The Glacier reporter. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1953-current, 1963-01-17
Washington
News Notes
The Defense Budget -
Cost OF The Cold War -
Another Budget Deficit -
Education And Medicare -


WASHINGTON, d. c. - Presi-
dent John F. Kennedy's new de-
Tense budget totals over fifty bill
lion dollars, having been increas-
ed by over two billions from last
wear. Thus the country is spend
ing we'll over half its entire in
come buying defense.
OF course, included in this de
tense. is a lot of free enterprise
profit for the munitions industry,
to use the old term to cover all
defense manufacturers. Some of
the companies which build our
planes and rockets and missiles
make a very nice thing out of de-
Tense.
President Kennedy is finding,
like President Dwight D. Eisen-
hover before him, that resisting
all the recommendations and pro-
jects advanced, is a hard job. He
has increased the military bud
get but he has also been forced
to reject many things. He has re-
jected the Skybot program, he
has rejected the RS-70 bomber,
he has refused TO go along with
Nike-Zeus advocates. he has re-
fused to buy the Nays ship
building program. etc. etc.
And even doing this, and asking
Secretary Of Defense Robert Nc
Namara. to hold down costs as
much as possible. after obtaining
the best defense possible. he is
spending more money for defense
in the coming year than in the
year before. several billions
more.
The cost of the cold war can be
realized only when one looks
at the fifty percent chunk out of
our national income defense re-
quires. II we could spend ten
billions for denfense instead of
fifty. taxes could be slashed
greatly. we could pay off the ma
tional debt in twenty years or
even fifteen and we could offer
services without adding new tax
es.
The report in Washington is
that Secretary of Health, Educa-
ton and Welfare Anthony J. Cele-
breeze is optimistic over chances
for passage Of mediocre and fed
eral aid to education in the new
session of Congress.
Medicare was defeated in the
Senate in 1862 and never came TO
a vote in the House In the opin-
ion of most observers ii has no
chance in this session OF Congress
and certainly Congress should,
and will. reject it in this session,
The present medical aid program
has not had a fair trial, nor can
business afford the new hike in
social security taxes which medi-
care would necessitate. nor is
one about program of care ad-
vocated justified by the facts
on the elderly needy. of which
there are some, of course
AS for education. the word from
the Administration this month is
that a religious deadlock appears
unbreakable, as far as aid to sec,
ondary (high) schools is concern
ed. The word is that some educa-
ton might be voted by Congress
Tor permitted to come TO a vote
by opponents of aid to public
schools) for college-level educa-
ton.
CelebreeZe's views on churches
and school aid are not too well
known. But he is obviously wits.
Ting a happy tune only, on med!.
care. AS far as the educational
compromise" for colleges only
is concerned, until the money
voted goes to the states, to be
used as decided by state legisla,
lures, with no strings attached,
and until this public money goes
only to public schools, no bill
should be passed.