Originally posted by: blackangst1
Interesting things I didnt know about the 2009 budget:
** In total, the Budget proposes to terminate or reduce 151 discretionary programs, reducing 2009 spending by $18 billion. These include 103 terminations saving $7 billion and 48 reductions saving $11 billion. The Budget also proposes mandatory spending reforms that will achieve an additional $16 billion in net savings in 2009, and result in $208 billion in savings through 2013. Mandatory savings proposals highlighted in this volume total $19 billion in 2009 and $233 billion through 2013, and exclude reforms that are cost-neutral or result in cost increases.
** Creates AFRICOM. $389 million to establish a new command to strengthen ties with African governments, institutions, and organizations (about time we start to address issues there IMO)
** 3.4 percent pay raise for military personnel, bringing the total basic pay increases since 2001 to about 37 percent.
**DoD discretionary budget has decreased 70% since 1991.
**For 2007, the deficit was $162 billion, lower than the deficits in each of the previous four years.
**The 2007 deficit was 1.2 percent of GDP, well below the 40-year average of 2.4 percent of GDP.
**The growth in tax receipts in recent years has been particularly impressive. 2007 was the third year in a row in which receipts grew faster than GDP. The strong showing in 2007?with tax receipts of $2.568 trillion, 6.7 percent greater than in 2006?follows two years of double-digit growth in receipts in 2005 and 2006, with 2005 witnessing a 14.5 percent increase and 2006 witnessing an 11.8 percent increase. At 18.8 percent of GDP, receipts for 2007 were above the 40-year historical average of 18.3 percent.
Anyway. Not entirely bad news. Source is the budget itself:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/fy2009/
).
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