Let's cut through the sequester clutter talk. In simplest terms it means this: This year's federal operating budget was going to get the normal percentage increase. It is a portion of that "raise" that will be seeing the cuts.
As someone somewhere explained, "your parents promised to raise your allowance for 2013, they now have to cut a part of that raise." So in reality things should just go along as they have been going unless each organization or department added the full raise into their own budgets for this year.
Now the administration has begun to back off all its dire predictions of what the sequester would mean. We aren't doomed, we are just not capable of eliminating stupid spending.
Budgets are only important to estabish what may get money, when an appropriation is passed. The sequester will be a non event and demostrate to the public Obama's "Sky is falling rhetoric" is just that nonsense rhetoric not to be believed.
Posted by: Ron | March 04, 2013 at 12:05 PM
Ron:
The sequester will be an event for us and many others as my husband will be furloghed along with all other federal (non-essenial employees). He works for the Department of Defense. We are fortunate enough to be able to withstand this, however, many others rely on each and every paycheck to feed and house their familes. In San Diego, we have a lot of federal employees and you can bet not being paid for 1 day a week for 22 weeks will make a difference for our economy. Since this is just one day a week, they will not be able to apply for assistance. They just have to eat it. I know you have never had to apply for assistence since you think so little of those who are in need. However, could you survive on one fifth of your income being taken away? Would it not have an impact on your family?
Posted by: Diane F | March 04, 2013 at 04:34 PM
It is unfortunate your family may be impacted by the sequester cuts. I use the term may, since there is a great deal of unknown about any potential cuts. Unfortunately, the Department of Defense should be able to find cuts that will not require what you have described. If President Obama had shown some real leadership in bringing everyone together this whole sequester situation could have been avoided.
Posted by: Ron | March 04, 2013 at 09:34 PM
You missed the point and as usual you only want to twist the subject to criticize the Democratic Party. My point was that these families will loose one fifth of their income with no way to make this up. This income will be missing from the economy that has been trending upward for the past couple of years. That will be an event. Do not blame the president as both parties need to take blame here. Your guys in DC whose main goal was to forget their real job and make sure our president was not elected lost their focus a bit. That is poor leadership.
Posted by: Diane F | March 05, 2013 at 08:29 AM