The answer's pretty simple.
If you cut spending for next year, that means you will spend less next year than you did this year. If you wind up spending more next year than you did this year, you didn't cut squat.
All else is smoke and mirrors, designed to give people the wrong impression about what you are really doing (increasing spending by 12% in the example given).
Limbaugh once ran a "commercial" he made back when Billary were trying to "cut spending" when an election was coming. They were accused of "cutting" Social Security. Limbaugh showed three clips:
First clip was from Bill before he was elected, saying that the amount he was proposing the govt spend, was less than the amount budgeted for the coming year, and therefore it was a cut.
Second clip was of Hillary trying to accuse Republicans of smoke&mirrors, saying that they were still raising spending next year, just not as much as they had previously proposed... therefore it was not a cut.
Third clip was of Bill, basically parroting what Hillary said, and concluding it was not a cut.
Limbaugh concluded the "commercial" with a deep, important-sounding announcer's voice saying, "Two out of three Clintons agree: It's not a cut."
Classic. And as true now as it was when Billary tried to use it to their advantage.
