Wait! Don’t throw out Bush’s budget yet.
President Bush released his 2009 budget this week, clocking in at a whopping $3.1 trillion. The Campaign for America’s Future correctly notes that though Congress will ignore significant chunks of what Bush submitted, it’s important to give the budget a serious look. Bush’s budget betrays his administration’s out-of-whack priorities and is a “slap in the face” to workers, but it’s a useful tool to show what’s wrong with Bush’s vision of America.
Elaine chimed in the morning after, proudly trumpeting the Department of Labor’s “record-setting” performance and the importance of the increased funding Bush proposed.
Among the budget nuggets Elaine lifted in her news release were increased funding for the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) and the Office of Labor Management Standards (OLMS), an office re-purposed by Elaine to harass and stifle unions with over-the-top disclosure forms.
2009 MSHA Budget Request: $332.1 million
2008 MSHA Budget: $313.5 million
Change: +0.96%2009 OLMS Budget Request: $58.3 million
2008 OLMS Budget: $40.8 million
Change: +30.0%
In the midst of monumental mine safety failures, you’d think the administration would make it a top priority. Instead, they want to fund harassment against unions.
Now you can throw Bush’s budget into the trash.
