78-08-A4
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Spending
TranscriptIt's impossible anymore to itemize the Federal budget to see how it managed to grow to its present size but you might be interested in a few scattered bits of extravagance. For example the cost of running 41 Federal regulatory agencies has gone up 115% in five years. I suppose it's foolish to mention anything in less than millions and billions when you are talking about a half trillion dollar budget. But then maybe that's why the Secretary of Energy doesn't feel extravagant when he decides to spend $32,000 for private restrooms in the new departments quarters. The Federal Home Loan Bank tops him by spending twice that much to tear out its new washrooms and replace them with private rooms and showers for its executives. Then over in Congress, the House Administration committee will double that amount, spending $126,000 for 450 17-inch color tv sets for its members. The committee chairman says they are doing it to help correct the deficit in our balance of trade with Japan. They are buying American-made sets. This one I'm sure will touch your heart. The health planners in Washington are determined to cut public health care costs by reducing QUOTE - "Unnecessary surgery" - UNQUOTE -. According to them, that term fits such things as cataract operations and hysterectomies. However if a man agrees to dress in women's clothes for a year the Public Health Service says Medicare should pay for his - QUOTE - "gender reassignment surgery" - UNQUOTE -. On the subject of health, the House Appropriations committee has discovered that Labor department employees in the Office of Worker Compensation, filed 10 times as many injury claims for themselves as did employees in other government offices. Maybe it's all in knowing how. Anyway, their take came to half a million dollars tax free. Some time ago on one of these broadcasts I mentioned some of the short comings of the C.E.T.A. program. Those initials stand for Comprehensive Employment and Training Act. It has $11 billion to spend and where the money is that big, a little scandal is not an unusual thing. In Dade County, Florida, a grand jury has found waste, false record keeping and criminal violations in the federally-funded programs. One C.E.T.A. employer turned out to be a pool hall operator who hired his nephew with the federal money. In another Florida county I don't know whether it's dishonest or not but the Federal money will be used to pay $2.65 an hour (the minimum wage) to illiterate students for going to school. Is it any wonder that Senator Jesse Helms suggested that the Senate recess for one minute on May 6th in honor of the taxpayers. May 6th was the day the average worker started working for himself. From January 1 until that date he's been working to pay his share of the cost of government. This is Ronald Reagan. Thanks for listening. |
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