by Mark Silva
Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, delivering the Republican response to the president's weekly address, said today that the $3.55-trillion federal budget which President Barack Obama is proposing "spends too much, taxes too much and borrows too much.''
The president's proposed budget, the former chairman of the Republican National Committee says, includes a deficit "nearly triple any past federal defict.''
The White House sees a $1.75 trillion budget deficit this year, and hopes to lower that to $1..17 trillion in 2010 - with Obama proposing to cut that in half by the end of his term, to $533 billion. That is still higher than any of the - then-record - deficits reported by his predecessor, President George W. Bush, who inherited a budget surplus from President Bill Clinton.
"While families are cutting back, President Obama has proposed a massive government spending spree,'' Barbour said in today's address. "It reminds me of how one of our old senators used to joke about the federal budget. He said it was like a newborn baby: insatiable appetite at one end and total irresponsibility at the other.''
See the address above and the text below:
"Hi, I'm Haley Barbour. It's budget time for a lot of states, and we governors, Republicans and Democrats alike, are working to balance our budgets.
"Though the stimulus package spends an incredible amount of money, with some of it going to state governments, the mandates about how we have to spend much of that money, plus the severe drop in most states' revenue, mean all governors are preparing a wide variety of significant spending cuts to balance our budgets.
"With the federal government it's just the opposite: President Obama's budget spends too much, taxes too much and borrows too much.
"It's breathtaking: The new Administration's budget for next year alone calls for a one point two TRILLION dollar deficit... nearly triple any past federal deficit.
"While families are cutting back, President Obama has proposed a massive government spending spree. It reminds me of how one of our old senators used to joke about the federal budget. He said it was like a newborn baby: insatiable appetite at one end and total irresponsibility at the other.
"This astronomical record federal deficit would be accompanied by the largest tax increases in history. But trillions of new taxes won't nearly cover all the new spending, so our children and grandchildren will be saddled with trillions more in debt.
"And this budget blowout comes on top of the debt for the $787 billion Obama stimulus package, the $410 billion omnibus appropriations bill passed by Congress this month, the $300 billion the Federal Reserve said this week it would spend to buy U.S. government bonds, and the $750 billion the Fed announced just Wednesday it would spend to buy mortgage-backed securities. Trillions and trillions in new spending mean record tax increases and record government debt.
"The cap and trade tax and other energy taxes will drive up both electricity and gasoline prices for families and for businesses. And while Wall Street gets trillions to bail them out, small businesses will get stuck with not only income tax increases but also enormous cost increases for energy: for electricity and gasoline. Families will get clobbered, too.
"Don't take my word for it; listen to what Barack Obama himself told The San Francisco Chronicle last year, and I quote: Under my plan of cap and trade, electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket.
"And President Obama was right. His energy taxes, like the cap and trade tax, will drive energy costs for American families through the roof.
"In this budget season we have choices. While states are controlling spending and balancing their budgets, the Obama budget spends too much, taxes too much and borrows too much. It's not the right choice for America."
Comments
No, old mealy-mouth Barbour doesn't need any of the stimulus package, because, his good buddy, Georgie-Boy, gave him all the stimulus he needed, after Hurricane Katrina. Oh, if only, the good people of Louisiana had a friend in our White House, like Barbour did !!!!! He is even less competent than Georgie-boy was !!
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, BRING THEM HOME, ALIVE AND WHOLE. NOW.
Posted by: Don Fitzgerald, America | March 21, 2009 9:43 AM
"The cap and trade tax and other energy taxes will drive up both electricity and gasoline prices for families and for businesses.
Funny......this was the very same cap and trade plan offered by the republicans and McCain. Now all of a sudden it is taboo.
Posted by: bill r. | March 21, 2009 10:04 AM
Let's hear a little more about the Katrina proffiting Barbour.
Barbour has been accused of personally profiting from Hurricane Katrina recovery. Barbour is an owner of the parent company of lobbying firm Barbour Griffith & Rogers Inc., and he receives a pension and profit-sharing plan benefits from it. The lobbying firm has lobbied the state to give recovery contracts to its clients. Some of the proceeds of the firm's lobbying activities are deposited into Barbour's investment account. According to Barbour's attorney, a blind trust executed in 2004 prevents Barbour knowing the composition of his investments in order to eliminate any conflicts of interest.
Barbour has also received criticism for his refusal to approve a bill to increase the cigarette tax and decrease the grocery tax passed the state House of Representatives. Mississippi currently has the third-lowest cigarette tax and the highest grocery tax—while being the poorest state in the country.
Posted by: bill r. | March 21, 2009 11:05 AM
This commentary is another example of the Rovian Dark Arts which have consumed the media this past week. Let the Mob rule. ...............
http://thefiresidepost.com/2009/03/21/rovian-media-applying-the-dark-arts-to-aig/
Posted by: Ohg Rea Tone | March 21, 2009 11:33 AM
Gov Barbour is exactly right - Obama is on a spending spree that will have deficits four times larger than President Bush's. We can't afford this.
.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090320/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_budget
Posted by: Terry | March 21, 2009 11:35 AM
When ya talk slow with that M'sssippi drawl, people assum your IQ is 30 pts below what it really is.
Haley has figured out the way out of the wilderness for the Replicans.
Krugman has pointed out the disaster Geithner is brewing.
If he's right, Congress will have a lot more to worry about than some cheesy bonuses to some holdup artists at AIG
Posted by: ornery | March 21, 2009 12:02 PM
Governor Barbor is a fine one
to talk. About the only thing
that Miss. is # 1 in is obesity.
When he first came into office,
he tried to cut 50,000 people
of of Medicaid. It took a court
order to stop him. The people
that I heard complaining staed
that they were not on welfare.
They had worked most of their
lives. Some of them said that
they were only getting 600 a
month from social security,
while their medicine cost
$1400 a month. Many of them
saw this as a genocide move-
ment as they needed this
medicine to live.
Posted by: Marcellous Thompson | March 21, 2009 6:25 PM
hyperinflation on Weimar scales is on the way thanks to Helicopter Ben!
http://tinyurl.com/clck4y
mB
Posted by: mjB | March 21, 2009 8:22 PM
well haley., like his two-faced buddy newt, serve the wealthy and well-heeled perfectl.
bush,barber and ginnwrich had there chance and they did squat for the average guy...like me.
Posted by: dik | March 22, 2009 5:22 AM
Had it not been for Bush's insatiable appetite and total IRresponsiblity (for the consequences of his actions), we wouldn't even be considering the spending now.
Posted by: Op109 | March 22, 2009 11:06 AM
I don't remember any Republicans holding Bush's feet to the fiscal fire for eight long years, two wars, and a financial implosion. Barbour has ZERO credibilitility.
Posted by: athena | March 22, 2009 12:38 PM
Well then let's just not do anything at all. That seems to be the Republican plan. After all, they got theirs in the last 8 years.
Posted by: Cheryl | March 22, 2009 1:21 PM
I just heard Barbour tell a rove(lie) on good morning america taking credit for the low unemployment rates by making people accept full time jobs if offered.
I guess he thinks all workers on unemployment are lazy,I believe most states already require to search for and accept jobs offered.
The real story here is,being a good republican (and having bill frist living in his state) he received fema help and monetary amounts second to none.
I think even staunch extremists in the fringe of the party know its the federal money and insurance funded rebuilding that spawned this building boom,not assuming all workers are evil and lazy and combating those "lazy workers".
Why do the extremists in that party hate workers so badly?
Posted by: ron | May 7, 2009 9:31 AM