Saturday, February 02, 2008

Now is Not the Time.

With more homes going into foreclosures, with more people getting laid off and with soaring health care cost, now is not the time to cut these programs…

Bush's Budget Would Rival The Record Deficit of 2004


By Michael Abramowitz and Jonathan Weisman
Washington Post Staff Writers
Sunday, February 3, 2008; Page A06

President Bush will present a budget tomorrow that would slow the growth of Medicare and cut or eliminate an array of domestic programs but still anticipates a flood of new red ink that will rival the record deficits of his first term, administration officials said.
Bush's fiscal 2009 budget would increase defense spending by 5 percent and put a modest amount of new money into favored initiatives such as veterans affairs, education and homeland security.
But the president wants to dramatically slow the growth of big federal health programs, reduce anti-terrorism grants for states and cities, and cut spending on anti-poverty, housing and social service programs, according to budget documents and interviews with officials throughout the federal government.
And what about “No Child Left Behind”?
Even as he proposes restoring funding for the controversial Reading First program, Bush will take aim at a number of education initiatives, officials said. The early literacy program Even Start would be eliminated, as would grants to states for education technology, technology careers and incarcerated youth.
Who does our fearless leader blame? Congress of course (Which was Republican controlled up until a couple of years ago)…
White House officials and allies acknowledge the long-term problem but pin the blame on Congress for ignoring the president's calls to control the growth of Social Security and Medicare.
Yes, Congress is a part of the problem with all their special interest entitlement programs but President can veto their budget. But don’t you think that maybe his tax cuts for the rich and the war in Iraq might had something to do with the deficit…
Administration aides said Bush's final year budget documents will very much reflect the major priorities of his first seven years -- keeping his tax cuts in place and adding significant increases for defense and counterterrorism.

3 comments:

  1. One sure way to loose votes is to mess with Social Security and Medicare! Some of his other proposed cuts unfortunately may not loos the Republicans votes.

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  2. Great job of keeping an eye on the effects of the Bush Admin's political agenda. It is so incredibly self serving, and only special interest groups win on this program. When we talk about medicare and social security, I say spend a bit less on blowing up others countries and get going with a truly public health care system (as in free for all like in most of Europe) and a descent pension plan which treats rich and poor equally!!!

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  3. No child left behind is so flawed. I cannot even get started on it!

    The budget is a disaster, but I'm not surprised at this point.

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