Fiscal Conservatives

The Republican political “leaders” like like Eric Cantor(who ran from talks on raising the debt ceiling, no word yet if the \"tea party\" is hunting him down for not staying and fighting), and Paul Ryan have deemed themselves “America’s Accountants” They care only about the fiscal well being of our country(just ask them). We have to stop spending because you as a household or business can not spend in more than you take in(tired republican talking point alert)!

Well if we keep the United States is equal to a household, after these stories, it is time to not only fire our favorite young gun accountants, but also start the investigations!

First off we have at $18 billion dollars MISSING in Iraqi money. What could we do with that kind of money? Almost pay the bonuses for our heroes on Wall St.

Secondly the War in Afghanistan cost us $113 Billion last year. What could we do with that type of money? Think Progress figured it out:

ThinkProgress calculated ten investments America could’ve afforded if it didn’t spend $113 billion — the allotment made in Fiscal Year 2011 — on the war in Afghanistan. Each one of these policy options represents an equivalent $113 billion cost:

– Provide 57.5 Million Children With Low-Income Health Care For 2011

– Provide 23 Million People With Low-Income Health Coverage In 2011

– Give 20.2 Million $5,500 Pell Grants To Students In 2011

– Provide 14.35 million Military Veterans With VA Medical Care In 2011

– Give 14.7 million Children Head Start Funding In 2011

– Give 14.26 Million Scholarships To University Students In 2011

– Employ 1.93 million Firefighters In 2011

– Hire 1.75 Million Elementary School Teachers In 2011

– Hire 1.65 Million Police Officers In 2011

– Equip 67.8 Million Households With The Ability To Use Wind Power In 2011

– Equip 25.39 Million Households With The Ability To Use Solar Photovoltaic Energy In 2011

Of course, none of this accounts for the human cost of losing our sons and daughters in war. 177 American soldiers have died in combat in 2011, and countless Afghans lost their lives as well.

What would you do with your “accountant” if he ignored a missing $18 BILLION from your bank account? How about if he let you waste $113 BILLION without speaking a word against it? Can we trust them with our books? Can they claim to be a fiscal conservative and be taken seriously?

Maybe the teachers can take an even bigger paycut! We are broke after all.

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8 thoughts on “Fiscal Conservatives

  1. Well if Obama was not a liar and would actually do what he said he was going to do end the wars maybe we could to do more to help this country. But the liar has expanded this country to a third war and we have more deaths of our military in Afghanistan then under Bush. As for the missing money what type or poor accounting is the Obama administration doing over there. Something does not smell right about the amount lost, the administration must come clean as to what they are doing with it.

  2. Missing $18Bn? Your HuffPo/AlJazeera source says that missing money came from this stash: “The Bush administration flew in a total of $20bn in cash into the country in 2004. This was money that had come from Iraqi oil sales, surplus funds from the UN oil-for-food programme and seized Iraqi assets.” So, if it has nothing to do with appropriations, what do Cantor and Ryan have to do with that money?

    As to the annual cost of operations in Afghanistan, blaming two members in Congress as solely responsible for “wasting” $113Bn doesn’t seem to make much sense if your intent is a rational analysis. As Blue Raider pointed out, Obama has the power to order our men and women to return home. So why doesn’t he? Why don’t you criticize him?

  3. Roland, let me explain.

    1. why was geedubya doling out 20 billion and couldn’t we have put it to better use or at least make it accountable?

    2. is it their responsibility exclusively? no. yet have they ever spoken against a single nickel spent on a war? if Ryan went after military waste as fervently as he tries to end Medicare he might have dome fiscal conservative credibility.

  4. Regarding the $20B, what do you think we should have done with that money?

    Regarding the $113B, I understand you are just trying to smear Paul Ryan through selective criticism.

  5. 1. anything to help the us taxpayer. irregardless it should be accounted. for.

    2. nope just want consistency if he truly cares about balancing the
    budget

  6. “anything to help the us taxpayer”

    That’s pretty vague.

    You understand that $20B wasn’t tax dollars, right? According to your source, it was “from Iraqi oil sales, surplus funds from the UN oil-for-food programme and seized Iraqi assets.” It had nothing to do with appropriations authorized by Congress. So pinning this one on Paul Ryan is dishonest.

    “nope just want consistency if he truly cares about balancing the
    budget”

    So, to you, consistency means everything has to be cut? Just because you disagree with the stand Paul Ryan takes on certain issues doesn’t mean he is inconsistent. Based on his actions, Ryan apparently doesn’t think our Afghanistan-related spending is wasteful. If he spoke out against Afghanistan, but continued to support it through his actions…that would make him a hypocrite…it would also make him Barack Obama.

  7. Well I believe it was Wolfie who said that within months the Iraq war would pay for itself. His brilliant insight was rewarded with a position as head of the world bank. I will state again that 20 billion could have went to such things as maybe building infrastructure, employing iraqis, paying the iraqis to not attack us the way bush did before the “surge”….anything would have worked better than just leave it there as a free for all so all of the iraqi contractors and war lords could help themselves. Since Bush gave it away he should have been held accountable for it. Where were the self-proclaimed “deficit hawks”? Do you not think 20 billion could have been better used or been accountable for?

    So Paul ryan sees all kinds of fraud in MEdicare and needs to privatize it but looks at the military and sees no fraud or waste whatsoever? No where we can save a nickel?

    I and others on this blog have criticized President Obama on his Afghanistan policy numerous times.

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