I’d just like to remind everyone once again that, while our legislators bitch and whine about how to hack away our social services, we still spend 60% of our budget on the military. SIXTY PERCENT. Half and then some.
Don’t believe me? Go to http://www.deathandtaxesposter.com/ and see the budget for yourself.
ilovecharts:
What saddens me most about this is that I can’t see our beloved and unique Tool Lending libraries making it through this budget shortfall.
What may seem inconceivable could soon become reality: If the City of Oakland can’t close its $58 million budget gap by other means this summer, it will be forced to all but dismantle its public library system. Even in a best-case fiscal scenario — where homeowners agree to foot a new parcel tax and all city employees make substantial concessions — Oakland will have to cut eighty full-time positions. But the worse-case scenario, where neither of the above applies, would decimate city services, including the closure of fourteen of Oakland’s eighteen public libraries. It’s a move that could have devastating impacts on Oakland residents, especially young children and teens.
(Source: sara-starshine, via neighborhoodr-oakland)
http://www.eastbayexpress.com/ebx/libraries-on-the-brink/Content?oid=2665599
It’s important for us to remember that every budget shortfall is linked to Bush’s never-ending money pit, The War on Terror. For comparison, NASA’s 18 billion dollar budget is roughly equivalent to:
- 1/3 of the Department of Defense’s “Intelligence” budget—100% of which is classified
- 1/2 of the allotment for personnel in the Air Force
- somewhat less than the Research and Development budget for the Navy
- a bit less than 1/2 of The Army’s budget for shiny new war toys (AKA, “Procurement”)
These figures are rounded wildly, to see for yourself how more than half the budget is spent on defense, go to Death and Taxes for a visual of the US tax dollars at work.
lookhigh:
E.T., Phone Collect
If aliens come calling, we might not hear them.
The San Jose Mercury News reports that the SETI Institute — the one made famous by the movie Contact — has put its program to find alien life on hold. In an April 22 letter SETI sent to significant supporters, Tom Pierson, SETI’s CEO announced that beginning this week, the Allen Telescope Array “has been placed into hibernation due to funding shortfalls for operations of the Hat Creek Radio Observatory (HCRO) where the ATA is located.”
(via NPR)
(via nprfreshair)
