Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: Notesfiles $Revision: 1.7.0.10 $; site uiucdcs Path: utzoo!lsuc!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!inuxc!pur-ee!uiucdcs!renner From: renner@uiucdcs.CS.UIUC.EDU Newsgroups: net.politics Subject: Re: Supply-side Economics: the Savings Message-ID: <29200244@uiucdcs> Date: Mon, 4-Nov-85 11:13:00 EST Article-I.D.: uiucdcs.29200244 Posted: Mon Nov 4 11:13:00 1985 Date-Received: Thu, 7-Nov-85 21:35:10 EST References: <756@whuxl.UUCP> Lines: 40 Nf-ID: #R:whuxl.UUCP:-75600:uiucdcs:29200244:000:1763 Nf-From: uiucdcs.CS.UIUC.EDU!renner Nov 4 10:13:00 1985 > Ronald Reagan has spent over $1 trillion on the military during his > administration, far more than combined outlays for "social spending". > For your information, Mr. Wheeler, "social spending" is usually not > defined as money for the Weather Bureau, the Parks System, > federal highways, etc. but money for various welfare programs. > -- Tim Sevener (orb@whuts) Tim makes this claim from time to time, and it doesn't seem to matter that I usually post statistics which show that it's utter nonsense. I wish Tim would get a copy of the *US Statistical Abstract* and look this up for himself each time he gets the urge to post an article about the federal budget. For the record, military spending does not exceed outlays for "social spending". Data for the following table was obtained from the US Statistical Abstract, 1984, p.316; the numbers indicate acutal outlays in millions of dollars. 1980 1983 ----- ----- National Defense 135.9 214.8 Vet.Benefits 21.2 24.4 Total Military 157.1 239.2 % of total outlays 27.2 29.7 Income Security 193.1 282.5 Health 55.2 82.4 Education 30.8 26.7 Total Social Spending 279.1 391.6 % of total outlays 48.4 48.6 1980 is of course the last full Carter year. The figures for 1983 are estimates in the Abstract; other sources (Congressional Quarterly, Feb. 4, 1984, pp.206-7) indicate that the actual figures for the military are *lower*, and actual figures for social spending are *much higher*). The budgets of the weather bureau, parks system, federal highways, etc. do not appear anywhere in the table. Scott Renner {pur-ee,ihnp4}!uiucdcs!renner