POLITICAL FREEZE

The President is expected to propose a freeze on discretionary spending in his State of the Union tomorrow.  The pundits are having a field day, trotting out campaign video of Candidate Obama lambasting John McCain for suggesting the same thing and crowing about another example of liberal hypocracy. 

Yes, yes, it's hypocritical, but that is just a little minor side issue.  The bigger issue is what is and isn't being cut and how much is really coming off.

The freeze will basically keep discretionary spending at 2010 levels until 2013.  What is not being mentioned is how much funding went up in the past year under the democrats.  Much like stores are accused of jacking up prices before declaring a sale, our federal government has jacked up spending before demanding a freeze.  To the tune of about 12%.  That should keep them until the freeze is over (then prepare for another huge increase to make up for three years of no increases).

So who doesn't make the cut, you ask?  Well, the military, for one.  This actually comes as quite a surprise.  Not that the Pentagon couldn't afford to trim $30 or $40 billion, but usually the military is the first place liberals go to make cuts - deep ones.  All entitlements are exempt, of course.  Too bad they won't rescind the Welfare reform repeal they legislated last year.  The reforms of the 1990's were so successful because states were no longer getting paid to increase their welfare rolls.  Welfare became a fiscal burden to the states instead of a subsidy bonanza - they couldn't afford it anymore, so they cut programs.  Obama, Pelosi and Reid have reinstituted those payoffs to states for increasing their rolls with the passage of the stimulus bill.  How about cutting that? 

The other objectionable 'mandatory' spending item is international aid.  Now, for emergency situations like Haiti, I think a certain amount of aid is necessary.  However, Obama pledged $900 million to Hamas last year, for example, to help them rebuild after the latest skirmish with Israel.  No money was pledged to Israel, but Hamas, a terror group that has been previously unrecognized by our government because of it's stance against Israel, is offered nearly a billion dollars.  That money will most likely go to rebuilding their depleted munitions stores instead of infrastructure and aid to it's citizens.  I say every terrorist for themselves - cut the payout.

Any and all international aid not related directly to emergency circumstances should be halted immediately.  The rest of the world may feel the pinch of a few years without (or reduced) American aid, but it gives us a chance to save ourselves.  The world economy is sinking.  We are the strongest swimmers out there, but we are being dragged down by all of the hangers on.  It's time to focus on saving ourselves first, so we can then help everyone else.   A three year pinch is a heck of a lot more desirable to tanking the economy that drives the globe.

So don't get caught up in the hypocrite hype.  There are much bigger (and more expensive) issues at stake.  We need more than just politically expedient freezes.  We need deep, meaningful cuts.  It's time to get to the red meat.

POLITICAL FREEZE