Bush budget axe falls on...guess who? The poor...

[D_Raay]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,1407400,00.html

President Bush is proposing to reduce spending on public health and social welfare in the US to help pay for tax cuts and the war in Iraq, according to early reports of today's White House budget.

In an attempt to keep government spending under control at a time of record deficits, Mr Bush's proposals to Congress will include cuts in public housing subsidies, in health projects aimed at diseases related to poverty, and in food stamps, which help America's poorest buy groceries.

Mr Bush inherited a budget surplus from Bill Clinton but is now running deficits of over $400bn (£215bn) a year, partly as a result of an economic slump and the September 11 attacks. But the turnaround is also due to huge tax cuts which disproportionately benefit the wealthiest 1% of Americans, and the war in Iraq, for which the administration has asked for another $80bn this year.

Some state governments provide food stamps not only to families on welfare but also to those receiving job-related aid such as for childcare. The new budget would restrict that practice, the Los Angeles Times reported yesterday.

A programme that helps the poor pay heating bills is to be cut by more than 8%, while 18 housing and community programmes will be consolidated with total savings of about 40% - almost $3bn.

The administration has also said it will save $60bn over 10 years on the Medicaid programme, which provides health services to the poor. It argues that the savings will largely come from administrative costs, but there will be severe cuts in several health programmes.

------
Nice huh?

[Ali]

G7 Launches Bid to Wipe Out Poor Nations' Debt (http://www.reuters.ca/locales/c_newsArticle.jsp;:4206ac58:15ce333bdf9b51fe?type= businessNews&localeKey=en_CA&storyID=7550018)
LONDON (Reuters) - The Group of Seven wealthy nations on Saturday pledged to help rid the world's poorest countries of their crippling debt, launching a program that fell short of the immediate action demanded by Africa.

British Finance Minister Gordon Brown, hosting G7 talks in London this weekend, failed to secure U.S. backing for his proposals to stump up an extra $50 billion a year for poor countries and to completely write off their debts.

A compromise deal pledged only that the G7 would look at canceling up to 100 percent of the debts owed to international institutions by the poorest countries on an individual basis.

Brown, who has declared 2005 as a make or break year for Africa, still hailed the deal as a major breakthrough. "This will be seen as the 100 percent debt relief summit," he said.

Aid organizations also saw the agreement as an important first step, but they wanted to see words turn into action.

"It's better than expected, but short of what it could have been," said Romilly Greenhill of ActionAid International.

The case-by-case approach may also disappoint former South African leader Nelson Mandela who launched a direct, passionate appeal for immediate debt relief to the G7 before their talks.

Mandela called for comprehensive aid now -- "not just small amounts now and again, here and there." The 86-year-old political prisoner-turned democracy champion was blunt. "Do not delay while poor people continue to suffer."

Sub-Saharan Africa owes around $70 billion to multilateral lenders such as the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.

Brown said the public agencies had to come up with plans on how to deliver debt relief without cutting existing resources.

Under his original plans, rich countries would have provided guarantees to raise money in the capital markets to double aid now, and use gold reserves to fund a debt write-off.

The United States had said these proposals were unacceptable, but the G7 agreed to examine them further after a heated, sometimes angry debate at a dinner for the ministers on Friday.Typical... everybody agrees to one thing, except the US of fucking A (cf Kyoto, UN resolutions, etc.)

Sub-Saharan Africa owes around $70 billion and the US owes how many trillions (http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/01/26/budget.deficits.ap/)??? I don't think the US should even BE in the G7, much less be calling the fucking shots. What Sub-Saharan Africa owes is 10 billion LESS than what the US is about to spend on the war in Iraq! Speaking of which, there sure wasn't any discussion when Iraq's Debt was written off!!! (http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1284607/posts) This makes me so unbelievably fucking cross I can hardly type.

Does anybody in the US govt realise that debt-ridden governments are far more likely to be corrupt and therefore bribable by terrorist organisations who want to use them for training camps and maybe buy Uranium from them? Of course not. There's no war on Thrid-World poverty, who gives a shit about a bunch of starving niggers in a country we've never heard of and will never visit, much less care about? We have a lifestyle to maintain over here and nobody's going to tell US who we can't squeeze for money! Of course, we'll throw a few (tax free) scraps to the poor things, makes us look good! And we're making so much from the interest on third world debt that it doesn't really matter, does it?

But why's our deficit still so high? No matter how much we fleece the Third World, we never seem to have enough!

[Qdrop]

from air america...

Bush Budget Targets Poor and Vulnerable:

"Today President Bush sends a budget to Congress that, despite record spending of about $2.5 trillion, "calls for billions of dollars in cuts that will touch people on food stamps and farmers on price supports, children under Medicaid and adults in public housing."

About one third of the of the programs being targeted for elimination are in the Education Department, "including federal grant programs for local schools in such areas as vocational education, supporting drug-free schools and Even Start, a $225 million literacy program." Spending on the military, the biggest part of discretionary spending, is on target to rise by 4.8 percent in 2006 to $419.3 billion.

The Bush administration continues its campaign against the Social Security system on Sunday television talk shows. Appearing on Fox News, Vice President Dick Cheney asserted, "If we do nothing, then the system's going to go belly up. It's going to go broke." On NBC's Meet The Press Senator Edward Kennedy put the "crisis" in Social Security in context. Referring to Bush's tax cuts for super rich, Kennedy noted, "You can roll back just one-third of it and solve the Social Security problem."

Writing in the American Prospect, Roger Hickey says the campaign against Social Security privatization is "a rare opportunity to stop the newly re-elected president dead in his tracks, to demonstrate the bankruptcy of his extreme conservative agenda, and to point to a new politics of "shared security" around which we can build a new majority for change. Winning won't be easy, but a powerful combination of progressive forces -- national organizations, political funders and philanthropists, policy experts, and grass-roots and online networks (including veterans of the 2004 elections) -- are coming together."

[Whois]

And a one...two...three:

Efficiency and progress is ours once more
Now that we have the Neutron bomb
It's nice and quick and clean and gets things done
Away with excess enemy
But no less value to property
No sense in war but perfect sense at home…

The sun beams down on a brand new day
No more welfare tax to pay
Unsightly slums gone up in flashing light
Jobless millions whisked away
At last we have more room to play
All systems go to kill the poor tonight

Gonna
Kill kill kill kill Kill the poor…Tonight

Behold the sparkle of champagne
The crime rate's gone
Feel free again
O' life's a dream with you, Miss Lily White
Jane Fonda on the screen today
Convinced the liberals it's okay
So let's get dressed and dance away the night

While they…
Kill kill kill kill Kill the poor…Tonight

:D (y)

[SobaViolence]

i don't know what to say. either the US is the most depressingly ironic country of all time, or it's full of idiots.

i just don't get it. HE'S DESTROYING YOUR NATION AND OUR WORLD! fuck...

[checkyourprez]

i don't know what to say. either the US is the most depressingly ironic country of all time, or it's full of idiots.

i just don't get it. HE'S DESTROYING YOUR NATION AND OUR WORLD! fuck...


its just got too many rich people. rich people like their money, and would rather not let others have it. its like a club, they all stick together and do what they have to to keep the club up and running.

hard to do shit if you dont got loot, until it gets real bad, then comes the revolution. i wonder how far we are from it...

[valvano]

yeah your right, why should people who work hard and earn money get to keep it............

:rolleyes:

[DroppinScience]

yeah your right, why should people who work hard and earn money get to keep it............

:rolleyes:

Well that certainly isn't happening to the working-class....

The fat cats don't lift a finger and make a killing. :(

[Qdrop]

The fat cats don't lift a finger and make a killing. :(

that is rather dismissive of the role that CEO's play in the world and national economy....

while it is in vogue to picture all CEO's as sinister old white men, twirling thier handle bar mustaches while they laugh as they terminate a thousand jobs for outsourcing...
this is not the average MO and bio of them all.

this nation's economy is built and runs on the decisions of these men.

with proper gov't restrictions and control....they are necessary for this economy.

[DroppinScience]

that is rather dismissive of the role that CEO's play in the world and national economy....

while it is in vogue to picture all CEO's as sinister old white men, twirling thier handle bar mustaches while they laugh as they terminate a thousand jobs for outsourcing...
this is not the average MO and bio of them all.

this nation's economy is built and runs on the decisions of these men.

with proper gov't restrictions and control....they are necessary for this economy.

Yeah, I exaggerated. But the actions of Enron and WorldCom is reason enough that these fuckers need to be on a tight leash. :mad:

[Qdrop]

Yeah, I exaggerated. But the actions of Enron and WorldCom is reason enough that these fuckers need to be on a tight leash. :mad:

a leash, yes.

it's finding balance....
too tight and these companies (and their lower middle class employees) could suffer...and our economy suffers.

too loose and we have Enron and Worldcom, ect.

[valvano]

they are already on a tight leash, the other end is controlled by shareholders and their respective board of directors, along with numerous regulatory controls (both state and federal)

all these folks crying about budget cuts are like baby pigs being pulled from the mama pigs tit....the gravy train needs to end on a lot of govt programs

[Qdrop]

they are already on a tight leash, the other end is controlled by shareholders and their respective board of directors

who care only of the bottom line...ie-profit.
a dangerously removed method of thinking when human beings and lively hoods are involved.


all these folks crying about budget cuts are like baby pigs being pulled from the mama pigs tit....the gravy train needs to end on a lot of govt programs
too vague....explain.

[ASsman]

Hahaha, atleast the poor will stay ignorant in their poorly funded public schools. So when voting comes along, they know who fucked them over.

[Funkaloyd]

too vague....explain.

He means everything except the war department.

[ASsman]

Wait I thought tax cuts were good.

HAHAHAHA.

[checkyourprez]

Hahaha, atleast the poor will stay ignorant in their poorly funded public schools. So when voting comes along, they know who fucked them over.


youd think that, but then you look at all those dumb hick states and they still go bush...(based on the IQ's of all states going to bush, compaired to kerry in the last election)

[ASsman]

That was obviously sarcasm. The statement contradicted itself...

Get on the BALL!

[checkyourprez]

That was obviously sarcasm. The statement contradicted itself...

Get on the BALL!


i do yoga daily.

[Ace42]

this nation's economy is built and runs on the decisions of these men.

No, only 40% of your nation's economy does, tops. The other 60% is pure debt.

[valvano]

youd think that, but then you look at all those dumb hick states and they still go bush...(based on the IQ's of all states going to bush, compaired to kerry in the last election)

and most of those public school teachers belong to teachers union, who basically pimp themselves to the DNC.....

[valvano]

What about tax cuts our country can't afford?

so how much of your take home pay do you forward to the us treasury since you feel the govt knows better how to spend the money you earn than you do???



of course, if you are an un-employed slacker then this question doesnt apply to you??

[valvano]

Wait I thought tax cuts were good.

HAHAHAHA.

every single penny not in the hands of the govt is good

(y)

[valvano]

Hahaha, atleast the poor will stay ignorant in their poorly funded public schools. So when voting comes along, they know who fucked them over.

last time i checked, we continue to spend more and more on public education. how much does washington dc spend per kid, like $10K or so?

guess what......more educational spending does not equal better results.....



:eek:

[valvano]

who care only of the bottom line...ie-profit.
a dangerously removed method of thinking when human beings and lively hoods are involved.


corporations are formed for the purpose of stockholder return and shareholder value. if it werent FOR a profitable bottom line, businesses wouldnt be able to do many other functions such as charitable giving, etc.

would you invest your capital in a business in which profitability was not a main component of its business plan??



:confused:

[Ace42]

if it werent FOR a profitable bottom line, businesses wouldnt be able to do many other functions such as charitable giving, etc.

That's a red herring. Many companies have charity schemes to showcase theur supposed "corporate responsibility" - in all of these cases (without exception) they only do this to legitimise their grossly disproportional socially unsound policies.

If companies were not accrewing and centralising wealth (which only the smallest amounts will be used for socially beneficial purposes) then that money would be free to use for *truly* charitable purposes. Not some farcical show designed to sucker the gullible and give the unforgiving capitalists excuses not to hate themselves and what they stand for.

Greed.

would you invest your capital in a business in which profitability was not a main component of its business plan??


Depends on the business. Supporting a charity (which is essentially non-profit) - EG OXFAM, is doing just that. And you expect no return on your investment.

[ASsman]

last time i checked, we continue to spend more and more on public education. how much does washington dc spend per kid, like $10K or so?
Wait, who did DC vote for again...

Also, public education isn't the only to blame.

[checkyourprez]

last time i checked, we continue to spend more and more on public education. how much does washington dc spend per kid, like $10K or so?

guess what......more educational spending does not equal better results.....



:eek:


it would if it was applied right.

[ASsman]

guess what......more educational spending does not equal better results.....
So less must mean BETTER!!
YEYEY!!
#!
!#$

[FunkyHiFi]

and most of those public school teachers belong to teachers union, who basically pimp themselves to the DNC.....
If they DIDN'T belong to a union, teachers would be getting screwed even worse then they are now.

And since so many parents don't feel they are obligated to raise their own kids, guess who gets to actually raise them? If anyone thinks teaching is just standing up in a room & mouthing facts all day they are completely fucking clueless.

And that horrible No Child Left Behind Act that's supposed to help schools and their students? Oh my God, what disgusting hypocrisy. Last time I checked this huge and destructive program announced with such fanfare was still massively underfunded, last year by almost nine BILLION (yes with a "B") dollars. How sneaky--"Look at us everybody, we value education sooooo much. But we're gonna hold back on actually fully paying for it." I feel so sorry for the kids in school right now that have to deal with all those tests....AND they have to also study for the material that truly teaches them about the world. Many kids are under enough stress as it is these days without this crap.


so how much of your take home pay do you forward to the us treasury since you feel the govt knows better how to spend the money you earn than you do???
Sorry, IMO this is propaganda designed for memorable soundbites on CNN.


corporations are formed for the purpose of stockholder return and shareholder value.
A business is formed to make the owners a profit--when they go public it is simply to gain more capital to grow the business. Because I have NEVER heard a person who starts his own business state that he looks forward to the day he can share that profit with faceless thousands or have his job threatened by these same people since their returns were too small after he gave his employees a cost of living raise.

Kissing the ass of stockholders is what is ruining many business' formerly good products--everything possible is done to please these people (who I'm sure could care less what the product actually is)........the product is a distant second. Don't believe me? Turn on your radio & try to find a good rock station or one without commerical after commercial after commercial. Go to the music store and check out all the rows and rows of cookie-cutter and mechanical "musicians" literally created from nothing by their music label.

I think capitalism can be good as long as it's practiced in moderation and also tempered with the SOCIETY'S needs in mind.

[ASsman]

Wait, wait, wait.

Guess who I am.

Hahaha, the poor? Pff, they are poor because they choose to be. Capitalism spreads love and candy flavored flowers, the poor have only themselves to blame.

[checkyourprez]

Don't believe me? Turn on your radio & try to find a good rock station or one without commerical after commercial after commercial. Go to the music store and check out all the rows and rows of cookie-cutter and mechanical "musicians" literally created from nothing by their music label.

I think capitalism can be good as long as it's practiced in moderation and also tempered with the SOCIETY'S needs in mind.



95.1 the fox in rochester ny. no talk shit, good ass music, short commerical breaks. buuuuut other than that id have to say everything else is horrid.


but i def get what ur saying

[valvano]

get xm......best birthday present ever

(y) :)

[Ali]

they are already on a tight leash, the other end is controlled by shareholders and their respective board of directors, along with numerous regulatory controls (both state and federal)One word

ENRON

Edit (to prevent flak for multiple posts):


Originally Posted by Qdrop
who care only of the bottom line...ie-profit.
a dangerously removed method of thinking when human beings and lively hoods are involved.lively hood. Hahahahahahaha! WTF is a lively hood? Some huge guy in a dark alley laughing his head off? That's a crack addict, my friend and I suggest you leg it before he sees you.


corporations are formed for the purpose of stockholder return and shareholder value. So, you are saying that the US steel industry (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/1856760.stm) is more profitable than the would-be competitors who are blocked by Bush's ban on imported steel? This is not the only industry benefitting from government intervention and not just in the US. All over the world otherwise unprofitable, uncompetetive companies are bouyed by government assistance and don't even start me on the effects of in-trading between subsiduaries of mulitinational conglomerates, antitrust activities (MS, anyone?) and plenty of other low down and dirty corporate activity. Shell (http://www.energybulletin.net/2893.html) have just been caught overstating their reserves for the second time running!!! Do you know what that is? It's called LYING TO SHAREHOLDERS!

You may have been taught that the capitalist system is all about share price indices and "profitable bottom line", but when you actually get some experience in the big, bad world of corporate finance, you'll realise that it's all about a few fat, greedy cunts on the boards of a few mega-multinationals who make sure that they get the biggest slice of the pie and fuck the rest, including the shareholders, not just the employees. Remember that usually they get paid in stock options and a few of them together hold enough stock to control what a sector of the market does. Ask any stockbroker about how they look for signs that the market's going to turn and they'll tell you that when a director starts dumping stock, you had better dump yours ASAP!

if it werent FOR a profitable bottom line, businesses wouldnt be able to do many other functions such as charitable giving, etc.If it weren't for tax breaks, they wouldn't part with a fucking cent.

would you invest your capital in a business in which profitability was not a main component of its business planWould you invest your capital in a scheme where people were buying stock with money from stock that they had not sold yet? I for one keep well and truly away from companies whose only apparant motivation is profit. Their greed eventually undermines them and you get taken out with them. Invest in property, at least you can see and touch your investment and have some control over it, rather than entrusting it to some hyped-up, fast talking stockbroker.

[Señor Stino]

last time i checked, we continue to spend more and more on public education.


? your president is cutting back on Education,

[D_Raay]

http://www.newshounds.us/2005/02/07/hannity_cant_defend_budget_cuts.php

Hannity Can't Defend Budget Cuts

It sure was a sight tonight watching Dick Morris and Hannity try to make the Bush cuts to 150 social programs sound perfectly sensible and admirable. Dick Morris even tried to make the Bush deficit look like no big deal compared to Bill Clinton's. However, they both know that the only way to handle the ugly truth is to ignore it by changing the subject.

Here's the Associated Press report report about the Bush cuts planned for 2006

Forty-eight education programs would be eliminated, including one for ridding drugs from schools. In all, more than 150 government-wide programs would be eliminated or slashed deeply, including Amtrak subsidies, oil and gas research, and grants to communities hiring police officers.


Bush would slow the growth of benefit programs by $137 billion over the next decade, nearly quadruple the savings he proposed a year ago with little success. Chief among the targets would be Medicaid, the federal-state health insurance program for the poor and disabled, but farmers' payments, student loans and veterans medical services were also on the chopping block.

When Colmes asked Morris what would happen to the veterans or farmers hurt by these cuts, Morris had a very difficult time answering the question directly.Morris claimed that Bush "did the important thing" when he increased death benefits for Veterans adding that if he needs to "ratchet back other (vet benefits), it's going to make some sense." Morris didn't even mention the farmers because he knew he was in trouble at this point so he started the favorite whine, " We're at war. Any one who complains..we're at war."

Morris also tried to spin the deficit size claimimg that 400 billion in an 11 trillion dollar economy is not big deal adding that Bill Clinton was worried about a 400 billion deficit because his economy was only 7 trillion. Colmes confronted Morris about the the budget inaccuracy because the military funds needed for Iraq and Afganistan were not included. Morris slipped by that one.

When Hannity was up it quickly became obvious that he was going to avoid the facts instead making Bush the Persecuted President
"Nothing George Bush can do is right in Ted Kennedy's world."
Then out came the old standby quotes showing various Democrats talking about SS reform implying that they want reform but would rather hate Bush.

Then Hannity quickly changed the subject to Hillary Clinton and the gossip slams started suggesting that she is faking her positions to get elected and wondering if she can fake well enough to get elected. Colmes got the last word with "She might even be sincere?" in an annoyed tone.

comment:Bush claims that the programs cut just aren't working well enough to fund. That didn't stop him from increasing Abstinance Education which has been proven ineffective increasing sex in teenagers. Also how can you say that the student loan programs or increased police on our streets aren't working. What about the Medicaid cuts and the housing help for the disabled. How will that impact the kids I teach, when they grow up and try for an independant life in a group home. How will the Special Ed cuts which he made impact my school, my students or my job security.Don't forget that forgotten problem, our environment. How much worse will it get with the new cuts.

The most horrendous move is a cut in Veteran Services. Our returning troops deserve a blank check to get on their feet and more and better services should be created for our military.It's great that death benefits were increased but how about the living vets who deserve the best.

I'm sorry, this budget is revolting and Hannity and Morris are morally bankrupt media puppets.
-----
Go ahead fence sitters or right wing hoople heads, defend this budget. I need a good laugh.

[Qdrop]

D...you hate our freedo-

oh hell, this budget is fuckin insanity.
THE most partisan budget i have seen in my short life.

basically, "we need money to blow shit up.....the rest of you are on your own."

fiscally, i am rather conservative and appreciate personal responsibility of the public whenever possible, over gov't handouts...
but some of these cuts (medicare/health) are just cruel.

education gets shit....
a reduction in police forces.....

why bother defending our interests overseas if our domestic life goes to shit.

[D_Raay]

but some of these cuts (medicare/health) are just cruel.

You said it brother.... This one particularly infruriates me. This is an essential program. Moreso than any fucking war with no logical means to an end...

[checkyourprez]

http://www.newshounds.us/2005/02/07/hannity_cant_defend_budget_cuts.php


That didn't stop him from increasing Abstinance Education which has been proven ineffective increasing sex in teenagers. Also how can you say that the student loan programs or increased police on our streets aren't working. What about the Medicaid cuts and the housing help for the disabled. .


there is 12 dollars spent on sex ed compaired to 1 dollar on abstinance training in this country. im not really convinced on what is working, but there is a crazy amount of std's out there, literally new ones are appearing that never exsisted before. and condoms and shit dont stop all of em.

idk its kinda like we could stop shit completly with abstence or say have fun try and be safe but theres still a chance that your gonna get some nasty disease even if you are safe. just gotta take your chances i guess. (which i do im not saying im against having sex and shit it thats for sure, but something def has to be done)

[Ace42]

why bother defending our interests overseas if our domestic life goes to shit.

You've got to support our boys in Eurasia.