Saturday, February 28, 2009

Where to find line-by-line breakdowns of stimulus and budget

Since recovery.gov doesn't have much yet, best place I've found for stimulus data is pro publica's line by line summary which is about exactly the level of detail I wanted (not too much, not too little).

As for the budget, the pages at the OMB budget page aren't quite as easy to follow as that, but are not too bad. If you want to see a particular area (say, NASA or Agriculture), you can download the part of the budget for that (a few pages for each). Obviously, this isn't line-by-line but it does cover new initiatives and major proposed cuts (which I think is all that exists now).

Anyone found more informative sites, with more detail or less detail or whatever?

Emerson on respectability

Here's a quote which I think is particularly appropriate in the context of Bernie Madoff and Allen Sanford (both in the news for financial scandals): "If a pickpocket intrude into the society of gentlemen, they exert what moral force they have, and he finds himself uncomfortable, and glad to get away. But if an adventurer go through all the forms, procure himself to be elected to a post of trust, as of senator, or president, — though by the same arts as we detest in the house-thief, — the same gentlemen who agree to discountenance the private rogue, will be forward to show civilities and marks of respect to the public one: and no amount of evidence of his crimes will prevent them giving him ovations, complimentary dinners, opening their own houses to him, and priding themselves on his acquaintance."

Source: The Conduct of Life