Say Anything Blog

In the last 5 weeks, I have a shrinking appreciation for the Republican party with regards to their "Smaller Government" platform. I have been upset with the recent entitlement growth and wonder where the "small government" Republicans have gone.

Tom Delay, hearing much of the same kind of dissent, has responded with:

Republicans will defend taxpayers - Editorials/Op-Ed - The Washington Times, America's Newspaper
Our positioning on this issue -- as a party that is strongly identified with the American people as sensible and determined protectors of the hard-working taxpayer -- demands a unified and clear opposition to those whose policies and agendas are hostile to the taxpayer's best interests: Capitol Hill Democrats intent on raising taxes, free-spending special interest groups intent on curing the ills of society by advocating federal dollars as the only solution and a bevy of bureaucrats more interested in an expansion of federal programs than the reduction of ineffective ones.
While tailoring our focus on the task at hand, our party must also trumpet our accomplishments. So far this year, the House-passed appropriations bills have cut 98 low-priority programs, for a savings of $4 billion and the first real cut in domestic spending since 1987. And this fall, the House will pass mandatory spending savings of at least $35 billion, to bring next year's spending projections in line with the budget Congress passed this spring -- a budget saving plan that was put in place months before Hurricane Katrina brought this debate on spending to the forefront.
This year, House Republicans streamlined the Appropriations Committee structure to allow for a more transparent, accountable legislative process for our annual spending bills. This reformed process will make it harder to hide excess spending and easier to save money in the future. Wasteful spending can be found and should be cut -- like the $89 billion that never made it into the $286 billion (formerly $375 billion) highway bill the president signed last month -- and as conservatives and Republicans, we should never let down our guard on this issue.

First he picks on the Democrats, as if they have a lot to do with it, then he identifies a few piddly programs worth $4 Billion, then mentions $89 Billion that was cut from the highway bill...

You missed a few Billion that could have been cut, Tom!

This pork should never have made it in the bill to begin with, nor should the prescription drug bill have been passed.

Cutting taxes is a great idea! Instituting the Fair Tax, an even better idea! Cutting spending on programs that do little more than create new dependencies... another important ideal!

Doing all three.... Watch our economy take off!