"Hurricane relief" being used as excuse for Republican cuts for poor folks

[kentuck]

Mike Pence, Repubican from Indiana, was on C-SPAN this morning discussing the "Biblical" disaster on the Gulf coast and the need to cut programs, mostly for the poor and elderly, to pay for the cost of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. So far, they have agreed to less than $100 billion for the rebuilding. Perhaps it will take more? It probably will.

However, Democrats should point out that these same Republicans felt no need to cut programs when they were passing emergency spending for Iraq at $87 billion per shot. And they felt no need to cut programs when they were running up debt of $3 trillion dollars in 5 short years. That's 30 times as much as has been passed for the Gulf Coast? So why, all of a sudden is it an "emergency"? Why was it not an emergency when they had spent $3 trillion dollars more than they had, but when the people of this country need a $100 billion, then there has to be programs cut? Why not just put it on the card like they did the other $3 trillion?

The reason is that they are using the hurricane as an excuse to justify cutting the federal budget - but mostly on the backs of the poor, the retired, the farmers, and the elderly. God forbid that anyone mention repeal of the taxcut for the wealthy. Never let those words slip over your lips. Cut the food to hungry children but never ask the wealthy to pick up their share. That would not be Republican.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

1. Right. And Bush is dragging his feet on hurricane relief.

Of course, if Florida gets hit by Wilma, they will jump to the front of the line.