Obama Calling for Defense Budget Cuts

[Defender968]

Knew this was coming, and 11 days in, here we go again. An I told you so will be coming to a few of my Dim friends who said no no he'd never do that during a time of war

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009...e-budget-cuts/

Defense Official: Obama Calling for Defense Budget Cuts
Some overall budget figures are expected to be announced Monday.

Friday, January 30, 2009

The Obama administration has asked the military's Joint Chiefs of Staff to cut the Pentagon's budget request for the fiscal year 2010 by more than 10 percent -- about $55 billion -- a senior U.S. defense official tells FOX News.

Last year's defense budget was $512 billion. Service chiefs and planners will be spending the weekend "burning the midnight oil" looking at ways to cut the budget -- looking especially at weapons programs, the defense official said.

Some overall budget figures are expected to be announced Monday.

Obama met Friday at the White House with a small group of military advisers, including Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Gen. James Cartwright, vice chairman, and Gen. Jim Jones, National Security Council chairman.

FOX News' Jennifer Griffin contributed to this report.

[echoes]

Quick idea/question?

If the current administration feels the need to CUT Our military spending, then why cannot we American Taxpayers SAY where Our money will go?

I would like to send my tax dollars to the Military budget, not to some wall-street failed firms pocket of bonuses.

Wonder why my return form does not have a box to check for where my little contribution goes?

It should go to Our Veterans & currently serving that Keep Us Safe!

IMHO,

Holly

[QRQ 30]

Originally Posted by echoes

Quick idea/question?

If the current administration feels the need to CUT Our military spending, then why cannot we American Taxpayers SAY where Our money will go?

I would like to send my tax dollars to the Military budget, not to some wall-street failed firms pocket of bonuses.

Wonder why my return form does not have a box to check for where my little contribution goes?

It should go to Our Veterans & currently serving that Keep Us Safe!

IMHO,

Holly

Agreed. I didn't see where the cuts would come from. I believe I could cut more than 10% without any effect to our readiness. Hit the military/industrial pork barrels. Stop paying $20,000 for toilet seats or "P-tubes "in military aircraft. I don't know about today but in the sixties and seventies TDY was way out of hand. While at DLIEC we drew $35 per day (a lot in those days). We lived in a high rise apartment in Alexandria complete with maid service. Not bad for an NCO and certainly not necessary.

[azmg]

How much can be cut from scaling the Iraq operations back, even though more troops are currently required in Afghanistan? Even with the redeployment there must be some assets that can be sent some and expenses cut along with them, no?

[nmap]

But there is something strange going on here. I see the call for budget cuts, and I don't suppose that's much of a surprise. But if there are budget cuts, then the companies that supply things to the military should see a reduction in earnings, should they not? And yet...those companies look strong, comparatively speaking.

There's a PDF attachment to the post at THIS LINK, and it has a couple charts of PPA, the Powershares aerospace and defense portfolio, and that's looking stronger. Surf n Turf hinted that the buildup of an internal or domestic army, apart from the DOD might account for such a divergence (my apologies in advance for any errors in quotation or interpretation), but I'm not convinced.

Odd....

[Red Flag 1]

Let's see,

Casual wear,sweaters, etc, in the Whitehouse, CIA/Intel tampering, reduction of defense spending, bringing enemy combatants out of Gitmo and onto US soil, telling folks to not listen to Rush Limbaugh, financial bailout that puts money in the pocket of ACORN ($1.4M if I remember right)......tip of the iceberg methinks.

Could we be looking at a POTUS that makes the POTUS after Ford look like John Wayne....sorry TR!


RF 1

ps: smoking bans on some US Government property likely have been lifted, ie: Whitehouse, Air Force One and Marine One to name just three.
rf1

[Box]

it wont be long before soldier are sent a bill for going on sick call while illegal aliens are getting free health care.......

[Gypsy]

I wish I could say I'm surprised.

I can, however, say I'm disgusted. Again.

[Dozer523]

Well I wonder if Secretary Gates had something to do with this. (ILTG) He's been trying to get rid of lots of big ticket items for the past few years Maybe we can get the 10% just by doing away with some boat programs and some fancy areoplanes.
BTW whatever happened to the "Conference Pallets" . . . the executive suites that could slide in and out of AC so the O-"lots" would be all comfy and well-rested and not have to mix with the riff-raff in the red web seats on the sides?

[Team Sergeant]

Originally Posted by echoes

Quick idea/question?

If the current administration feels the need to CUT Our military spending, then why cannot we American Taxpayers SAY where Our money will go?

The American public "has" spoken when they elected the current administration.

I'm still waiting for my "free" gas and stimulus check.

TS

[longrange1947]

Originally Posted by Billy L-bach

it wont be long before soldier are sent a bill for going on sick call while illegal aliens are getting free health care.......

They are already looking at dropping TriCare for life. They have already proposed increasing out of pocket and co-pays.

Free medical is a thing of the past.

[alright4u]

Originally Posted by longrange1947

They are already looking at dropping TriCare for life. They have already proposed increasing out of pocket and co-pays.

Free medical is a thing of the past.

Add flooding the VA with CAT 8's.

[echoes]

Originally Posted by Team Sergeant

The American public "has" spoken when they elected the current administration.

I'm still waiting for my "free" gas and stimulus check.

TS

So true Sir. Upon further research, I found something I had not heard of before...the "Recovery Rebate Credit of 2009"?

The IRS Economic Stimulus Payment Information Center
http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/...177937,00.html

(Skip down past the first link on the page: "En Español: Pagos de Estímulo Económico,")

"Most taxpayers who received the economic stimulus payment last year will not qualify for the recovery rebate credit on their 2008 federal income tax return. However, some individuals who did not get the economic stimulus payment, and a smaller number of those who did, may be eligible for the recovery rebate credit. If you didn't get an economic stimulus payment in 2008, you may be eligible to receive the recovery rebate credit in 2009."


Also found this earlier article quoting Gates testimony to the
Senate and House Armed Services committee on January 27th.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?p...CgI&refer=home

Jan. 27 (Bloomberg) -- "Defense Secretary Robert Gates will tell lawmakers the U.S. faces “hard choices” on weapons spending that may lead to cuts in some programs as he offers an early glimpse at how President Barack Obama plans to wage two wars."

"On budget issues, Gates will likely be pressed on whether he has convinced the new administration to approve a draft spending plan for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1 that was prepared by his department before Obama came into office.

Gates in October told reporters that increasing long-range military spending would stimulate the economy and serve notice the U.S. is determined to carry on the fight against terrorism after the war in Iraq ends.

“If you want to talk about a stimulus package, the defense budget’s not bad, and obviously a lot of jobs around the country depend” on military spending, Gates said.

The Pentagon has drafted a fiscal 2010 spending plan that calls for $580.3 billion, including $34.4 billion in emergency war spending, according to a summary chart prepared last month by acting Comptroller Douglas Brook.

Next Budget

The draft plan is about 13.4 percent more than the final 2009 defense budget approved by congressional appropriators that forms the floor used to build the next budget.

The draft proposal adds $19.3 billion that isn’t connected directly to current conflicts, including $5 billion for tactical aviation, such as the Joint Strike Fighter made by Bethesda, Maryland-based Lockheed Martin Corp.
Gates will likely be pressed today by Senator Saxby Chambliss of Georgia for his view on whether to buy more Lockheed F-22 fighters above the 183 already on contract and four additional that will be requested in another fiscal 2009 war supplemental. Congress has mandated a decision by March 1.

The aircraft is assembled by the world’s biggest defense company primarily at a Marietta, Georgia, factory.
Gates and his then-deputy, Gordon England, said last year that while the F-22s on order were sufficient to meet potential wartime scenarios, they would leave it to the next administration to decide whether to buy more.

Now, the decision has come back to him, as Gates noted wryly in his prepared testimony today.

“As I focused on the wars of these past two years, I ended up punting a number of procurement decisions,” including the F- 22 question, Gates said. “Well, as luck would have it, I am now on the receiving end of those kicks.”
Last Updated: January 27, 2009 09:00 EST

[QRQ 30]

I don't understand all of the language but last year I didn't receive the stimulus pack for my grandson due to a clerical error on my part. This year I receive it. Perhaps that is what they are talking about. I think that's fair.

I don't think it was ever intended to disburse rebates for tax year 2008.

[echoes]

Originally Posted by QRQ 30

I don't understand all of the language but last year I didn't receive the stimulus pack for my grandson due to a clerical error on my part. This year I receive it. Perhaps that is what they are talking about. I think that's fair.

I don't think it was ever intended to disburse rebates for tax year 2008.

Sir,

Am researching it right now, as I did not want the thread to move off topic...Will bring back more data asap.

Holly

Edit to add:

Sir,

Here is some information that I have found.

http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/...179213,00.html

Stimulus Payment Examples

Married with Children
Married without Qualifying Children
Single (Head of Household) with Children
Single without Qualifying Children

The eligibility for and amount of stimulus payments to taxpayers will vary according to their income and family situations.
Here are the various scenarios:

http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/...179211,00.html

Basic Information on the Stimulus Payments

Updated July 18, 2008

Find out more about what it is and how to get it, if you haven’t already.

What is it? It's an economic stimulus payment that more than 124 million households will receive. It's not taxable, and it won't reduce your 2007 or 2008 refund or increase the amount you owe when you file your 2008 return. Payments started in May and will continue through the end of 2008.

Are you eligible? The majority of people who file a 2007 income tax return qualify, and many who don't regularly file a tax return may qualify as well. You're eligible if you have a valid Social Security number (SSN), can't be claimed as a dependent on a tax return and have either an income tax liability or "qualifying income" of at least $3,000. Qualifying income includes any combination of earned income and certain benefits from Social Security, Veterans Affairs or Railroad Retirement. Supplemental Security Income (SSI) does not count as qualifying income for the stimulus payment. Additional information is below, and a full legal description is available in Revenue Procedure 2008-21.

Both people listed on a "married filing jointly" return must have valid SSNs to qualify for the payment — if only one has a valid SSN, neither can receive the payment (there’s an exception for members of the military who file joint returns — see below).

Can you use an ITIN instead of an SSN? Taxpayers with an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) instead of an SSN are not eligible to receive a stimulus payment. Both people listed on a "married filing jointly" return must have valid SSNs to qualify for the payment — if only one has a valid SSN, neither can receive the payment.

However, a new law passed in June, the HEART Act, made an exception to the SSN requirement for married members of the military, including couples with children. In November, stimulus payments will be sent to more than 10,000 military families affected by this change and who already had filed a return. They need do nothing more. See the New Law: Additional Military Families to Get Stimulus Payments This Fall.

Not eligible at the current time? If you're not eligible this year but you become eligible next year, you can claim your payment next year on your 2008 tax return.

How do you get it? Just file a federal tax return for 2007 by Oct. 15, 2008, even if you normally don't have to because your income usually doesn't meet the filing threshhold. Those who normally don't have to file a tax return and can use the short form for the stimulus payment can check out tax package 1040A-3, which has instructions, a sample Form 1040A and a blank Form 1040A — everything needed to file the tax form.

How much will you get? The actual amount depends on the information contained on your tax return. Eligible individuals will receive between $300 and $600. Those who are eligible and file a joint return will receive a total of between $600 and $1,200. Those with children will get an additional $300 for each qualifying child. To qualify, a child must be eligible under the Child Tax Credit and have a valid Social Security number. We have various examples for you check out.

The payments phase out at certain income levels, so those with higher incomes may receive a reduced payment or even no payment.

Can you estimate your payment? An online calculator allows you to answer a few questions and get a quick estimate of your payment amount.

How will you receive the payment? Be sure to choose direct deposit when you file your tax return, even if you aren't due a regular tax refund on your tax return. That way, the stimulus payment will go right to your bank account. Otherwise, we'll mail you a check.

When will you get your payment? It will generally take a minimum of eight weeks after you file your return to get your stimulus payment. If you’re getting a regular income tax refund, the IRS will send you that refund first. Your separate stimulus payment should follow one to two weeks after you receive your refund. Find out more.

What if some or all of your income consists of Social Security, veterans' or other benefits? The economic stimulus law allows Social Security recipients and recipients of certain veterans' benefits and Railroad Retirement benefits to count those benefits towards the qualifying income requirement of $3,000. Supplemental Security Income (SSI) does not count as qualifying income for the stimulus payment. To get the payment, you have to file a 2007 tax return using either Form 1040 or the short Form 1040A.