War Spending

The Misleading 2005 Budget

It’s hard to know how much emphasis should be put on the president’s 2005 Budget. On one hand, it lays out the president’s main policy objectives – mainly tax cuts for upper income individuals, increases in defense spending, and real cuts for many domestic services. On the other hand, the cost estimates, deficit forecasts, and other analyses are fundamentally misleading.

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Economy and Jobs Watch: Taking the Long View

Current economic policy is becoming unsustainable. Current and projected federal deficits are reaching the point where many economic commentators worry about the long-run viability of current policy.

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Congress Moves to Fund Efforts in Iraq & Afghanistan

The president's request for $87 billion seems to be on the way to final passage.

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Appropriations and Emergency Supplemental

Update on the President's emergency supplemental appropriation for Iraq and Afghanistan and the status of the remaining regular appropriations.

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The Deficit As a Serious Problem

Like the Reagan administration, the Bush administration continues to describe the budget deficit as a manageable problem and presents a rosy picture in which deficits will soon diminish. But like the Reagan administration these comments are far from reality.

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Economy and Jobs Watch: Political Business Cycle?

Economy and Jobs Watch Update

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Cost of War

Sep 9, 2003 by Guest Blogger

Cost of War .com

The President is asking for an additional $87 billion for Iraq. 87 billion is in some ways an inconceivably large number. CostofWar.com is tracking the ongoing cost of war/reconstruction in Iraq and translating the numbers into forgone opportunities. For example - well over 1 million four-year college scholarships could be funded with the current war costs.

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New Watcher Articles

Sep 9, 2003 by Guest Blogger

OMB Watch - The Watcher - September 8, 2003 Vol.4 No.18 -

Federal Budget Watcher Articles:

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Cost of the War

A "Cost of the War" counter constantly updates the rising costs of the war in Iraq and compares the cost to what could be accomplished in pre-school, kids' health, public education, college scholarships, energy independence and public housing. There is also a pull down chart that breaks out costs and comparisons of selected counties and cities in the US. (Java is required to run the counter correctly).

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Deficits and Debt and Tax Cuts

Federal Reserve Board Chairman Alan Greenspan doesn't think that tax cuts are needed now and warns about the danger of growing budget deficits. (See this New York Times article). Recently, the International Monetary Fund issued its economic report that advised the US against passing more tax cuts. Hundreds of economists, including a number of Nobel Laureates, oppose tax cuts. According to a number of polls, most Americans don't want more tax cuts, either.

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