We’ve said this before but we’ll say it again: when they say “cut” you have to ask: from what baseline?

The Department of Transportation’s budget for 2013 is $74.2 billion. The automatic spending cuts would slice $1 billion out of its budget: that is a cut of less than 1.4 percent.

And consider this: even if the cuts go into effect, the Department of Transportation will spend more money this year ($73.2 billion) than it spent last year ($72.6 billion).

A $600 million increase is termed a $1 billion “cut” and they’re talking about sending air traffic controllers home. I call B.S.

Operate on the budget you operated under last year. Let’s START with that.

It’s unclear if he was home, so this could just be an attempt.

The phenomenon shows no signs of slowing, does it?

UPDATE: And . . . the Playboy Mansion may have been SWATted as well.

On Thursday about 6:15 a.m., police were sent to the Playboy Mansion in Holmby Hills in response to a call falsely reporting an assault at the location, and are investigating the case as another possible “swatting” hoax, LAPD spokesman Officer Cleon Joseph said. There was no evidence that a crime had occurred there, police said.

OK, law enforcement. Time to get moving on this stuff.