When federal 'budget experts' talk about the budget -- they refer to our federal budget as an "it." Every expert has his own angle on "it," and speaks of 'Budget Maneuvers.'
Even though the cost of debt on our budget could build several aircraft carriers, it is not really maneuverable like a ship. So we must wade through the Experts's jargon just to get a feel for what it is that makes "it" what it is. Which metaphor for "it" is the best?
"Maybe there’s just a giant sucking sound out there, but I don’t feel the mojo on today’s national day of hiring at McDonald's." (Sen. Rob Hogg, D-Cedar Rapids. LINK)Following is a not-very-well-organized list of things we hear in budget-covering stories:
- budget disagreements
- points of personal privilege
- pledges to create jobs and raise income
- hammer out state budgets for the next two fiscal years
- key disagreements
- bad economic development strategy
- projected layoffs associated with “zero growth"
- problems facing education are more about priorities than money
- finance their budget ideas
- "as long as you have the idea that budgeting fairies come in here at midnight and line item our general fund for us" (Sen. Shawn Hamerlinck, R-Dixon)
- "it’s not government picking winners and losers" (Senate Republican Leader Paul McKinley of Chariton)
- "It’s just a time where we can just kind of spew off random ideas and not be accountable in any way for them,” he said. (Sen. Shawn Hamerlinck, R-Dixon)
- Sen. Bill Dotzler, D-Waterloo, touted Iowa as among the nation’s best states where businesses can locate
- efforts to improve cultural, entertainment and training opportunities
- negative GOP drumbeat
- “We’ve got to quit getting up on this floor and saying how bad things are,” Dotzler said. “It doesn’t do any good to get up on this floor and rant.” (Sen. Bill Dotzler, D-Waterloo)
- property tax money used to cover past shortfalls
- “backfill”
- “allowable growth”
“It’s just a time where we can just kind of spew off random ideas and not be accountable in any way for them...” (Hamerlinck, R-Dixon. LINK)
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