other independent agencies", which makes for a very large and hungry beast. The following numbers are projections based on available numbers, and do not include the additional amounts mentioned above. The big ones are Defense, at $651 billion, with cuts the next two years of over $100 billion, Health and Human Services at $740 billion with increases of $80 billion within two years, Treasury at $548 billion with increases of $50 billion over the next two years, Social Security at $690 billion with increases of $50 billion a year ad infinitum. Personnel Management is at $67 billion with increases of $2 billion a year. These numbers are the base figures that, though seriously out of line in some instances, government operates on. Along with the additional "hidden" spending on special interest projects, the total projected expenditures are the $3.107 previously mentioned. It might also be interesting to know that the interest paid on the Treasury debt alone is in the neighborhood of $500 billion a year.

So what would it take to balance the budget, and reduce both the National Deficit AND the National Debt? Starve the beast is the simple answer. Reduce the size and scope of the Federal Government by cutting all "special interest" spending and let the chips fall where they may. Next, cut excess spending by all departments, and force all Human Service Agencies to document spending, assuring that all spending is on American citizens only. Cut the money expended on foreign countries and interests by half, and make all spending ONLY for Humanitarian aid in countries that are closely allied with us. We should know by now that we can't buy friends in foreign countries. Examples of that would be Castro, Noriega, Saddam Hussein, even al Qaida, all of whom we have funded at one time or another.

Also, to repair the damage done to Social Security and Medicare over the years, Congress should immediately begin to repay the IOU's they've written all these years, interest included, and all members of Congress should be held to draw their retirement from SS as well, ending the special retirement they enjoy. In case you don't know what that is, they receive 80% of their Congressional salary for life, even after serving only one term. And it wouldn't hurt to have them under term limits, which certainly would discourage their wanting to fund "special interests" that get them re-elected term after term. And while we're at it, how about ending the "anchor baby" programs that draw millions a year from Social Security without ever paying a dime in? That would extend to all illegals that come here to have babies only to gain entry, knowing that we won't toss them out if their child is an American citizen. A balanced budget amendment would also be required to force Congress, and the President, to curtail all the nonsense they pass that does nothing for the average American except put us all, and our future generations, deeper and deeper in debt.

These are just a few examples of what can, and should, be done to save the country we love, while we still can. We must stop feeding the beast before it devours us!!!

WAKE UP, AMERICA!!

WE'RE BEING SOLD DOWN THE RIVER!!!

At the rate of a trillion dollars a year, all borrowed from foreign entities!!!

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