Sanders opposing plans to finance Katrina relief with cuts

[Judi Lynn]

Sanders opposing plans to finance Katrina relief with cuts
September 22, 2005

MONTPELIER, Vt. --Vermont U.S. Rep. Bernard Sanders is opposing a Republican plan to fund Hurricane Katrina relief by cutting social programs.

Sanders, an independent, said the recovery efforts should be paid for by eliminating what he calls "giveaways" that "pad the profits of large corporations such as the pharmaceutical industry."

The Republican leadership in Congress is proposing cuts in health care, education, and economic development programs for other parts of the country.

"I agree with the President that we're going to have to spend billions to rebuild New Orleans, but I do not agree that that money should come from savage cuts in health care, education or economic development," Sanders said. "Instead, we should stand up to powerful special interests and eliminate hundreds of billions in corporate welfare."
(snip/...)

http://www.boston.com/news/local/vermont/articles/2005/09/22/sanders_opposing_plans_to_finance_katrina_relief_with_cuts/

[annabanana]

1. Glad to see people on the Hill say this...

I know that's the first thing most Americans say when faced with those draconian program cuts.

We need to get one of those sites up that will show relative dollar amounts, you know.. 1/2 hour in Iraq costs the same as 5 years of aid to the schools..

When people get an idea of what we're REALLY talking about, they know what to do.

[nookiemonster]

3. You bet!

It's gotta be made relative. Right now, it's just numbers to most.

:)

[Judi Lynn]

2. DEROY MURDOCK: GOP leaders don't even try to cut spending

DEROY MURDOCK: GOP leaders don't even try to cut spending

Scripps Howard News Service
Thursday, September 22nd, 2005 01:07 PM (PDT)

NEW YORK (SH) - In "Crash," Hollywood's finest movie so far this year, a prosperous black filmmaker tells a black gangbanger: "You embarrass me. You embarrass yourself."
As a Republican, I say to the even more rapacious GOP Congressional leadership: "You embarrass me. You embarrass yourselves."

Not long ago, the Republican Congress at least pretended to be serious about keeping federal spending plausibly sane. While they hurled massive expenditures in every direction, at least their rhetoric honored the grassroots-Republican expectation that they would respect taxpayers' money.

But, save for a band of fiscally responsible backbenchers (about whom more soon), profligate Congressional Republicans have surrendered on this front.
(snip)

"My answer to those who want to offset the spending is sure, bring the offsets," House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, told reporters Sept. 13. "But nobody has been able to come up with any yet." Asked if Washington operated at top efficiency, DeLay made free-market jaws drop when he said: "Yes, after 11 years of Republican majority, we've pared it down pretty good."
(snip/...)

http://www.thenewstribune.com/24hour/opinions/story/2744863p-11328652c.html