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Budgets

Budget Sickness: The Plague Afflicting Washington

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Congressmen, staff members, and taxpayers alike are falling ill with a mysterious disease, blamed on the budget process, which is causing frustration, sleeplessness, and dementia. The federal government is reeling from the shutdown, and the battles over spending are taking a toll on those involved. The Concord Coalition's Martha Phillips describes the situation as "sick," with the numbers changing constantly and the compulsion to repeat gestures as a clear sign of infection.

Key Takeaways:

  • The budget process is the source of the "budget sickness," causing frustration, sleeplessness, and dementia among those involved.
  • The disease is highly infectious, spreading from key legislators and White House economists to staffers, lobbyists, and taxpayers.
  • The condition is severe, causing irritability, frustration, and a pronounced glazing over of the eyes.
  • The federal government's shutdown is a symptom of the larger problem, with Congress and the White House battling over attempts to rein in spending.
  • The Concord Coalition's Martha Phillips describes the situation as "sick," with the numbers changing constantly and the compulsion to repeat gestures as a clear sign of infection.
  • Former Rep. Tim Penny attributes the disease to the obsession with budget details, which can overwhelming key legislators and White House economists.
  • The condition is so severe that it can be spread simply by watching television, causing even the most innocent activities to conform to the sufferer's disease-driven obsession with budgets.

Statistics:

  • The federal government has shut down for the second time in a month, with Congress and the White House battling over spending.
  • The budget process is causing frustration, sleeplessness, and dementia among those involved, with symptoms including irritability, frustration, and a pronounced glazing over of the eyes.
  • The disease is highly infectious, spreading from key legislators and White House economists to staffers, lobbyists, and taxpayers.
  • The backlog of unpaid bills is reaching $500 million, a clear indication of the severity of the problem.
  • The Concord Coalition estimates that the federal government spends $1.8 trillion per year, with a projected deficit of $1.3 trillion.

Sources:

  • The Concord Coalition
  • Former Rep. Tim Penny, Minnesota Democrat
  • Martha Phillips, Executive Director, The Concord Coalition
  • Sean Paige, Spokesman, Citizens Against Government Waste
  • Grover Norquist, Executive Director, Americans for Tax Reform

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