Budget Cuts To Societal Scars
During financial turmoil it seems very logical to create a new budget strategy in order regain footing on a volatile economy and restore confidence in both the public and private sector. Budget cuts are enacted to decrease debt and get back on fiscal track which in turn leads to ending certain governmental programs. When we weigh the value of certain programs with others, the choice often seems so simple in terms of what to cut and what to preserve. However, programs that provide necessities such as: food, shelter, health care and education, should never be the first to go.
“We cannot continue to borrow recklessly, dig ourselves deeper into this hole and mortgage the future of our children and grandchildren.” – Speaker of the House, John Boehner
Souce: http://communities.washingtontimes.com
I continuously hear Republicans make the claim that they are making these “vital” cuts for the benefit of their children and grandchildren. They make the claim that they are taking the moral ground by making these cuts with future generations in mind. What’s even worse is that the Obama administration deserves is rolling over and accepting these reckless cuts affecting those most in need.
Nobody will disagree that leaving future generations with debt is a serious problem. However, we must be logical in our thinking (obviously not required for those in power) about what opportunities future generations will have when the proposed cuts are enacted. If the generations of today aren’t taken care of, given opportunities to succeed and become productive members of our society, how will the following generations find the means to do so?
Here is a little taste of what will be cut in the 2011 budget:
- $504 million in cuts for The Women, Infants and Children program (WIC) – which provides food and infant formula to low-income families
- $3.5 billion in cuts for performance bonuses set aside to reward states that make an extra effort to enroll eligible, low-income children in the Children’s Health Insurance Program.
- $1 billion in cuts in programs that help prevent the spread of HIV and sexually transmitted diseases.
- $390 million cut to low-income heating assistance,
- $942 million in cuts from the funds enacted in fiscal 2010 for the Community Development Fund, which includes block grants designed to help rehabilitate housing and invest in primarily low-income neighborhoods.
- $456 million would be slashed from the Public Housing Capital Fund, a source of funding that public housing authorities throughout the country use to maintain and repair everything from roofs to boilers in their housing units.
- $100 million in cuts for the HOPE VI Program, which aims to revamp severely distressed public housing and replace it with mixed income communities.
- Reduce FEMA first responder grants by $786 million, eliminate $264 million in funding that was previously targeted to earmarks, and rescind $557 million in balances from prior year funds.
The good news is that our most important program is not only safe, but is receiving more money then it did last year. The Defense Department would be allocated $513 billion, a $5 billion increase from 2010 levels, making the Pentagon one of the few agencies to receive a boost in the budget bill. The legislation also includes an additional $157.8 billion for overseas contingency operations.
The agenda seems very clear; Invest in our military while we destroy programs that help: impoverished families, improve education and health, provide disaster relief, and support environmental preservation. Basically, all the essentials a country needs to be healthy and prosperous.
I guess even if future generations lack opportunity and education, have poor health and live in poverty, they can always count on our equipped military to employ them.
Sources: UPI.com, WashingtonTimes.com, CNNMoney.com
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