"Stalking the Poor to Soothe the Affluent"

[dajoki]

NYT
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/26/opinion/26wed3.html?th&emc=th

Stalking the Poor to Soothe the Affluent

Published: October 26, 2005
Impoverished Americans are being set up as targets this week in

Congress's desperate attempt to find budget cuts after four straight years of tax cuts for the affluent. House Republicans propose harmful cuts in Medicaid access and benefits, while forcing another 10 hours of work from welfare families and giving states free rein to pile more draconian reductions onto the most vulnerable citizens.

This gross political posturing does not even translate into true savings. While imperiously proclaiming cuts of $50 billion over five years, Congressional leaders are determined to fiddle more harmfully with the revenue half of the budget and to pass an additional $70 billion in upper-bracket tax cuts.

The proposals would have the federal government - supposedly the protector of the neediest - give the states broad leeway to restrict current benefits; to require co-payments by the poor for medicine and for care by doctors and emergency rooms; and to cut preventive care for children, who represent half of the Medicaid roll. The food stamp program would probably also be hit with a $1 billion cut, and even welfare payments to elderly people who are sick would be crimped by using federal bookkeeping tricks.

One particularly boneheaded proposal would severely cut the funds for child support enforcement by $4 billion. This program currently returns $4 in benefits from natural parents for every dollar invested.

[dajoki]

1. try again

:kick:

[ninkasi]

2. This is an outrage.

If we, as liberals, don't speak out against this sort of abuse, we may as well vote for the Republican candidates in all the next elections. As a society, we owe a debt to the weakest and most vulnerable among us. What has happened? Instead, we pamper the rich and pillage the poor.

Any American, of any political party, who consents and agrees to this agenda need not consider himself as a decent, caring member f society, as far as I'm concerned. I can see that there are very few responses here, but the subject is far too important to let it sink.

Are we no better than this?

[dajoki]

3. i think it is important...

that's why i posted it. we must do better to help our weakest citizens, if not what have we become?

[MountainLaurel]

8. You're right, Ninkasi

The Vichy Dems that support these measures should be run out of the Capitol.

[Marr]

4. What can you even say about this?

It's just obscene. The irrational greed we've all witnessed in the last few years is simply unbelieveable.

[dajoki]

5. i don't know what to say...

it's so disgusting, but pretty soon we'll all be in soup kitchens.

[ninkasi]

6. This is important...

:kick: :kick: :kick:

This is why we are Democrats, and oppose the conservative agenda. It's evil, pure and simple.

[Giant Robot]

7. And I think for the most part that the majority of our nation

would be on our side saying this is a disgrace, an outrage, and inhuman. But jeez we keep letting them do it year after year after year. This is not the first round of cuts to social services. This has been whittled away for many years now. And this gets media attention. But what happens to our outrage? Where does it go? Or maybe, what does our outrage get us? How do these people continue to get away with this every year? This is no longer a Republican or Democrat issue, I think. This is more about our basic right to live. What do we have to do to get this thru to these boneheads?

[dajoki]

9. all good questions...

but i see no way out of this mess if people continue to vote against their own best interests. we must clean house and even then how does our way of living get restored? the damage has been done, laws that were on the books since FDR are gone or going.