LETTERS: WHEN IS MORE SPENDING LESS?

To the editor:

The 105th Republican Congress seems to be out of touch with reality. Members are making many statements about how they have made government smaller and smarter since the Republicans gained control of Capitol Hill in 1995. However, the Republican Congress seems no more willing to cut the budget than the Democrats did when they held the majority in Congress.

The year's final spending bills approved by Congress and the White House include $22.6 billion more for domestic programs. As a result, the deficit is projected to rise for the first time in six years. James Blue, deputy director of the Congressional Budget Office, and other budget analysts are wary of the sudden push for more spending just as the deficit has finally dropped to manageable levels.

In the last three years, the Republican Congress has increased spending by $183 billion, compared to the $155 billion increase for the last three years of the Democratic Congress. In 1995, the GOP increased spending by $48 billion, in 1996 by $63 billion and in 1997 by $72 billion. Domestic spending for the 1998 budget will rise 5.4 percent, or twice the rate of inflation. The five-year spending total from 1998 to 2002 projected under the historic budget deal of 1997 is $9 trillion. This is $1.5 trillion more than was spent in the previous five years. This additional spending will be $245 billion more than was promised under the Contract With America.

Over the last 10 years from 1988 to 1997, federal domestic expenditures have soared by 79 percent from $622 billion to $1.113 trillion. After adjusting for inflation, this is an enormous 34 percent rise. Over that same period, family income adjusted for inflation has grown by only 9 percent. Our budget for 1998 is $1.7 trillion, the highest ever.

Congress must be using a new math to determine the budget -- where more is less? -- for members are patting themselves on the back for spending less. If more is less, I wouldn't want them to do my home budget. Then again, using the same logic they could do my taxes for me.

I would like to acknowledge the work of Stephen Moore of the Cato Institute for some of the information included in this letter.

JAMES NALL, Chair

Bollinger County Libertarian Committee

Marble Hill