[StBernard] MyHeritage.org: Barack Obama, Budget Cutter?

[Westley Annis]

Barack Obama, Budget Cutter?


On Monday, President Barack Obama announced his plan to cull $100 million in
spending from the federal budget. While cutting down bloated federal
spending is always a good idea, and $100 million is certainly a lot of
money, this cut fails to effectively address overspending.

A Heritage Foundation graphic makes clear why a $100 million cut is small
potatoes:

 <http://blog.heritage.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/obamacuts.jpg> 

Writing on National Review Online, Heritage budget expert Brian Riedl puts
the budget cut in context
<http://members.myheritage.org/site/R?i=uqDVOCLSkq-o_aMDx7p-3A..> . "Out of
a $4 trillion in spending this year," he explains, "this is the rounding
error of a rounding error."

*	It is 1/40,000 of the federal budget;

*	It is 1/7,830 the size of the recent "stimulus" bill;

*	It would close 1/1,845 of this year's budget deficit;

*	It is the amount the federal government spends every 13 minutes; and

*	For a family earning $40,000 annually, it is the equivalent of
cutting $1 from their family budget.

"So why bother?" Riedl asks. "Because it may enhance the president's
'budget-cutter' image. Seriously."


Washington Post editors cite Heritage education study


The Heritage Foundation's April report on "How Members of the 111th Congress
Practice Private School Choice
<http://members.myheritage.org/site/R?i=v85TB_xMHVoPOWj4JOLWfg..> " was
twice cited in a Washington Post editorial on Monday.

The editorial
<http://members.myheritage.org/site/R?i=29Oe98QgIpRZKZRZTDplBQ..>  addresses
the hypocrisy of those members of Congress who have exercised school choice
in their own families, yet oppose renewing a program that awards more than
1,700 low-income children in Washington, D.C. with scholarships to attend
private schools. 

"The gap between what Congress practices and what it preaches was best
illustrated by The Heritage Foundation's analysis of a recent vote to
preserve the program," writes the Post editorial board. 

Legislation to renew the program was struck down in the Senate by a vote of
39-58. According to the Heritage Foundation's study, had all Senators who
send their own children to private schools voted in favor, this amendment
would have been approved.

The Heritage report cites the growing success and popularity of
private-school scholarship programs, which benefited over 171,000 children
in 2008, and highlights the need to expand such programs. As Washington Post
editorializes, "no one has been able to offer any evidence of drawbacks of
this small, local program, while evidence of its benefits has been
mounting."

- Amanda Reinecker



> Other Heritage work of note



*	Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano recently declared
<http://members.myheritage.org/site/R?i=4-DPhHvWm0wzqOIGbFy1Rg..>  that
"crossing the border illegally is not a crime per se." Writing in the
Washington Examiner, Heritage Foundation national security expert James
Carafano disagrees
<http://members.myheritage.org/site/R?i=nN4r5Y0JCB63tEbOPLmFHA..>  and
offers a strategy for securing the border. What do you think? Make your
voice heard by posting a comment on the Examiner site
<http://members.myheritage.org/site/R?i=uTitjfUzEqHmtvSsWKdClw..> .

*	Heritage experts Steven Groves and Brett Schaefer traveled to Geneva
to attend the United Nations' Durban II conference. They blogged about the
unfortunate but unsurprising proceedings on National Review Online
<http://members.myheritage.org/site/R?i=3qL0i100n98s-KibCtWt6A..> .

*	Heritage Latin America analyst Ray Walser
<http://members.myheritage.org/site/R?i=Mj6iFNmb-ZFTo7pqlZg4-A..>  suggests
the Obama administration consider "actions not rhetorical overtures" when it
comes to relations with Latin America. Walser argues that "now is not the
time" to yield ground to Cuba, Venezuela, and Bolivia, since this would do
little to advance American foreign policy interests.

*	Many pundits have lauded China's economic "stimulus" package. But
the not-so-new and not-so-large 4 trillion yuan stimulus may actually do
little to strengthen Chinese competitiveness and global standing.
"Everything you know about China's stimulus package is wrong," argues Derek
Scissors, an expert in Asian economic policy at The Heritage Foundation.
<http://members.myheritage.org/site/R?i=G_nPbtQ-fC4at4JOI0uepw..>  

*	In the first edition of her weekly Washington Times column,
Heritage's Rebecca Hagelin
<http://members.myheritage.org/site/R?i=LgeRmGM6a1m33IbNhzkfwQ..>  addresses
parents' fear of being "the only one" working to protect their children from
a morally deteriorating pop culture. She suggests ways to conquer this fear
and gives parents advice on how to "save your family."

*	Heritage budget policy analyst Brian Reidl
<http://members.myheritage.org/site/R?i=JYCXcwdOGBRlHN6fbCA0XA..>  does not
subscribe to the belief that continued federal "stimulus" spending is
necessary to end the recession. In fact, such a policy "has never actually
worked anywhere it has been tried." Citing examples of failed "stimulus"
attempts throughout history, Reidl argues that today's "stimulus" is no
different: "every dollar Congress 'injects' into the economy must first be
taxed or borrowed out of the economy. No new demand is created."

*	America's health care system isn't perfect, Heritage health policy
expert Jason Fodeman argues in the Boston Herald
<http://members.myheritage.org/site/R?i=GiNnjzdYw80iPwcyJKIBXA..> , but it's
not nearly as bad as proponents of universal health care make it out to be.
Fodeman argues that the best way to reduce the number of Americans without
insurance is to establish "a system where Americans can select the coverage
that best suits their situation -- and keep it even when changing jobs."



> In other news



*	A new survey from Rasmussen Reports finds that a majority of
Americans view last week's Tea Parties favorably
<http://members.myheritage.org/site/R?i=2ZtiwQB5cVX1Px8dIM6Q0A..> . The
established political classes, however, disagree.

*	Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner defended the administration's
bailout policies, arguing that the banking system is still broken
<http://members.myheritage.org/site/R?i=unOgtDxALo_KOlPyVD6-Rw..> . A
Financial Times report adds
<http://members.myheritage.org/site/R?i=zwOV65RsNhCBYVtZ5znShg..>  that the
administration will only allow banks to repay their bailout loans "only if
such a move passes a test to determine whether it is in the national
economic interest," whatever that means.

*	President Obama approved a $100 billion loan to the International
Monetary Fund
<http://members.myheritage.org/site/R?i=NRbJsa1rzezKrJtG3M8apg..>  on Monday
as part its G20 commitment to bolster the global financial system. The IMF,
unfortunately, has a poor track record of bolstering financial stability.

*	The Department of Homeland Security issued a report warning law
enforcement officials of a rise in "extreme right wing activity
<http://members.myheritage.org/site/R?i=32Q7Y1L2-p7cu-vKpwCSqw..> ." The
report warned about individuals or groups "dedicated to a single issue, such
as opposition to abortion or immigration," and even cautioned against
veterans and those who advocated a more limited role for the federal
government.

*	A captured Somali pirate
<http://members.myheritage.org/site/R?i=U6hon6lGXvab3psAi9HBGw..>  who held
a merchant ship captain hostage will be brought to New York to face trial.
Though no charges have yet been filed, the teenage suspect could face
charges that carry a maximum sentence of life in prison.

*	Republican governors criticized President Obama's massive spending
trend <http://members.myheritage.org/site/R?i=oR1qhC1c-FnuDnGwA8NBJQ..> ,
and dubbed it the "'this way or no way' stimulus relief." 

*	The Obama administration has released Bush-era documents about
interrogation techniques used on suspected terrorists. The President said he
would not rule out prosecuting Bush administration officials who authorized
the program
<http://members.myheritage.org/site/R?i=PY2GsPbrpf1EKn_58Tbw_A..> .

*	President Obama signed a "national service" bill into law
<http://members.myheritage.org/site/R?i=HjpKwWkwM6RZfqYP3yEMkQ..> ,
expanding the role of government in "volunteer" programs.



> Coming up at Heritage



To attend these or any other events at Heritage please RSVP at Heritage's
website <http://members.myheritage.org/site/R?i=oH5ohLHVeEJ4D3nY2P2USQ..> .
Or you can view these events live online. All times are Eastern.

*	On Friday, April 24 at 10:30 a.m., a panel of experts discusses
China's growing influence in southeast Asia.
<http://members.myheritage.org/site/R?i=ztlMuZzMYCnymfgJLUANmw..> 

*	On Monday, April 27 at noon, author John Taylor explains how big
government caused the financial crisis and has made it worse.
<http://members.myheritage.org/site/R?i=ug8KL6wLWjBoFweuck5ZSA..> 

Nathaniel Ward
<http://members.myheritage.org/site/R?i=hsD9CBTsxALOJxXgBawuXA..>  is the
Editor of MyHeritage.org-a website for members and supporters of The
Heritage Foundation. Amanda Reinecker contributed to this report.