Politics > Politics-USA > Republican Hit Squad Pummels the Elderly the Poor and Middle Class College Students
| Topic: |
Politics > Politics-USA |
| User: |
"Harry Hope" |
| Date: |
02 Jan 2006 10:45:14 AM |
| Object: |
Republican Hit Squad Pummels the Elderly the Poor and Middle Class College Students |
From a Toledo Blade editorial, 1/2/06:
http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060102/OPINION02/601010303/-1/OPINION
A hit on students, elderly
So what did tuition-weary college students and their cash-strapped
parents do to become major targets in Congress' last-minute attempt to
appear to cut federal spending?
When it came time for Republicans in Washington to show where their
hearts are, here's what happened:
Vice President ***** Cheney zoomed home from Asia at warp speed aboard
Air Force 2 to cast the tie-breaking 51st vote in the Senate for the
budget bill, which, in addition to slashing college aid, also makes
nasty cuts in spending on medical care for the elderly and the poor
and drops new unfunded mandates on the states.
This was legislation conservatives in Congress had demanded so they
could assure voters next year that they had done something to curb
federal spending.
At the same time, lawmakers are hoping the public doesn't realize that
this cut is only a faint scratch in a budget larded with tax cuts, war
spending, and carefree pork-barrel projects that will balloon - not
reduce - the size of the deficit.
As it turned out, a full one-third of the $39.7 billion lopped off the
federal budget in the lawmakers' pre-Christmas rush will be realized
in reduced college aid and higher interest rates on student loans.
As painful as the cuts in educational assistance may be to
middle-class students and parents, two-thirds of the cuts target the
least fortunate among us - the elderly and poor who have medical
problems.
For example, Medicaid recipients who now pay a $3 co-payment for a
range of health-care services will find themselves charged $20 to
$100. Medicare recipients - everyone over 65 - will see cuts in home
health services, the aid that helps many elderly stay out of nursing
homes.
Cash-strapped states like Ohio and Michigan will be required to
institute strict new work requirements for welfare recipients, or face
the loss of badly needed federal aid.
These are the priorities of Congress' Republican majority.
They call it reform.
We call it a gratuitous attack on people least likely to be able to
protect themselves.
_________________________________________________
And you're gonna vote these guys back in office? Shame on you.
Harry
.
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