All I really need to know about economics I learned in kindergarten

Is this what they're teaching at Harvard Business School these days? George, on Katrina recovery costs:

"It's going to cost whatever it costs."

"I'm confident we can handle it, and I'm confident we can handle our other priorities," Bush said. "It's going to mean that we're going to have to make sure we
cut unnecessary spending. It's going to mean we've got to maintain economic growth, and therefore we should not raise taxes."

He said his administration would "work with Congress to make sure that we are able to manage our budget in a wise way. And that is going to mean cutting other
programs."

Earlier, White House officials indicated that the relief funding -- about $62 billion has been approved by Congress so far -- would have to be borrowed,
adding to the federal deficit. They would not identify any specific program cuts.

Allan Hubbard, assistant to the president for economic policy, told reporters that Bush remains committed to slashing the deficit. "This in no way will adversely
impact his commitment to cut the deficit in half by 2009," Hubbard said. He said the economy "is very, very strong now" and "the last thing in the world we need to do is raise taxes and retard economic growth." (Nice to know that economic policy is in the hands of such delusional people. -- Dr. S)

Hubbard declined to provide an overall cost figure for hurricane relief. Pressed on where the money would come from, he said, "Well, there's no question that ... the recovery will be paid for by the federal taxpayer and it will add to the deficit."

Also asked to name programs that could be cut or eliminated to help pay for relief efforts, Claude Allen, assistant to the president for domestic policy, said, "No, I cannot name any programs that will be cut."

Bush is trying to sell the country on the idea that the we will be able to absorb about $300 billion in spending on Katrina relief with no tax increase -- by cutting "unnecessary spending."

Let's review what kind of spending Bush considers unnecessary. Bush's 2006 budget proposal included the following cuts:

Health and Human Services: $45 billion in cuts to Medicaid over the next decade. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention budget cut $500 million. Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) cut $183 million.

Housing and Urban Development: $3.7 billion cut. Housing aid for the disabled cut $118 million.

Justice: The budget of the Office of Violence Against Women cut $19 million.

Education: $500 million cut, including the elimination of the Perkins loan program and college training for low- and middle-income students.

Labor: Workforce Investment Act programs cut $61.5 million.

Environmental Protection Agency: $500 million cut, including a $170 million cut in water quality protection programs and a cut of about $115 million for land preservation and restoration.

State: Millenium Challenge Corp. funding proposed at $3 billion. Laudable, but $2 billion less than what Bush promised.

When Bush says "unnecessary spending," these are the types of programs he's talking about, and you can rest assured that these are where the cuts, or "savings," will come from. Becuase even in the face of disaster, it's important to the president that wealthy people aren't burdened with hardships like capital gains or inheritance taxes (or "money not worked for" taxes). And being that he was born into a situation that all but assures him a hefty inheritance himself (because Republicans still haven't come up with a way to take their precious, precious money with them), you can understand why. Sure, the deficit may explode and reach previously unimagined levels, and sure it may be a crushing burden on at least one future generation, but Bush is adamant that there will be no tax increases for the wealthiest Americans.

Is everyone ready to get on board with what I've been saying? Bush doesn't care what shape he leaves this country in. Like every mess he's created in his life, it's someone else's problem. If you're not part of his base (and if you work because you have to, you're not), to him you're either a body for his war or a source of public funds. Other than that, to the president you're "unnecessary."