Ask Me Help Desk - How Green was my Mansion ?

Quote:

Originally Posted by NeedKarma

Used to. Went to Catholic and Jesuit school (nice private education) but travelling around Europe I met so many good people from so many different backgrounds and beliefs that the belief part no longer mattered to me, just the "good person" part. Plus, to be honest, I've met too many hypocritical types and fanatical types in various denominations to give me a bad taste for life. I believe faith is a personal issue, no one wants to have someone else else tell them they are wrong.

But you are telling us that President George Bush is wrong, even though his house is 'greener' than Gore's or Edwards' mansions. Maybe you are a certain "fanatical" type.

Grace and Peace

Box,
I never said Bush is wrong for his choice of living arrangement. I couldn't give two poops about his house honestly, it doesn't affect the lives of millions.

Quote:

Originally Posted by NeedKarma

Unless you are in the administration YOU have no idea where the money is going either.

Uh, wrong. Again.

All it takes is a little time to go over the budget documents. It took me about 20 minutes to figure this out, just by reading the 2008 budget. Which you clearly have not. None of this is hidden from the public. That is why these documents are made public in the first place... so that interested parties (myself included) can look up the information.

Now, I know that the schooling system in the USA has stopped teaching students how to do research. But really, reading this information isn't all that hard. Boring, cetainly, but not difficult.

So instead of assuming that others are as ignorant of federal budgetary matters as you are, try instead to read up on the subject. Instead of being part of the lowest common denominator, try becoming part of the highest common denominator.

Quote:

that page is indeed very telling, no matter how had you try to spin it. "Move to a new spectrum"? What does that even mean? And of course someone else will be in charge in 2008, you don't think the reader understands that?

If you aren't going to even look at the facts when they are pointed out to you, and instead plan on just dismissing them out of hand, then you are wasting my time, your time, and the bandwidth on this board.

Here, let me try to spell this out for you.

There are federal government agencies who use wireless communications. For security and access purposes, they use a different bandwidth than the average person does in order to maintain wireless contact. The current spectrum of wireless communications bandwidth available to the general public is running out of "space". So Congress, in its infinite wisdom, decided that the public should have access to the bandwidth currently being used by government agencies. Those agencies will move to yet a different bandwidth spectrum in order to maintain security and access. The cost of moving those agencies to the new bandwidth was forced by Congress to come out of the EXECUTIVE BUDGET, under the auspecies of the Office of Management and Budget, an Executive agency. That move has been taking place for 2 years, and is expected to be completed by 2008. That cost is the jump you are seeing in Executive Branch spending. You would know this if you bothered looking at the document instead of just looking at a single page.

Here is the exact citation from the 2008 budget Appendix --- Executive Office of the President.

The Spectrum Relocation Fund, created by the Commercial Spectrum Enhancement Act of 2004, streamlines the process for reimbursing Federal agencies that must relocate from Federal spectrum that is being reallocated to commercial use. Auction receipts associated with the reallocated spectrum will be deposited into the Fund. To expedite clearing of the auctioned spectrum, the statute provides mandatory spending authority for approved relocation payments. The Office of Management and Budget [part of the Executive Offices--- Elliot], in consultation with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, will administer the Fund. Relocation costs and the timeline for relocation must be approved before funds are transferred to Federal agencies.

The timeline for the Spetrum Relocation Fund was not set by the President, but rather by Congress.

Do you understand it now? Bush isn't spending that money. Congress is. Get it?

Again. Try reading the budget, and you can indeed figure out where all the money is going. It's all there in black and white, if you are willing to spend the time to figure it out.

Elliot

Actually tom is right, I'll let you read it, I really don't have time. You got me there.

Quote:

Originally Posted by NeedKarma

Actually tom is right, I'll let you read it, I really don't have time. You got me there.

Here is another example.
“Although publicly funded, the activities of these four institutes are not reported to Congress. According to William Robinson, "NED employs a complex system of intermediaries in which operative aspects, control relationships, and funding trails are nearly impossible to follow and final recipients are difficult to identify." “

National Endowment for Democracy - SourceWatch

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dark_crow

Here is another example.
“Although publicly funded, the activities of these four institutes are not reported to Congress. According to William Robinson, "NED employs a complex system of intermediaries in which operative aspects, control relationships, and funding trails are nearly impossible to follow and final recipients are difficult to identify." “

National Endowment for Democracy - SourceWatch

I don't know, DC. The website that you linked showed a pretty large list of places that NED money is going. They may not officially report to Congress, but the general information seems to still be publicly available. We may not know exact dollar amounts, but we seem to know pretty well who the recipients of NED funds are. Seems pretty open and above board to me.

Elliot

Quote:

Originally Posted by ETWolverine

I dunno, DC. The website that you linked showed a pretty large list of places that NED money is going. They may not officially report to Congress, but the general information seems to still be publicly available. We may not know exact dollar amounts, but we seem to know pretty well who the recipients of NED funds are. Seems pretty open and above board to me.

Elliot

Elliot
True, the individual organization is listed but not how the funds are dispersed. Don’t get me wrong, I support the idea…I think however that I am much more skeptical of government than you. I prefer to keep an eye over their shoulder and a gun at their head, so to speak.

DC,

Then I assume that you are a 2nd Amendment Rights supporter... you are in favor of legalized gun ownership. After all, a person as skeptical of government as you are should wish to keep the gun to the head of the government both figuratively and literally. That's why I support gun rights.

Am I correct in that assumption? And if not, why not?

Elliot

Quote:

Originally Posted by ETWolverine

DC,

Then I asume that you are a 2nd Ammendment Rights supporter... you are in favor of legalized gun ownership. After all, a person as skeptical of government as you are should wish to keep the gun to the head of the government both figuratively and literally. That's why I support gun rights.

Am I correct in that assumption? And if not, why not?

Elliot

It is imperative that citizens have guns, and a crime that they must be registered. Although, because of another post, you know I believe the world is evolving into a better place to live, we can never take good government for granted.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dark_crow

It is imperative that citizens have guns, and a crime that they must be registered. Although, because of another post, you know I believe the world is evolving into a better place to live, we can never take good government for granted.

Exactly!!