Despite GOP Claims, Size of Government Shrinking

It is an interesting phenomenon: as the influence of the Christian Right has increased in the Republican Party the level of lies and outright dishonesty of the GOP and its members in Congress has increased dramatically.  For those who follow conservative Christian and "family values" groups, the phenomenon is actually what one would have expected because no one lies as much or as shamelessly as the "godly Christian" crowd and the professional Christian set which makes a living disseminating lies, hate and discord.  Among the lies favored by the GOP is the myth that government spending has exploded under Barack Obama when in fact the real explosion in spending occurred under Bush/Cheney.  Of late, the GOP claims that sequestration originated with the White House when in fact as evidenced by a recently disclosed e-mail and power point presentation, it originated with John Boehner and the GOP.  And then there is the lie that the size of government is exploding under Obama, yet again it is not true.  In fact, the number of government employees at all levels is shrinking as shown by the chart above (the peak in 2010 coincided with the hiring of large numbers of temporary census workers).   If, sequestration kicks in on March 1, the number of government employees will drop further - as will the number of private sector employees as defense contractors, shipbuilding concerns, and many other market segments lay off workers.  Here are highlights from a piece in the Virginian Pilot:

Republicans and other fiscal conservatives keep insisting on more federal austerity and a smaller government. Without much fanfare or acknowledgement, they've already gotten much of both.

Spending by federal, state and local governments on payrolls, equipment, buildings, teachers, emergency workers, defense programs and other core governmental functions has been shrinking steadily since the deep 2007-2009 recession and as the anemic recovery continues.

This recent shrinkage has largely been obscured by an increase in spending on benefit payments to individuals under "entitlement" programs, including Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and veterans benefits. Retiring baby boomers are driving much of this increase.

Another round of huge cuts - known in Washington parlance as the "sequester" - will hit beginning March 1, potentially meaning layoffs for hundreds of thousands of federal workers unless Congress and President Barack Obama can strike a deficit-reduction deal to avert them.

Even as the private sector has been slowly adding jobs, governments have been shedding them, holding down overall employment gains and keeping the jobless rate close to 8 percent, compared with normal non-recessionary levels of 5 to 6 percent that have prevailed since the 1950s.

"It's a massive drag on the economy. We lost three-quarter million public-sector jobs in the recovery," said economist Heidi Shierholz of the labor-friendly Economic Policy Institute. "We're still losing government jobs, although the pace has slowed. But we haven't turned around yet."

Soaring recent government deficits are partially a side effect of the worst recession since the 1930s, which took a huge bite out of tax revenues at the same time spending increased on recession-fighting programs like unemployment compensation and stimulus measures under both Presidents George W. Bush and Obama.

"The problem going forward is one of demographics and rising health care. It is the baby boom generation retiring," said Alice Rivlin, a White House budget director under President Bill Clinton. "It's the fact that everybody is living longer."

The federal budget deficit for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30 is estimated to be $845 billion - the first time it's dropped below $1 trillion in five years. But it's on track to rise again as more and more baby boomers retire and qualify for federal benefits and as interest payments on the national debt keep going up.

Republicans oppose any new taxes, even if for closing loopholes rather than increasing rates.

 

As a former Republican myself, I like to believe that the GOP once stood for valuing reason, logic, intellect and some level of honesty.  Those days are gone and the GOP now stands for lies, racism, bigotry and the open embrace of ignorance.  My former compatriots who remain in the GOP truly need to take a good look in the mirror at themselves and honestly ask how and why they remain in the GOP.    Again, I attribute much of the GOP's descent into rank dishonesty to the rise of the Christofascists within the party.  These modern day Pharisees have absolutely no regard for the truth.