Non Sequitur by Wiley Miller for September 15, 2010
September 14, 2010
September 16, 2010
Transcript:
Soldier: Um... another battalion surrendered to the power of niceness, sir... General: Oh, no... if this keeps up, we won't have any military left, which means we could lose our most precious freedom... a bloated defense budget!! And are these strings really necessary? Man: Yes, but my reasons are above your pay grade, General. Meanwhile, at the Pentagon (a wholly owned subsidiary of Megacongllomecorp)... to be freedome-lovingly continued!
If you look at separate accounts for the separate funds (which is the honest way), then in 2009, the Department of Defense had a gross cost of $718.4 billion, earned revenue of $35.6 billion, and a net cost of $682.8 billion.
In 2009, the Operating Fund collected $1,192.5 billion from mostly individual income and corporate profit taxes.
So, the Defense spending represented 57% of Operating Fund Revenues.
However, the Operating Fund spent $2091.2 (including $184.6 billion in interest to the Restricted/Trust Funds, and $189.1 billion in interest to the general public.
So, 33% of our spending/overspending on Operations went to the Department of Defense.
If, you choose to use the obfuscating, dishonest, “consolidated” financial numbers that net out all of the costs of government that go for government employee benefits, and net out all the interest that is paid/owed to the Trust Funds, (..consolidated numbers include the Trust Funds which all have designated and separate systems for collection…and which collectively, up through 2009 produced a net surplus)…then
The total consolidated income in 2009 was $2,198.4 billion, and the Defense spending at $682.8 was 31% of the total revenue.
The total consolidated expenses were $3,434.7. So the $682.8 Defense spending represented 20% of the total spending/overspending.
(from pp. 45-56 of the 2009 U.S. Government Financial Report)