Vast Variety

For some time now myself and others have been railing on the idea that the GOP has been simply fighting against the President’s plan for moving the country forward and fixing our economy without providing some sort of alternative to the President’s budget.

Today the GOP put out a Budget Alternative, or at least a blue-print for one. Maybe it’s a rough draft?

After the break is video from Fox News as posted on the Daily KOS.

The President’s 142 page budget blue-print, contains very detailed information divided by each Government Department. Under the section for the Department of Agriculture for instance. It starts out with a 9 point summary and then goes into detail on various programs within that department such as…

Protects the Nation’s forests. The Budget reflects the President’s commitment to protecting and restoring our national forests as a cornerstone of a healthy, sustainable environment. The Budget provides a $50 million increase (plus inflation) for national forest operations to protect natural resources and maintain facilities, including those that are restored with 2009 American recovery and reinvestment Act investments.
Responsibly Budgets for Wildfires. The Budget fully funds the 10-year average suppression costs, establishes a discretionary funding reserve, and ensures fire management resources are used in a cost-effective manner
in high-priority areas. The $282 million discretionary contingent reserve provides funding for firefighting when the $1.1 billion appropriated 10-year average is exhausted. This proposal will ensure that fire management resources are sufficient to allow for other critical Forest Service activities.

One of the first things that jumps out at me from from the GOP’s 19 page document, is the numerous misuses of the term “Democrat”.

By any reasonable definition, the Democrat budget spends too much.

The popper term there would have been “Democratic.” But that is a fairly minor thing and now that I’ve gotten it off my chest I’ll leave it alone.

The GOP also uses about 75% of their 19 pages attacking the Democratic budget proposal, and another 2 pages for the pretty blue front and back covers. Now I know what your saying, the President also used 2 pages of his 142 for a front and back cover.

In the brief section on healthcare the GOP makes this statement.

With regard to entitlements, Republicans support the notion that wealthy seniors like Warren Buffett and George Soros can afford to pay $2 per day more for their Medicare prescription drug coverage.

Hello… why is Warren Buffett and George Soros allowed to be part of the Medicare prescription drug program anyhow? You can’t tell me that Buffett’s $62 Billion net worth can’t afford the $4.00 generic bottles of prescription drugs at Wal-Mart or Target like the rest of us have to do.

The next section which is called, creates jobs & lowers taxes, doesn’t seem to include any information about creating jobs except for this small section.

Republicans also propose a new tax deduction that allows businesses with less than 500 employees to take a tax deduction equal to 20 percent of their income, ensuring that these engines of growth will continue to fuel our economic recovery and companies can compete with their foreign counterparts, while keeping jobs here at home.

The rest of the section rails against the proposed cap and trade system that is meant to create incentives for utility companies to reduce carbon emissions and from screwing up the environment. Now it is true that the program will increase costs to utilities that will probably be passed on to the rest of us. So the choice seems to be, pay a higher utility bill, or let the utility companies continue to kill the planet.

And of course we can’t forget this gem…

Republicans propose a simple and fair tax code with a marginal tax rate for income up to $100,000 of 10 percent and 25 percent for any income thereafter

So I get about a 4.6% tax break in my pre-deduction tax bracket of $35,150, everyone over $164,000 gets an 8% tax cut and everyone over $354,000 get a 10% tax cut.

(Sarcasm Alert) That seems fair. (End sarcasm alert).

The GOP also uses this section to address our addiction to foreign oil. So what is the GOP’s solution?

Republicans realize that there are better solutions to restore freedom and security in our energy market. Republicans recognize the importance of exploring for American oil and gas in an environmentally-sound manner and support immediately leasing oil and gas resources in the OCS through an expedited and streamlined procedure.

OFF SHORE DRILLING!!! WOO HOO. The next time I want to slap my fat ass down on a California beach wearing a criminally small swim suit, I’ll get a beautiful view of… OIL RIGS. Ok, ok, I know, they won’t actually be directly in view from the beach, but seriously. If we are going to get this nation to break it’s addiction to foreign oil, we have to break our addiction to oil, period.

Look, I understand people, including myself, have been ribbing the GOP for being the party of “No Solutions.” But just a small word of advise from an average “Liberal” American. If your going to have a big press conference to put out your alternative “budget” proposal, shouldn’t it have at least a few details? Even Fox News is asking the question, “Where’s the budget Beef?”

By the way, Thank you Keith Olbermann for the “Fudget” idea.