2017 American Political Scene

[snapper]

'Great'.

[DOR]

Here’s the list of winners and losers in the 2018 Budget:

First, the losers
Environmental Protection Agency -$2.6 bn (-31.4%)
State -$10.9 bn (-28.7%)
Agriculture -$4.7 bn (-20.7%)
Labor -$2.5 bn (-20.7%)
Health and Human Services -$12.6 bn (-16.2%)
Commerce -$1.5 bn (-15.7%)
Education -$9.2 bn (-13.5%)
Housing and Urban Development -$6.2 bn (-13.2%)
Transportation -$2.4 bn (-12.7%)
Interior -$1.5 bn (-11.7%)
Energy -$1.7 bn (-5.6%)
Treasury -$0.5 bn (-4.4%)
NASA -$0.2 bn (-0.8%)

and, the winners:

Defense +$52.3 bn (+10.0%)

Veterans Affairs +$4.4 bn (+5.9%)

[Doktor]

Wasn't this his promise?

[Wooglin]

Here’s the list of winners and losers in the 2018 Budget:

First, the losers
Environmental Protection Agency -$2.6 bn (-31.4%)
State -$10.9 bn (-28.7%)
Agriculture -$4.7 bn (-20.7%)
Labor -$2.5 bn (-20.7%)
Health and Human Services -$12.6 bn (-16.2%)
Commerce -$1.5 bn (-15.7%)
Education -$9.2 bn (-13.5%)
Housing and Urban Development -$6.2 bn (-13.2%)
Transportation -$2.4 bn (-12.7%)
Interior -$1.5 bn (-11.7%)
Energy -$1.7 bn (-5.6%)
Treasury -$0.5 bn (-4.4%)
NASA -$0.2 bn (-0.8%)

and, the winners:

Defense +$52.3 bn (+10.0%)

Veterans Affairs +$4.4 bn (+5.9%)

Looks good

[citanon]

A -20% cut for NIH:

http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/...s-and-reaction

I'm outraged by the Trump administration's proposed cuts to science. In particular, for the NIH a -20% cut would do irreparable damage to the US research community lasting decades. Furthermore, the proposed increases to the military budget does not go far enough to fund needed increases in capabilities.

Although these are certainly meant as starting negotiation positions for the Trump team, and the NIH portion in particular will be DOA in Congress, I will still be contacting my Republican House representative to express my disapproval.

[citanon]

A -20% cut for NIH:

http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/...s-and-reaction

I'm outraged by the Trump administration's proposed cuts to science. In particular, for the NIH a -20% cut would do irreparable damage to the US research community lasting decades. Furthermore, the proposed increases to the military budget does not go far enough to fund needed increases in capabilities.

Although these are certainly meant as starting negotiation positions for the Trump team, and the NIH portion in particular will be DOA in Congress, I will still be contacting my Republican House representative to express my disapproval.

Remember what I said about Republicans keeping Trump in check?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/power...=.52eb3cc2d1c7

[tbm3fan]

Looks good

Hopefully you and your neighborhood get destroyed in a natural disaster with no help coming your way except the Red Cross provided they aren't stretched to their limits. Poetic justice being served.

As for cutting Meals on Wheels to poor seniors I don't think even Scrooge would have tried that.

[tbm3fan]

A -20% cut for NIH:

http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/...s-and-reaction

I'm outraged by the Trump administration's proposed cuts to science. In particular, for the NIH a -20% cut would do irreparable damage to the US research community lasting decades. Furthermore, the proposed increases to the military budget does not go far enough to fund needed increases in capabilities.

Although these are certainly meant as starting negotiation positions for the Trump team, and the NIH portion in particular will be DOA in Congress, I will still be contacting my Republican House representative to express my disapproval.

but of course since science doesn't benefit Rump (ah, Freudian slip) in any shape, form, or monetary manner.

[astralis]

citanon,

Remember what I said about Republicans keeping Trump in check?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/power...=.52eb3cc2d1c7

of course, that hits their pocketbook directly. that's also why Republicans are fighting tooth and nail over the AHCA.

meanwhile, for internal Executive Branch items such as these:

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/0...verrule-236065

Bannon and Kushner prevail upon Trump to keep a 30 year old senior director for intelligence programs at NSC over McMaster's objections.

shows you how much power McMaster has.

[astralis]

the drum-beat of utter idiocy continues.

====
http://www.businessinsider.com/white...in-gchq-2017-3

The White House has reportedly apologized to Britain over debunked Trump Tower wiretapping accusations
Peter Jacobs and Bryan Logan

The US has made a "formal apology" to Britain over accusations that a UK spy agency worked with President Barack Obama to wiretap Trump Tower before the election, according to The Telegraph.

The White House press secretary, Sean Spicer, claimed in a briefing on Thursday that Obama partnered with the UK's Government Communications Headquarters for an operation spying on Trump Tower during the 2016 presidential campaign.

The Telegraph reports that both Spicer and National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster apologized to Britain.

"The apology came direct from them," an intelligence source told the British newspaper.

McMaster apologized directly to Sir Mark Lyall Grant, Prime Minister Theresa May's security chief, according to The Sun.

"General McMaster also reassured No10 that the White House would never repeat the embarrassment, which threatened to put crucial Trans-Atlantic intelligence cooperation at risk," The Sun reports.

During a White House press briefing on Thursday, Spicer cited comments from Fox News commentator Andrew Napolitano that Spicer said confirmed that GCHQ took part in a spy operation at Trump Tower.

"Three intelligence sources have informed Fox News that President Obama went outside the chain of command," Spicer said, reading from notes in the White House press room on Thursday.

Obama, Spicer said, "didn't use the NSA, he didn't use the CIA, he didn't use the FBI, and he didn't use the Department of Justice."

"He used GCHQ," Spicer continued. "What is that? It's the initials for the British Intelligence Spying Agency."

A representative for GCHQ quickly issued a statement debunking the Fox News report to which Spicer was referring.

"Recent allegations made by media commentator judge Andrew Napolitano about GCHQ being asked to conduct 'wiretapping' against the then president-elect are nonsense," the statement said. "They are utterly ridiculous and should be ignored."

[Wooglin]

Hopefully you and your neighborhood get destroyed in a natural disaster with no help coming your way except the Red Cross provided they aren't stretched to their limits. Poetic justice being served.

As for cutting Meals on Wheels to poor seniors I don't think even Scrooge would have tried that.

Where exactly is meals on wheels mentioned in the budget outline? And how much is it reliant on federal funding?

Nevermind. Just keep regurgitating those talking points like a good little lemming and I'll just continue to ignore you.

Edit: Ah, now I see where this fake news comes from:

Occupy Democrats: Trump Just Announced Plan To End Funding For ‘Meals On Wheels’ For Seniors

One popular program facing elimination is “Meals On Wheels,” which uses federal funds from the Department of Housing and Urban Development to mobilize volunteers, businesses and donors to provide nutrition to thousands of senior citizens on a daily basis. It supports over 5,000 community-based organizations across America, reaching people in both urban and rural areas.

Fake news!

http://www.snopes.com/trump-meals-on-wheels/

Good job.

[astralis]

Spicer continues his apology tour.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/17/w...etap-gchq.html

White House Tries to Soothe British Officials Over Trump’s Wiretap Claim

By PETER BAKER and STEVEN ERLANGER
MARCH 17, 2017


WASHINGTON — The White House has tried to soothe an angry Britain after suggesting that President Barack Obama used London’s spy agency to conduct secret surveillance on President Trump while he was a candidate last year.

A spokesman for Prime Minister Theresa May said on Friday that “we’ve received assurances from the White House that these allegations would not be repeated.”

The spokesman would not confirm that the White House had apologized, as the British media reported. “Let’s leave it that we’ve had reassurances that these allegations would not be repeated,” the spokesman said on condition of anonymity in keeping with British protocol.

Sean Spicer, the White House press secretary, contacted Kim Derroch, the British ambassador to Washington, on Thursday night to try to deal with the unusual rupture between the United States and its closest international ally. The White House did not immediately comment on Friday morning.

The flap started when Mr. Spicer, in the course of defending Mr. Trump’s unsubstantiated accusation that Mr. Obama ordered the future president’s phones tapped last year, read from the White House lectern comments by a Fox News commentator asserting that the British spy agency was involved. Andrew Napolitano, the commentator, said on air that Mr. Obama used Britain’s Government Communications Headquarters, the signals agency known as the GCHQ, to spy on Mr. Trump.

The GCHQ quickly and vehemently denied the contention in a rare statement issued by the spy agency on Thursday, calling the assertions “nonsense” and “utterly ridiculous.” By Friday morning, Mr. Spicer’s briefing had turned into a full-blown international incident. British politicians expressed outraged and demanded apologies and retractions from the American government.

Two British officials confirmed on Friday morning that Mr. Spicer and Mr. Darroch spoke on Thursday night but would not confirm that the press secretary apologized. “We won’t get into private conversations,” said one of the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity in keeping with British diplomatic protocols.

Mr. Trump has continued to stick by his claim about Mr. Obama even after it has been refuted by a host of current and former officials, including leaders of his own party. Mr. Obama denied it, as has the former director of national intelligence. The F.B.I. director has privately told other officials that it is false. After being briefed by intelligence officials, the Republican chairmen of the House and Senate Intelligence Committees have in the last few days said they have seen no indication that Mr. Trump’s claim is true.

Mr. Spicer tried to turn the tables on those statements during his briefing on Thursday by reading from a sheaf of news accounts that he suggested backed up the president. Most of the news accounts, however, did not verify the president’s assertion while several seemed to have been refuted by intelligence officials.

[Albany Rifles]

Bannon and Kushner prevail upon Trump to keep a 30 year old senior director for intelligence programs at NSC over McMaster's objections.

shows you how much power McMaster has.[/QUOTE]

We are fucking doomed...

[tbm3fan]

Where exactly is meals on wheels mentioned in the budget outline? And how much is it reliant on federal funding?

Nevermind. Just keep regurgitating those talking points like a good little lemming and I'll just continue to ignore you.

Edit: Ah, now I see where this fake news comes from:



Fake news!

http://www.snopes.com/trump-meals-on-wheels/

Good job.

Actually good job by you proving me right since it is right there in your link.

The Trump administration released a blueprint budget that would eliminate funding for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, which provides partial funding for local Meals on Wheels groups.

Academic whether or not the program has a 100% cut or a 20% cut one will still have to cut the program and some people it serves. Apparently Rep. Chris Collins (R), a Rump backer, sees a 30% cut in the program so he must have been fooled by the fake news also. Or, maybe he also can read between the lines as to how a program can get funding through different avenues.

[GVChamp]

The US ranks 6th or 8th in nominal GDP per capita, depending on who’s data one uses (IMF, World Bank or UN). Setting aside oilers and micro-states, Switzerland, Norway and Ireland have higher numbers in all three measures, and in the OECD measure of average annual wages.

GDP per capita isn't consumption spending, though, and neither are wages. All those nations have vastly higher GDP per capita than they actually have individual consumption, which means they all have materially worse lives than what GDP per capita says. You can't eat a factory, and you can't sleep in an export.

Luxembourg in particular is crazy because they have so many foreign workers. People commuting in from France are creating GDP in Luxembourg, but it's still consumption for French citizens.

The US is better off than what the GDP per capita figures suggest, at least in terms of current consumption.

GVChamp,



it is how that spending is done which matters. for instance, having the government doing drug price negotiation and bulk buys results in lower drug costs vs individually trying to negotiate it out with a drug consortium, or second-hand against a hospital.

there's reasons why we both spend more on healthcare as a % of GDP and get crappier results than other First World countries. if enacting singlepayer/whatever system gets us in the general ballpark of other countries' healthcare spending/results-- and i don't see why it shouldn't, that's the most obvious variable-- then the issue of spending MORE healthcare dollars is only true in the short-term with the disruptive costs of a transition, and a massive money-saver in the long-term.

I think there's a great reason we spend more on healthcare and get less results: we spend more because we have more money, and we get less because most health-care interventions are marginal and do little to improve health outcomes, and the stats between nations are not directly comparable.

I'd prefer to just spend less money on healthcare, period, and plow those dollars into other things (especially physical infrastructure).

I don't think single payer is any sort of silver bullet, since health care spending is still rising across Western nations. What kind of savings are we going to get? 2% of GDP? That's going to get washed away in a decade.