Wednesday, February 27, 2013

BUT THERE'S NOTHING TO CUT: EPA Spending Up 51% Since 2008

Please note that when the president talks about the horrific effects of the Sequester, he's describing a two (2) percent reduction in spending. That's right: two cents of every dollar.

In addition, please observe that he always paints the cuts in the most demagogic ways possible: autistic children will be beaten, orphans will be thrown into the gutter, baby seals will be left to the nefarious designs of Michael Moore, and poisonous, orange-colored water will flow from your taps.

Because there's nothing to cut.

Federal funding for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is up by more than half – in real dollars -- since 2008, according to calculations based on Treasury Department data.

In 2008, EPA funding was $7,938,000,000, according to the Final Monthly Treasury Statement for fiscal year 2008. That would be $8,464,894,460 in real 2012 dollars, according to the BLS calculator.

The same Treasury report said EPA funding climbed to $12,796,000,000 in fiscal year 2012. That’s a 51.1 percent funding increase from four years earlier.

I sent several requests for interviews to EPA administrator Richard Windsor, but she did not reply by our deadline.


1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I am in my later years with DoD (having "bought" my active duty years after honorable discharge). We are told it will be 16 hrs per pay period. That is a 20% pay reduction off the gross, but in my case with a few fixed deductions, it works out to a 30% reduction off the net. I don't mind squeezing the Fed budget, but I would appreciate at least someone (anyone) describing the sequester pain as uneven at best. It won't be trivial in my household.