--- In [EMAIL PROTECTED], "Nick Arnett" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Sounds like anecdotal evidence to me. So much for "well-reasoned".... > > Yes, those are anecdotal, of course. But did we forget the wee matter of > 155 Senate votes on veterans issues since 9/11? Or is that just 155 > anecdotes?
Again, proof that you can make Congressional votes say "anything." > > Oh, then then's the fundamental fact that they've been cutting VA > > benefits. > > > During a war. During a war that is wounding tens of thousands. Is that > > > spin? > > > > > > Here's the original source: http://www.iavaaction.org/ > > <http://www.iavaaction.org/> > > > > Classic liberal thinking - measuring how much you care about a problem > > by how much you spend on it..... > > > Oh. My. Goodness. > > I'd like to see how long you'd survive with the family of a soldier who has > a traumatic brain injury when you defend the GOP senators' votes against > funding research into those types of injuries. Here's a question for you Nick - what is the optimal level of research funding into brain injuries? $20 billion? $200 billion? $2 trillion? How do you decide how much funding to devote to brain injuries vs. breast cancer vs. heart disease? How do you decide how much funding to devote to research vs. actual programs providing benefits to the poor? > The Brain Injury Center, devoted to treating and understanding war-related > brain injuries, has received more money each year of the war from $6.5 > million in fiscal 2001 to $14 million last year. Spokespersons for the > appropriations committees in both chambers say cuts were due to a tight > budget this year. So, in other words, the Republicans increased their budget from $6.5 million in 2001 to $12.7 million (2001 dollars) in FY 2006. Close to DOUBLED it in five years in *inflation-adjusted* terms. Care to take a guess as to how many federal programs have received a 95% budget increase from FY 01 to FY 06? Now, what you haven't considered in this situation: -How effective is the Brain Injury Center program? Did it receive a "Moderately Effective" rating or higher from the Office of Management and Budget? Does it have outstanding issues from the Government Accountability Office? -How much money has the Brain Injury Center been able to actually spend over the last five years? With such a large budget increase, it would not be surprising to me if it has large amounts of unobligated funds. Under the proposed FY 07 budget, what would the trend in actual expenditures look like? I know that its very easy for you to believe that Republicans are cold-hearted monsters - but demonisation of your opponents is rarely true. I don't know what the specific answer is in this case, but I suspect that the above questions are probably on the road to the answer.... JDG - _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
