America is racing headlong into a serious recession (depression?) and Bush doesn't have a clue what to do about it. He clearly shows this with the ridiculous budget he has sent to Congress. He has proposed a budget that will set a record level of deficit spending, but does very little for the ordinary Americans who need help.
It will give many Americans a few hundred dollars in a one-time giveaway, but this does nothing to solve the problems these people face -- rising prices, stagnant wages, record home foreclosures, disappearing jobs, and a broken healthcare system. The only real effect this "stimulus package" will have is to increase profits for the corporations (who are already making more money than ever).
Then, to make things worse, he wants to make permanent trillions of dollars in tax cuts for the wealthy. Again, this is helping the people who don't need any help, but does nothing for those who need help.
Then he wants to give the military-industrial complex a huge 7.5% increase, while demanding that most social programs settle for 1% (far below the inflation rate) and others get cut or eliminated. Again, he's helping the rich and punishing everyone else.
He even wants to slash education funds by $3.2 billion. Of course these cuts will have to be made up by middle and working class people on the state and local level -- the very people the recession is hitting the hardest.
And he doesn't leave the elderly out either while dishing out the pain. He wants to cut Medicare by another $200 billion. This program is already so underfunded by Republicans that two-thirds of doctors refuse to take new Medicare patients. How will an elderly person be able to find a doctor after those new cuts?
I have to stop before I throw up. Bush's new budget is an abomination. It is not even worth amending. Congress needs to just toss it in the trash and start over.
It is time for Democrats to finally stand up to Bush and act to protect ordinary Americans. They must say no to every part of this insane budget.
Labels: budget, Bush
