The Ejukashun Prezdint

[Mucho]

[Amianthus]

Federal expenditures for education, 2001 (Clinton's last budget): 68 billion.

Federal expenditures for education, 2006 (Last complete budget cycle): 83.9 billion.

Guess only someone who went to public school calls this a "budget cut."

This represents an annulized growth rate of about 4.7%.

[Michael Tee]

Most of the sources I could find on a quick google seem to back up Ami's contention that education spending has been consistently trending upwards.  Still, reluctant as I am to concede any glimmer of public benefit in George Dubya (a.k.a. Satan) Bush's administration, I have to ask - - is all that "education" money really spent on education?  How much goes to sexual abstinence training, secondary virginity classes and similar right-wing "educational" programs and how much really goes to educate the children?  Does ANY of it go to education?

[Amianthus]

Most of the sources I could find on a quick google seem to back up Ami's contention that education spending has been consistently trending upwards.  Still, reluctant as I am to concede any glimmer of public benefit in George Dubya (a.k.a. Satan) Bush's administration, I have to ask - - is all that "education" money really spent on education?  How much goes to sexual abstinence training, secondary virginity classes and similar right-wing "educational" programs and how much really goes to educate the children?  Does ANY of it go to education?

Well, you can always look at the detail on the OMB's website.

[Michael Tee]

You don't by any chance mean OBM, do you - - Office of Budget Management?

[Plane]

http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/

http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/fy2007/




Table S–3. GROWTH IN DISCRETIONARY BUDGET AUTHORITY BY MAJOR
AGENCY
(Net budget authority; dollar amounts in billions)
Agency 2001
Actual
2006
Enacted
2007
Request
Growth:
2006–2007 2001–2007 Percent
Dollar Percent Average Cumulative
Agriculture ......................................... 19.2 21.1 19.7 –1.4 –6.5% 0.4% 2.5%
Commerce .......................................... 5.1 6.4 6.1 –0.2 –3.7% 3.1% 20.4%
Defense—Military ............................. 302.5 410.8 439.3 28.5 6.9% 6.4% 45.2%
Education ........................................... 40.1 56.5 54.4 –2.1 –3.8% 5.2% 35.7%
Energy ................................................ 20.0 23.5 23.6 0.0 0.1% 2.7% 17.6%
Health and Human Services ............ 54.0 69.2 67.6 –1.6 –2.3% 3.8% 25.2%
Homeland Security ............................ 14.0 30.5 30.9 0.4 1.3% 14.1% 121.0%
Housing and Urban Development ... 28.4 34.1 33.6 –0.4 –1.2% 2.9% 18.7%
Interior ............................................... 10.3 10.8 10.5 –0.3 –3.0% 0.3% 1.8%
Justice ................................................ 18.4 21.0 19.5 –1.5 –7.2% 1.0% 6.0%
Labor .................................................. 11.9 11.3 10.9 –0.4 –3.9% –1.5% –8.7%
State and Other International
Programs ........................................ 21.7 30.2 33.9 3.7 12.2% 7.7% 55.8%
Transportation ................................... 14.6 14.6 13.2 –1.4 –9.4% –1.6% –9.3%
Treasury ............................................. 10.3 11.4 11.6 0.2 1.4% 1.9% 12.3%
Veterans Affairs ................................ 22.4 33.1 35.7 2.6 8.0% 8.1% 59.5%
Corps of Engineers ............................ 4.7 5.3 4.7 –0.6 –11.2% 0.2% 1.0%
Environmental Protection Agency ... 7.8 7.6 7.3 –0.3 –4.0% –1.1% –6.6%
Executive Office of the President ..... 0.3 0.3 0.3 –0.0 –0.6% 4.0% 26.4%
Judicial Branch ................................. 4.0 5.3 5.9 0.5 9.9% 6.7% 47.9%
Legislative Branch ............................ 2.8 3.8 4.3 0.5 12.3% 7.6% 55.4%
National Aeronautics and Space
Administration ............................... 14.3 16.3 16.8 0.5 3.2% 2.8% 17.8%
National Science Foundation ........... 4.4 5.6 6.0 0.4 7.9% 5.2% 35.9%
Social Security Administration ........ 6.0 7.3 7.9 0.5 6.8% 4.5% 30.2%
Other Agencies .................................. 6.7 6.9 7.3 0.4 5.8% 1.5% 9.1%
Total, Discretionary Spending ....... 643.8 843.0 871.0 28.0 3.3% 5.2% 35.3%
Note: Supplementals and emergencies, enacted and estimated, are excluded.

[sirs]

You don't by any chance mean OBM, do you - - Office of Budget Management?

I doubt it, but your opinion is always right, always backed up by them "facts", right Tee?

[Amianthus]

You don't by any chance mean OBM, do you - - Office of Budget Management?

No, I mean the OMB - the Office of Management and Budget.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/

[Michael Tee]

<<No, I mean the OMB - the Office of Management and Budget.>>

Ah, my mistake.  Thank you.

I looked at the site and I have to say it's the most positive and glowing assessment of the Bush administration's accomplishments I've ever seen.  It makes even sirs look like a whiner and a naysayer.  Everything seems to be on-track and moving forward to a better tomorrow.  It's refreshing to see such unadulterated good news on all fronts.  The section on Defense, for example, was sub-titled "Winning the War on Terror."  I am sure that the Education section had equally laudatory reports on the nation's quest for excellence.  Wonderful story.  Excellent news.

[Amianthus]

I looked at the site and I have to say it's the most positive and glowing assessment of the Bush administration's accomplishments I've ever seen.

Yeah, pretty amazing reports from the office touted as non-partisan by the left during the last administration.

[Plane]

<<No, I mean the OMB - the Office of Management and Budget.>>

Ah, my mistake.  Thank you.

I looked at the site and I have to say it's the most positive and glowing assessment of the Bush administration's accomplishments I've ever seen.  It makes even sirs look like a whiner and a naysayer.  Everything seems to be on-track and moving forward to a better tomorrow.  It's refreshing to see such unadulterated good news on all fronts.  The section on Defense, for example, was sub-titled "Winning the War on Terror."  I am sure that the Education section had equally laudatory reports on the nation's quest for excellence.  Wonderful story.  Excellent news.

Did you spot anything in there that was not true?

[sirs]

I looked at the site and I have to say it's the most positive and glowing assessment of the Bush administration's accomplishments I've ever seen.

Yeah, pretty amazing reports from the office touted as non-partisan by the left during the last administration.

It is, isn't it.  Imagine that.  What's changed since the last administration?  Oh yea, "R" instead of a "D" in the White House.

[Michael Tee]

<<Yeah, pretty amazing reports from the office touted as non-partisan by the left during the last administration.>>

Well, I am the left and I don't let anyone speak for me.  And I don't see very much "left" in the last administration anyway.  But speaking for myself and only for myself, I will say that that OMB website is the most glowing account of the glory of the Bush administration that I can recall seeing.  Everything's coming up roses.  And I just wanted to compliment them on their magnificent accomplishment - - best letter of reference ever written.  And to ask Ami if he could refer me to a source of information on the topic - - U.S. education - - that is a little less, uh, mmmm, a little less . . . partisan?

[Amianthus]

And to ask Ami if he could refer me to a source of information on the topic - - U.S. education - - that is a little less, uh, mmmm, a little less . . . partisan?

The OMB is the agency that is in charge of tracking budgetary spending. Kinda like relying on the FBI for crime reports. They're the final say in the numbers, and what the money was spent on.

[Michael Tee]

<<Did you spot anything in there that was not true?>>

Not really, but I'm not the guy to ask.  I kind of suspect it's more a case of half-truths and truths unsaid than a case of outright lying, because a flat-out lie is relatively easy to identify.

What I'd like to know is, assuming the total spent on education annually is as stated,
     (a)  how much of that is really spent on education and how much on stuff like sexual abstinence classes, secondary
           virginity lessons, flag etiquette classes, etc. ; and
     (b)  what are the comparable annual spending totals on other areas like defence, public health, war on terror, etc. and how do the annual rates of increase compare?