We are in a painful recession. Too often it seems like D.C. hears more about the concern of billionaires who don't want to lose their tax cuts, and too little about the parent of two who works long hours and barely is getting by. And yet Congress votes on whether the billionaire will have more, and whether the working class parent will lose his or her job. These are the votes presently occurring, and which are being treated like a drawn out political game.
The proposed federal budget cuts are turning into another political sideshow. The process of the budget is being treated as a chess game, a battle over politics and procedure, and one that may go on for a long time still, narrated by talking heads throughout.
If you are an American in need of a job, or one afraid that your job will be cut in the budget proposals, it isn't just a D.C. soap opera. The reverberations of the proposed cuts are drastic and personal. States and cities throughout the country feel the impact of the cuts through the stories of those waiting with every news cycle to hear whether their job, or hope of a job, will be slashed.
The City of Los Angeles is a perfect example of this harm. Los Angeles is already affected by the recession with a whopping 14.5% unemployment.
The proposed federal budget cuts are not abstract to Los Angeles. They would eliminate funding for job creation projects, projects needed to help Vets find work, and they could wipe out training services for youth hoping to find skills, or the homeless, hoping to break the cycle of poverty.
In Los Angeles, the community is not sitting back and letting these proposed cuts happen without a fight. Next Wednesday, March 23rd, Angelenos will rally at the Federal Building in Downtown Los Angeles to say no to such cuts. Cutting jobs is not the answer to recession budgeting. It's time that our government prioritized working people over billionaires.
If democracy is to work, we have to hope that Wisconsin and Los Angeles, and the other communities that have had enough, send messages strong enough to penetrate the walls of Capitol Hill. It's time our government support those struggling to get by, and not just those with the money to access power in private backrooms. It's time we make it known: budget cuts equal job cuts. And America simply can't afford to cut anymore jobs.
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US debt:GDP is not far behind Japan. Our federal debt (14T) is 80% of our GDP. Yet this doesn't include state and local debt (2.4T); unfunded pension obligations (3.5T); and personal debt (13.4T). Perhaps someone can tell us how much is total corporate debt?
I question the true economic stability of the US and it frightens me. Those who think federal debt (plus 1.5T every year) is no problem should think again.
Basing our economic activity largely on artificial and inflated consumer demand; and stimulating that demand with 'easy-money' (credit card, buy-now and pay-later schemes, easy line of credit; borrow money against a borrowed asset etc) is a sure way to see cycles of boom and busts; and finally ending in an implosion. Such an implosion will impact even those who played by the rules and led a conservative economic life style.
Unemployment is here to stay. Technolgy (robots and computers) eliminated assembly line (blue collar) workers and mid-level managers (white collar). Since WW II, women have doubled the work-force. Yet while we have unemployment and under-employment we have Head Start programs which are govt-paid baby-sitting services for pre-KG kids. Third of healthcare budget of 2 trillion is for the indigent care becase there's no one at home to care for the elderly and sick.
If you had a house for sale, you would not strip it of all the nice things about it, stop maintaining it, and let it go to wrack and ruin if you wanted the best price. In fact, you might even have to borrow to fix it up, make it as nice as possible so it will sell for more, at which time you can then pay back what you borrowed, and everyone benefits. Conservatives are always saying how they want to run this country like a business, which it is NOT, but they don't actually do that. Businesses would never survive if they applied their so-called principles to their businesses: paying CEOs at the top HUGE salaries thus taking money OUT of the business, paying workers poor wages so they're resentful and unproductive, and instead paying off company debts? Terrible business model, terrible for the country.
The lack of money to fund the government is a result of thirty years of conservative policies, and the national debt is being used as an excuse to cut programs. (Where were conservatives when Bush almost doubled the national debt? Oh, deficits weren't a problem then?) Conservatives are slashing regulations, gutting Federal agencies with oversight responsibilities, shipping jobs overseas with free trade instead of fair trade, attacking public unions, attacking health care reform, and attacking the EPA, IRS, SEC, HUD, the Department of Education, the Labor department, as well as other agencies.
By the way, Social Security is funded from payroll taxes. It is not an entitlement program. It has 2.6 trillion in reserves (U.S. Treasury Bonds), and is fully funded for the next 26 years. Cutting benefits or freezing cost of living adjustments does not help the deficit one dime.
Slash heating assistance for the poor while big companies pay zero in Federal taxes? How stupid do you think we are?
they mean everything. Go figure.
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/11/13/weekinreview/deficits-graphic.html?choices=vmt245lt
GOP pols could care less how many or how few of their constituents have jobs, homes, healthcare or enough to eat. GOP politicians work for the 5% wealthiest Americans only, ever, zero exceptions, to the detriment of all else, including their own political careers if need be (see scott walker).
The real tough, almost unanswerable question then becomes why do millions of people who suffer under GOP rule (see the people of WI - and MI, OH, & FL) continue to hand the GOP power through their votes?
CAREFUL TAX ON THOSE WHO EARN $1MIL OR MORE A YEAR -$800 BILBRING THE MEN AND WOMEN HOME FROM WAR-$120 BIL A YEAR-CUT THE TAX HAVENS IN PLACES LIKETHE CAYMANS. BANK OF AMERICA PAYED NOTHING LAST YEAR. ANOTHER $100 BIL.. WHO SAYS WE ARE BROKE ? I AM BROKE AND ANGRY!!!!!!
That only because they keep cutting taxes for corporations (either directly or by giving them deductions). We may have the highest corporate tax RATE on paper, but we take in far less than countries whose corporate tax rate is 1/3 of ours. Bank of America and Exon each had profits in the billions, but paid zero income tax. Exon even got money back in 2009.
The population is growing and infrastructure has to be kept up. Taxes are at historic lows. Yes there is some spending that could (and should) be cut, but it is not the only answer. In fact, on its own its the worst answer. Most companies (very small businesses not so much) are quite flush with money. They are not hiring because no one is buying. Increase the number of unemployed (or reduce peoples wages) and people will not buy anything but the absolute necessities.
If middle class Americans do not get serious about gaining ground that they've lost over the last three decades, they will eventually find themselves in a position where they are no longer needed. Wealthy investors can make a profit just as well from foreign sales. Americans need to seriously think through where our corporate-subservient policies are leading us. Trickle-down economics--if it works at all--cannot possibly work when investors are increasingly focused on other countries' workers and consumers.
www.wpatoday.org
If he did it there, who is to say he did not do it here?
Seriously-it is quite horrifying.