Why Obama's Budget Freeze Won't Cut It
Early reports about the content of the State of the Union address prove what most already know: Obama just isn't that serious about fiscal discipline.
Early reports about the content of the State of the Union address prove what most already know: President Obama just isn't that serious about fiscal discipline.
His proposal to ban earmarks--welcome for sure--isn't controversial but won't impact the real budgetary problems. His proposal for a "freeze" coupled with lots of new spending (a promise that George H.W. Bush and Jimmy Carter both made in different forms) isn't worth the paper it’s printed on. A true "freeze" will require real long term entitlement and defense reforms combined with lots of program eliminations that, to date, neither the President nor Republicans have made serious, workable proposals to do. The final proposals, of course, won't come out for some time. But, for now, I am skeptical.