Finding Money for New Orleans
Posted by Moonage on 29 Sep 2005 | Tagged as: Fed Policy, International Politics, Katrina, Political Correctness
I have not been a fan of the Porkbusters effort. I think I’ve made that clear already. They have taken an idea and run amok with it. Rather than attacking our own, why not look at what we’re giving to people who never pay ANY taxes at all? Rather than pulling money out of circulation that can stimulate economic growth, why not look where no economic growth would affect us anyway? Rather than penalizing innocent US citizens because of a natural disaster, why not put pressure where pressure is do and expect the members of NATO and EU to pick up some of the slack on foreign spending? Hmmm? Whatsayou Porkbusters? Now, here’s a list that pretty well sums up what is leaving the US in 2003 that in more cases than not doesn’t really affect someone living in the towns Porkbusters wants to take money from:
| Summary of All Countries | |
| in $US millions, constant | |
| Source: US Overseas Loans & Grants [Greenbook] | |
| Account Name | 2003 |
| > USAID Child Survival and Health Fund | 1,512.65 |
| > USAID Development Assistance | 1,457.38 |
| > Assistance to Eastern Europe & the Baltic States | 496.32 |
| > Assistance for the Independent States of the Former Soviet Union | 489.69 |
| > Transition Initiatives, International Assistance Program | 58.74 |
| > International Disaster Assistance (OFDA) | 480.26 |
| > International Organizations and Programs | 288.17 |
| > Development Fund for Africa | 1.3 |
| > Central America & Caribbean Disaster Recovery Fund | 1.13 |
| > USAID Operating Expense, General | 614.46 |
| > USAID Operating Expense, IG | 34.5 |
| > USAID FS Retirement & Disability Fund | 45.2 |
| > USAID Working Capital Fund | 3.39 |
| > Security Support Assistance/ESF | 4,266.07 |
| > USAID Development Credit Authority | 16.84 |
| > USAID Property Management Fund | 0.55 |
| > USAID Foreign National Employees Separation Fund | 4.13 |
| > USAID Capital Investment Fund | 39.85 |
| > Oceans, Environment and Science Initiative (OESI),ESF | 1.78 |
| > Democracy & Human Rights, State; ESF | 36.66 |
| Total USAID and Predecessor Grants | 9,849.07 |
| > Title I Food For Peace Loans, in $US | 134.3 |
| Total Food Aid Loans | 134.3 |
| > Title I Food for Progress | 73.96 |
| > CCC Food For Progress | 111.81 |
| > Title II Emergency Programs | 1,276.54 |
| > Title II Development Programs | 432.87 |
| > Title II Other | 258.32 |
| > Section 416(b) Regular | 176.07 |
| > Section 416(b) Global Food for Education | 85.34 |
| Total Food Aid Grants | 2,414.92 |
| Total Food Aid Loans and Grants | 2,549.22 |
| > Contribution to IADB | 18.23 |
| > Contribution to IDA | 0 |
| > Contribution to Asian Development Bank | 0 |
| > Contribution to African Development Bank | 5.08 |
| > EBRD, General and Support Fund | 38.72 |
| > Debt Reduction | 91.06 |
| > Global Environment Facility | 146.85 |
| > Contribution to IFAD | 14.91 |
| > Contribution to MIGA | 1.62 |
| > Global fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, Malaria, and Tuberculosis, CDC | 347.73 |
| Total Other Economic Assistance - International/Multilateral Institutions Grants | 664.2 |
| > Peace Corps | 295.07 |
| Total Other Economic Assistance - Peace Corps Grants | 295.07 |
| > Drug Interdiction & Counter Drug Activities, Defense | 276.21 |
| > Andean Counter-Drug Initiative, State | 729.45 |
| > International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement | 220.72 |
| Total Other Economic Assistance - Narcotics Grants | 1,226.38 |
| > Inter-American Foundation | 14.94 |
| > Migration And Refugee Assistance, State | 747.67 |
| > Trade and Development Agency | 60.81 |
| > African Development Foundation | 14.19 |
| > Compact of Free Association, Interior | 166.3 |
| > Ambassador’s Fund, State | 0.97 |
| > Fish & Wildlife, Interior | 35.25 |
| > Mine-Action Related Activities, CDC | 4.9 |
| > Intl Affairs Technical Assistance, Treasury | 10.73 |
| > Intl Child Labor and Education Init., Labor | 125.22 |
| > Open World Program (formerly Russian Leadership Program) | 19.18 |
| > Agricultural Research Service, USDA | 9.76 |
| > Cooperative State Research Education and Extension Service, USDA | 14.84 |
| > Foreign Agricultural Service, USDA | 4.08 |
| > Forest Service, USDA | 63.1 |
| > Transportation Planning, Research, and Development, DOT | 5 |
| > Federal Aviation Administration, DOT | 0.63 |
| > National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, DOT | 0.1 |
| > Federal Highway Administration, DOT | 0.03 |
| > Federal Trade Commission | 1 |
| > National Endowment for Democracy, State | 39.65 |
| > Patent and Trademark Office, Commerce | 0.01 |
| > Global AIDS and Immunization Program | 531.23 |
| > International Criminal Investigative Training and Assistance, DOJ | 4.65 |
| > Iraq Reconstruction and Relief* | 3,477.56 |
| Total Other Economic Assistance - Other Active Grants | 5,351.82 |
| > Credit Sales Under Foreign Military Sales (FMS) Loans | 3,800.00 |
| Total Military Assistance Loans | 3,800.00 |
| > Military Assistance Program (MAP) Grants | 257 |
| > Foreign Military Fianancing Program (FMFP) | 5,955.77 |
| > Peacekeeping Operations | 214.25 |
| > Non-Proliferations, Anti-terrorism, Demining and Related Programs | 378.41 |
| > International Military Education & Training | 79.48 |
| > Cooperative Threat Reduction, Defense | 480.96 |
| > Overseas Humanitarian, Disaster and Civic Aid, Defense | 72 |
| > Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation, Energy | 373.2 |
| > Humanitarian Demining Defense Wide, Defense | 12.89 |
| > International Trust Fund for Demining and Mine Victims Assistance (ITF) | 10 |
| > Warsaw Initiative, Defense | 15.98 |
| > Arctic Military Environmental Cooperation, Defense | 0 |
| > Defense of Israel against Terrorism | 11.89 |
| > HIV/AIDS Prevention Program (DHAPP), Defense | 7 |
| > Biochemical Nonproliferation and Security, CDC | 9 |
| > Biochemical Nonproliferation and Security, EPA | 2.95 |
| Total Military Assistance Grants | 7,880.78 |
| Total Military Assistance Loans and Grants | 11,680.78 |
| > Ex-Im Bank Loans | 1,116.17 |
| > Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) | 45.8 |
| Total Non-Concessional U.S. Loans | 1,161.97 |
| > Contributions to International Organizations | 923.37 |
| Total Annual Obligations to International Organizations | 923.37 |
| Total | 33,701.87 |
Now, I’m not going to go so far as to say we need to cut off spending on food and medical supplies. But, eleven point six BILLION dollars in military aid can be put off for a year or two and go a LONG way towards rebuilding New Orleans without penalizing the rest of the US.
It’s not pork, I know that’s not the rage. But, I think it’s a lot more logical. Come on EU and NATO, let’s see what you guys can do without the US carrying the full load for a few years while we take care of our own for a while.
More blogs on pork spending, Katrina, Katrina relief, US foreign military spending
2 Comments »
on 02 Oct 2005 at 11:36 pm 1.Bryan Kerwick
said …
As I have previously stated, we should cut off ALL Foreign Aid until we are made whole again. That is to say we should simply tell the world we need our own money for our own problems and let the rest of the G8, soon to be G9 pick up the slack for half a decade.
Most of the aid recipients hate us anyway so we have nothing to loose politically from that move.
France, Germany, Belgium and Russia should pick up the tab for a while as well as the Chinese and Japanese.
Since they are adamant about not supporting counter-terrorism, let them feed the rest of the planet while we rebuild the Gulf Coast.
on 30 Apr 2006 at 2:16 am 2.Nathan said …
That we spend way too much on unneccessary projects outside the US doesn’t excuse doing the same inside our borders, and cutting political kickbacks and other thoughtless spending doesn’t constitute penalizing US citizens. The underlying problem is a corrupt and irresponsible Congress, a problem that won’t be fixed under the present two party alignment.