Politics

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More on Those Budget Cuts

While we have been distracted on the leak investigation Congress has been working assiduously to cut Federal spending. The rationale, of course, is that with a very large and intractable deficit, we have to exert discipline or ‘make painful decisions’ in order to correct the problem. As I have said before this is a sham. The problem lies not in the amount spent, except in the pork barrel transportation bill and its infamous ‘bridge to nowhere’, but rather in the amount collected. Federal revenues as a percentage of total GDP [Gross Domestic Product, which is the measure of the size of economy] are at a post World War II low. Spending is not at a historic high, but has risen sharply since Bush took office. For those who like their numbers: revenues in 2005 are at 16.82% of GDP, down from 20.86% in 2000; while spending has risen from 16.13% to 18.62% over the same period. When you include the impact of interest on the national debt, which has actually shrunk as a percentage of the economy because of the low interest rates recently, the budget has gone from a surplus to a deficit in just a few years. The main reasons are the Bush tax cuts which account for about half the decline, and rising defense spending which accounts for a further third. Domestic spending programs account for only a sixth of the shift to deficit, yet they occupy the entire focus of the Republican budget planners. Programs such as special education, the environment, children and families programs, housing vouchers for the poor, and vocational education are all to be cut. Particularly galling is the planned cut in home energy assistance for the poor which is being slashed by 12.7% right as energy prices are rising sharply. There could not be a clearer statement about Republican Party priorities than a cut in energy assistance as heating costs rise dramatically! All this cutting hits the poor and working class, so they are being asked to bear the burden of the tax cuts the wealthy received over the last few years. Oh … and did I mention that as these cuts a being made to help ‘improve’ the budget, the exact same Finance committees are contemplating the continuance of some $70 billion of tax cuts that were due to lapse? Yes that’s right. Those cuts in heating for the poor will be swallowed by tax cuts for the rich. That’s getting your priorites right!

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Budget Cuts: More Pain for the Poor

Don’t look now but the Republicans are planning to cut Federal spending. Under pressure from the so-called fiscal conservatives who are aghast at the bloated budgets that George Bush has signed off on, [and that the Republican Congress had sent up for signature], the House has found plenty of programs to cut. Not that the wealthy need worry: these cuts will fall squarely on middle and lower wage earners. Things like food stamps, student loans, Medicaid and so on are targeted for about $50 billion in cuts. Why the sudden fiscal tightening? Well the reason that the Republicans want you to believe is that the country needs to tighten its belt as a result of the costs of the recent storms. The real reason? Twofold: the ongoing cost of the war in Iraq [which does not actually appear on the budget because the Administration classified it as a ‘special expense’] and the continuation of about $70 billion in tax cuts. Yes you read that correctly: even as they tell us to suck it up and take these cuts, they turn around in a different room [literally] and vote to continue a variety of tax cuts for the wealthy. Wake up everyone, this is a king sized scam. After the dose of supposed belt tightening being foisted on the poor the Federal budget will be even worse off because the tax cuts are bigger than the spending cuts! I guess they thought we wouldn’t notice … well we did!

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Bye Bye Harriet

So long Harriet we won’t miss you. Miers withdrawal is a stunning indictment of George Bush’s lack of judgement. He couldn’t push through his less-than-competent crony choice, even past his own party. The right wing extremists who currently pull the strings in the Republican party, and have moved as far from the mainstream as they can, beat George to a pulp on this one. He deserved it. Had Miers been even vaguely qualified, intead of being jsut one more Texas buddy, Bush would surely have found someone to support her. Instead even uber Bush fans such as the hard right James Dobson, who as you may recall endorsed Miers initially at Rove’s urging, has come down as being opposed. Presumably his ‘flock’ weighs more on his mind than loyalty to the sinking White House. Looks like the rats are jumping! By the way: Dobson runs a church despite not being ordained, his claim to fame, or to infamy, is his best selling book advocating spanking as a form of child discipline, and prior to this he was a Bush man all the way. Now what does George do? Nominate a religious freak and openly break with his ‘no litmus test’ policy? Or throw in the towel and remember that most of America is not a bunch of evangelical extremists and sits squarely in the middle? Maybe it’s time for him to forget his ‘base’ and stand up for the whole country. Nah! Won’t happen! Look for a fanatic.

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Cheney and Torture

Even now, with his office embattled and exposed as the source of the deception that led us into war, Dick Cheney continues to press for the right to allow the CIA and U.S. surrogates to use torture as a means of interrogation. The irony is that the legislation he is trying to amend is being presented by John McCain who was a victim of torture during his imprisonment by the North Vietnamese. Now let me get this straight: who has the moral values here? A war hero, ex-torture victim, or a deceptive war-monger who avoided serving during the Vietnam war because [in his own words] ‘he was too busy’ building his political career? What kind of country has the U.S become that its leadership is so twisted? Cheny and his cohorts are throwbacks to the nasty era of Cold War conflict. They should leave now while something can be salvaged from the mess they made.

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Non-Health Care

I have arrived at the conclusion that the only way to get people to discuss the utter dysfunctionality of American health care is to avoid calling it a system. It isn’t. It is a shambles. In case you missed it, health care is now the hottest topic in corporate board rooms. American companies are being crippled by rising health care costs and are having to cut programs and benefits as a result. The cuts are presented as ‘choice’, as in ‘we are giving our employees more choice’. The point is that staying healthy is not a choice, but an imperative. The decision to hire a doctor or visit the hospital is often made under pressure and with limited opportunity to exercise considered choice. The notion that health care is a product that people can comparison shop for is fatuous nonsense. The people who peddle choice in health care are the free market types who cannot abide the idea that government has a role to play in anything: I have the image of economist professors deciding whether to get a broken leg fixed or to spend that same money on something else. After all they argue that health care is a choice like all other economic decisions. Rubbish. Still, those of us who advocate a role for government now have an important ally in big buiness. Savvy business types are now realizing that government should get involved because corporations cannot be both businesses and health care providers. It’s not what they are supposed to do, and they can no longer afford it. As business squeezes it employees [can we all say Wal Mart?], political pressure will build. Then after we have fixed it we can dignify the mess we have by calling it a system. Just don’t call it that now.

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