Its the cost growth, stupid.

[cornermouse]

On Friday night's NOW; the segment with Spinney.

Even though the military is getting more money and an increasing larger part of our national budget, the military is spending it on something called "cost growth" instead of soldiers and equipment. Military suppliers are increasing their costs in order to increase their bottom line. The military is "spending" more money and not having anything new or extra to show for it.

http://www.pbs.org/now/

http://www.pbs.org/now/politics/defensedollars06.html

http://www.pbs.org/now/politics/spinney06.html

"Spinney continues to find flaws in the defense spending of the current Bush administration. In a DEFENSE WEEK commentary in September 2000, Spinney responded to calls for the defense budget to be increased from 2.9% of the GDP to 4%, claiming that such a move "would be tantamount to a declaration of total war on Social Security and Medicare in the following decade." A later commentary by Spinney criticized the Pentagon for not passing the previous four annual audits.

In 2002 Spinney appeared before Congress to testify before the Subcommittee on National Security, Veterans Affairs and International Relations, part of the House Committee on Government Reform. See Spinney's statement on Pentagon accounting and the increasing defense budget before 9/11."

You also might want to take a look at Spinney's statement in 2002. Its quite interesting.

http://www.d-n-i.net/fcs/spinney_testimony_060402.htm