Friday, March 27, 2015

RAPISTS ANOTHER NAME FOR REPUBLICANS

The house and the senate have both approved the 2016 budget submitted by house republicans.   To see what this would do to you click here.  The link is a list of the major changes the bill would bring about.  As usual the republicans want the same old things , they want to cut social programs, increase defense spending and of course cut taxes on the rich and corporations.

Here in simple form are the areas proposed.
1.  Bleed domestic programs
2. No funding  for infrastructure
3. No funding for education
4.Chop social security-heading to a complete privatizing of the program down the road shifting all to
   market based systems.
5. Privatize Medicare -offer lump buyout in 20124 a guaranteed failure.
6 .Kick 7 million off of Medicaid
7  Deep cuts in food stamp program-switch to block grants to states
8.  Adds several hundred additional funds to defense spending-  90 billion extra next year
9. Corporate taxes still too high
10.  Lower individual tax rates on the rich
11. Raise taxes on the poor.

Compare this list to what a majority of the nations wants
1. Increase in education funding
2  Increase spending of roads and bridges--infrastructure
3. Create jobs
4. Address climate change
5. Redo immigration policy
6. Health care reform
7. Enhance retirement security3
8. Enhance safety net
9. Raise taxes on the rich

When you compare the lists of our wants with the 2016 budget that has passed both houses you soon get the feeling that what we are interested in is not at all on the table.   In fact you would think the republicans looked at our list and the exact opposite.

Any one with a sincere interest in improving the lot of the common man would not make these cuts instead they would do simple fixes to the major problem.
1. To fix Medicare -allow it to negotiate drug prices like the VA does-the saving from this fix alone     are huge.
2. Shore up Social Security by simply raising the upper limits to bring in more money.
3. Raise taxes on the well to do
4. Raise taxes on corporations3
5.  Implement a transaction tax on all financial instruments (all of them)
6.  Enhance Obama Care bring all into the program.
7.  Defense Spending- we could easily cut billions out of the defense budget by eliminating weapons      platforms that even the services don't want.  A big chunk of chang could be saved if contracting
   out could be scaled way back or perhaps eliminated.  I've never found how much this is actually
   costing us but a few examples indicate the saving could be huge.  Just compare the cost of a military cook to a contract cook.   The price per meal served in country are out of site.

I suppose I should add a little hope that none of the proposed budget cuts will actually take place.  The senate could block a lot of the bad stuff with their bag of tricks or the president could veto them if they get thru.  It's time to pay attention and fight back.  If you vote republican SHAME ON YOU.


1 comment:

  1. Good solutions. Your suggestions really would make a big difference if we filled congress with people who were not owned by corporate conglomerates.

    The problem as I see it, is the people were not watching their government as we should have and we have lost it. I believe we have reached the end game for democracy. Just a few congress members and senators are there for the people.

    It has become a puppet show. The senators, congress members and president are but corporate puppets. They put on a play for us, keeping us distracted while the real 'work' gets done behind stage. Gutting environmental laws, cutting food stamps, more tax cuts for billionaires, etc.

    Look who paid to get them elected. Look where they go to work after leaving congress. Look how many lobbyists come see them every day and hang out in their offices. It is even worse in the federal agencies that govern our clean air, water, forests, etc. This is not hearsay, it is well documented.

    Although it seems futile at this point, I will never stop trying to help the environment and We The People.

    ~Heidi

    ReplyDelete

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