Dayton: Bush's fiscal policies 'reckless'

Coleman has cautious praise for the proposal

By FRITZ BUSCH

Journal Staff Writer

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Senator Mark Dayton on Monday called the Bush Administration's 2005 budget "the most reckless in our nation's history" and drew similarities with the trans-Atlantic voyage of the Titanic more than 90 years ago.

Speaking to journalists during a press conference call, Dayton called the $521 billion national deficit for 2004 "horrific, but not accurate" since it didn't include the cost of putting military troops in Irag through 2006.

He added that the budget deficit figures are so enormous, they boggle his mind. Dayton chided the budget for looking ahead only five years instead of 10.

"The real day of reckoning for this recklessness won't be felt for a decade," Dayton said. "It's like the Titanic. You can see the iceberg ahead and need to do something instead of relaxing, enjoying ourselves with champagne."

Dayton said that unlike state governments that have been cutting back, the federal government will zero out the Social Security Administration Trust Fund between 2014-2016 and start running an annual deficit.

He rapped the Bush Administration for being more interested in helping its corporate pals than being fiscally sound. He said the budget is too far in arrears and continues to give tax breaks to the wealthiest people in America while scaling back expenditures on transportation, agriculture and education.

In a press statement, Sen. Norm Coleman had cautious praise for the budget proposal.

"I applaud President Bush's proposal to hold government spending down to one-half of one percent over last year, as well as his determination to cut the deficit in half over the next five years. I also appreciate President Bush's focus on priority needs, increasing funding for defense, homeland security, education, health care and veterans, while keeping full faith with America's farm families.

"While I do have concerns about the funding levels for certain priorities, including transportation, rural development, and Minnesota's water and waste water needs, the President's proposal is only the beginning of a long process during which I will work to better meet these important priority needs.

Regarding the Bush administration creating an investigation of U.S. intelligence failures in Iraq, Dayton said he was "highly suspicious" that Bush will set it up himself instead of Congress.

"This is not the way to establish public credibility," Dayton said. "There cannot be any limits to this investigation. Any attempt to do so should be seen as an attempt to cover up the facts. This is about the survival of our country and the planet."