The fiscal 2007 budget outlook

Just a hint of things to come... we will eventually start up a 'circuit' blog, which will have circuit items but in blog form. There are more then we could ever get into print and we need a place for that stuff, so...

In the meantime... this from FCW reporters on the fiscal 2007 budget, which will be released early next month:

What is flat and not growing? We hear it's the federal information technology budget request for 2007.

Our sources tell is that the IT budget will be about $67 billion - $2 billion more than the $65 billion penciled in for 2006. While that is a considerable chunk of change, it is far less than the double digit growth the IT community has seen in the past. It is basically increasing for inflation.

And what emerges from the budget challenges of this year remain to be seen as Congress grapples with finding the money to pay for the war in Iraq, prescription drug coverage for the elderly, paying down the deficit and of course a tax cut.

On the plus side, don't forget that this is an election year and no one wants to be responsible for offending their constituents.

So we'll be watching carefully when the president unwraps his '07 budget proposal expected on Feb. 7. And we will let you know just how much it affects you, what IT programs are pared back and where it really hurts.