Details of the compromise from Crooks and Liars

[MiniMe]

http://crooksandliars.com/silentpatriot/action-alert-bipartisan-cuts-stimulu

According to Greg Sergeant, Senators Ben Nelson and Susan Collins are conspiring to cut a whole lot of important stuff out of the stimulus bill, all in the name of "bipartisanship" and pleasing minority Republicans.

I’ve just obtained an internal Senate committee memo detailing the latest cuts being eyed by the gang of Senators being led by Dem Ben Nelson and GOPer Susan Collins. Here is what’s being eyed in the bill right now:

Total Reductions: $80 billion

Eliminations:

Head Start, Education for the Disadvantaged, School improvement, Child Nutrition, Firefighters, Transportation Security Administration, Coast Guard, Prisons, COPS Hiring, Violence Against Women, NASA, NSF, Western Area Power Administration, CDC, Food Stamps

Reductions:

Public Transit $3.4 billion, School Construction $60 billion



I fully understand the need to compromise on certain aspects of the stimulus -- it's a HUGE bill and, as much as we hate to admit it, 46% of the country voted for the other guy. But this attempt at bipartisanship just plain stinks. The media has done a hell of a job distorting the debate, claiming that things like food stamps and unemployment benefits have nothing to do with stimulating the economy, but the facts show they're wrong.

[bdamomma]

1. .........

all important issues, this Congress has to hear from us, let us not let this one go, we have been played enough.

[liberalmuse]

2. Kill me now.

Those fuckers are going to hear from me on Monday (If I can get through). And the reductions were a pittance compared to the devastation caused by cutting those very essential programs.

[Barack_America]

3. Well, it's hard to see how money for firefighters, cops and construction creates any jobs.

:sarcasm:

[NOW tense]

4. Education for the Disadvantaged

Who can't get behind that?

[Wednesdays]

5. People who only back "winners"

The disadvantaged are losers anyway, so fuck 'em. :sarcasm:

[NOW tense]

7. You are right! I think our education system

should work that way. Who ever gets hit first in dodge ball is kicked out of school.
:sarcasm:

[grytpype]

6. The important thing is to get a bill passed quickly.

It's not going to be perfect, but it's about 10% less than the original plan.

And all the other spending that is being cut can be put in another bill. We control Congress, we can introduce whatever bills we like.

[Fire1]

8. I don't think so. Republicans don't want to spend any money.

They're concerned with the debt left to the next generations. As hard as it is to get them to agree to THIS stimulus, what makes you think they will approve these items on another bill?? It's now or never. Why don't we just eliminate the poor, working poor and middle class. That's what this compromise boils down to, bottom line.

[Fire1]

9. While on the subject, what difference has congressional majority

made in the current status of this package? NONE. So, what will be any different if another bill comes up that includes provisions for the poor? We've got spineless, weak ass senators who call themselves democrats. No, THIS CANNOT PASS!!