Originally Posted By skinnerbox Even if you're not a fan of this particular organization, I urge you to read the list of ten budget cuts the Republican House members are proposing in their bill. At the end of the list are links to articles backing up the facts and reasons why these cuts will be devastating to the poor and middle class should they become reality. <a href="http://pol.moveon.org/soundthealarm/?id=26413-3208097-d0pUj4x&t=3" target="_blank">http://pol.moveon.org/soundthe...Uj4x&t=3</a> The Republican budget would: 1. Destroy 700,000 jobs, according to an independent economic analysis. 2. Zero out federal funding for National Public Radio and public television. 3. Cut $1.3 billion from community health centers--which will deprive more than three million low-income people of health care over the next few months. 4. Cut nearly a billion dollars in food and health care assistance to pregnant women, new moms, and children. 5. Kick more than 200,000 children out of pre-school by cutting funds for Head Start. 6. Force states to fire 65,000 teachers and aides, dramatically increasing class sizes, thanks to education cuts. 7. Cut some or all financial aid for 9.4 million low- and middle-income college students. 8. Slash $1.6 billion from the National Institutes of Health, a cut that experts say would "send shockwaves" through cancer research, likely result in cuts to Alzheimer's and Parkinson's research, and cause job losses. 9. End the only federal family planning program, including cutting all federal funding that goes to Planned Parenthood to support cancer screenings and other women's health care. 10. Send 10,000 low-income veterans into homelessness by cutting in half the number of veterans who get housing vouchers this year. This is a deliberate attack on the poor, on women and children, on veterans, and on the working class. How is this supposed to create jobs? These cuts will actually increase unemployment and push middle class citizens even closer to poverty status. That is NOT what the majority of Americans voted for back in November. The Republicans have sold out their constituents and lied about their "Jobs are Number One!" agenda in order to get elected. This is the middle class wake-up call. Ignore it at your own expense.
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan >>That is NOT what the majority of Americans voted for back in November. << But this is what happens when a huge number of Americans can't be bothered to vote in a midterm election.
Originally Posted By skinnerbox I know, 2oony. I hope what's happening in Wisconsin is THEIR wake-up call.
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan The GOP has done a great job the last two years at muddying the waters, and to a great extent controlling the narrative of political events. Thus far, Democrats seem stuck being (or seeming) merely reactive. And at the times they're not, the GOP has rather successfully painted it as government overreach. I mean, they've got a sizeable number of folks whipped into a frenzy because Michelle Obama says kids should eat some veggies and exercise once in awhile. If only the GOP would use their magical powers for good.
Originally Posted By fkurucz >>This is a deliberate attack on the poor, on women and children, on veterans, and on the working class.<< In other words, standard mode of operation for GOP. I remember about 10 years ago when I began to rethink my ties to the GOP. What pushed me over the edge was the mass offshoring of jobs and influx of H1-Bs, which caused wages in my profession to stagnate and even fall. On a fatefull day I told my wife "I feel like the gov't has declared war on our family." Why? Because it seemed that every policy under the Bush administration caused us economic harm. What good is a small tax break if your job is offshored and the replacement job pays 25% less? When I learned the companies get tax breaks for offshoating jobs I was livid, and it didn't surprise me one bit that the GOP defended that tax break tooth and nail last year. My only regret is that it took me so long to wise up to the truth: The GOP is the middle class's worst enemy.
Originally Posted By gurgitoy2 I'm not liking this at all. Some of this will affect me, especially getting financial aid. If they cut it, it's going to make it extremely difficult for me to pay for school...
Originally Posted By barboy2 If that list is accurate I applaud cutting everything on it except for 8 and 10. But more importantly how about cutting 85% of the military and 50% of the Justice and Treasury personnel too and channel that 'saved' money to clean up our parks and water. Come to think about it "Homeland Security" is looking a bit fat these days---- let's trim some of that as well.
Originally Posted By barboy2 ///I'm not liking this at all. Some of this will affect me, especially getting financial aid. If they cut it, it's going to make it extremely difficult for me to pay for school.../// If you have a car and are a good standing driver then do what I did to pay for school: deliver pizza...... I delivered for 3 years. Or if you have a nice face and figure I can only assume that joints like Hooters would be great places for tip money. Get resourceful and make it happen like I did instead of asking for public handouts. But if you're poor and in a wheelchair, missing a limb or two or are elderly then you might as well ask. I used to be poor but I never had the audacity to ask the gov't for money. Come to think about it I never asked the public sector for help except to consider my petition for permanent residency for my wife(which I paid a nice fee), ask a court to terminate a conservatorship and sue a home lender for unfair business practice.
Originally Posted By Mr X ***If that list is accurate I applaud cutting everything on it except for 8 and 10*** What a bizarre caveat. Either you applaud it all, or you don't. You applaud the closing of hospitals in poor areas, and yet do not approve of ending research into curing diseases which, even if cured, only the wealthy would benefit from in today's American society. How do you twist that into a moral position? Or do you simply support "wealthy only" government programs over those of poor and dying babies. And in your thunderous applause towards giving the shaft to the destitute, why do Veterans and only veterans get a pass from you? All the poor and destitute former civil servants, the former cops and the firefighters, not to mention the babies who will be future soldiers, they can all rot for all you care, but don't you dare mess with the Veterans? Is that your angle? Why?
Originally Posted By barboy2 ///When I learned the companies get tax breaks for offshoating jobs I was livid, and it didn't surprise me one bit that the GOP defended that tax break tooth and nail last year./// But the problem is that both major parties have encouraged offshoring. Head political icons like Slick Willy/Gore & Shrub/Cheney are equally guilty. And Obama is too spineless to upset the applecart. He prefers to not make waves and serve as a "caretaker" of the office......'business as usual' should have been his campaign slogan. What doesn't help is that the only well known voices who have been vocal about the devastating practice are viewed as political "freaks" who hang on the fringe like Pat Bucannon or Perot. Until relevant and powerful leaders like Pelosi and Boehner take a stand the practice will continue irrespective of which party has controlling interest.
Originally Posted By Princessjenn5795 I don't want the government to tell companies they can't offshore jobs but I do want them to take away every cent in tax breaks to those companies that choose to do so. It is incredibly hypocritical for Republicans to go on and on about creating jobs and reducing the deficit while still giving companies incentive, through tax breaks, to send jobs overseas.
Originally Posted By barboy2 ///Is that your angle?/// My 'angle' is obvious. But I'll say it again: if one is poor he should get resourseful, like I did, and not expect public handouts unless one is poor and elderly and/or incapacitated. (But if one's incapacitation was due to hitting a tree or another motorist while drunk or hurting another without justifcation then all bets are off)
Originally Posted By Dabob2 "Until relevant and powerful leaders like Pelosi and Boehner take a stand the practice will continue irrespective of which party has controlling interest." You might want to think again, barboy. The Pelosi house passed a bill that included ending tax incentives for offshoring. Like many bills passed by the Pelosi House, it was filibustered and killed by the GOP in the Senate.
Originally Posted By Mr X ***My 'angle' is obvious. But I'll say it again: if one is poor he should get resourseful, like I did, and not expect public handouts unless one is poor and elderly and/or incapacitated*** That is plainly simplistic, and again why do you support vets only and research for the rich but nothing else? I don't understand the logic in supporting research but "applauding" the closing of hospitals. How does that even make sense. And why don't you think of some other scenarios. For example, someone who trains hard in a particular area of expertise only to find they get replaced by offshoring or being made otherwise late in their careers (but far from retirement). You think it would be easy for such a person to just start all over in their 40's or 50's? And even if they do, do you think anyone will hire them at such an advanced age? What about an unskilled mother of three who's hardworking husband suddenly dies. How is she supposed to cope with raising a family and working a full time job without some sort of societal assistance? What did THEY do wrong, anyway, that you would applaud the demise of their support systems?
Originally Posted By barboy2 ///You might want to think again, barboy. The Pelosi house passed a bill that included ending tax incentives for offshoring./// No, I don't need to rethink. That body didn't pass any bill calling for economic treason for corporate offshoring thus, it never got serious with fixing the issue.
Originally Posted By Longhorn12 So instead of trying to fix the issue you want us to just tear down everything and start over?
Originally Posted By Mr X I think the government could do plenty if they were of a mind to. For example, if you want to remain headquartered in American as an "American" company, your workforce has to be a certain percentage American based (say 51%, for example). If you don't like it, fine. Feel free to relocate. But you'll have to pay through the nose to do it (just like they continue to tax Americans living abroad and even for 10 years more when they become citizens of another country!). And foreign companies get no breaks. American companies get huge breaks. Carrot and stick, in other words. It can be done. But not so long as the multi-national conglomerates control Washington as they do now.
Originally Posted By Dabob2 "No, I don't need to rethink. That body didn't pass any bill calling for economic treason for corporate offshoring thus, it never got serious with fixing the issue." Weak. You said there was no difference between the parties on this, and you're wrong.
Originally Posted By mawnck I'm actually with barboy on this. Our government is living WAY beyond its means and it's ludicrous to think that fixing it won't require some SERIOUS pain. BUT FIRST, restore the 95% tax bracket, drastically cut military spending, drastically cut back on Social Security and Medicare benefits (starting with the financially well-off), and while you're at it, put a few thousand Wall Street banksters in prison where they belong. THEN we'll see if cutting those programs is really necessary. Class warfare? Dang straight. They started it.
