From Denny: A politically divided Congress and President Obama tackle the nation's budget. The Republicans want to kill off all old people who are not rich so employers don't have to pay into Social Security. Did I mention they want yet more tax cuts for the rich? And the quickly evaporating middle class and the poor are supposed to have their taxes jump by high increases. Talk about insulting. And we elected any of these people? "Throw them from the train!" may become the new national chant.
The current budget proposal from Obama is $3.73 trillion, trimming $1.1 trillion a year for the next 10 years. Supposedly, this budget claims it will "help boost the U.S. economy and make it more competitive." How cutting college loans will accomplish that is beyond common sense. There are 200 federal programs getting the axe or severely slashed, many related to education. How does shutting out millions of American school children from a better educated future help develop those smart enough to secure America's future? Oh, that's right, we will bring in foreign visa workers to fill the gap. When are we going to invest in American education from top to bottom and stick with it over the long term?
The Obama version of the budget calls for a five-year freeze on our domestic spending and a couple of tax hikes on oil companies and large institutions. There is an eleven percent increase for funding to education while it cuts college loans. That sure leaves a lot of us scratching our heads as to which end is up. We are going to increase taxes to the oil companies at the same time while we continue awarding them insanely huge subsidies. This budget has us all wondering if this is really a satire spoof from Saturday Nite Live.
Want to read The Obama Budget in all its glory word for word?
Check out this link for your very own pdf file. One thing is for sure, Obama gets high marks for a readable proposal - OK, it's actually a speech attached to a budget proposal - instead of the usual academic government gobble gook verbiage. But at least it made for more of a yawn-free read.
If Congress and the President really wanted to balance the budget quickly and efficiently they would stop the Afghan and Iraq War messes and strike down that $900 billion tax cut to the wealthy they passed in December. That would get America the true deficit reduction we all want and in short order - not by cutting energy bill assistance in the dead of winter to old people and young widows with children.
What ever happened to a nation - and leaders - of compassion? In the end, our legacy as a nation will be judged by how well we responded to those in need. Right now, the Baby Boomer generation will not go down well in the history books if this lobbyist purchased Congress and corrupt Supreme Court are any indication.
Check out this story over at Pew Research:
Fewer Want Spending to Grow, But Most Cuts Remain Unpopular
President Bush and President Obama Image via Wikipedia
