Of course they did, in the words of former RNC Chairman Michael Steele, “It’s how they roll baby.”
Of course, if the GOP is successful in its bid of returning federal spending to 2008 levels it would dramatically reduce many agencies’ budgets to include, a 41 percent cut for EPA clean water grants; a 16 percent cut for the FBI and a 13 percent cut in the operating budget of the national parks.
As I look at the proposed cuts I have to ask, how can the party which repeatedly wraps itself in the images of 9-11, and repeatedly spreads fear of terrorist attack justify a 16% cut in the FBI budget; so much for pretending to be the party that’s strong on defense and security.
Regarding the EPA, it’s of course is no big surprise that if you invite big business to give you input into what should be eliminated or cut, that you’re going to cut 41% from the EPA. There have been times when I’ve called liberals who claimed the GOP hates the environment as being hysterical in their feelings. Now I’m not so sure. Forty one percent is a huge cut, and could significantly affect the agency’s ability to administer the law. But of course, “that’s how business rolls baby”.
Cutting 13% from the National Park Service makes perfect sense for Republicans though because only tree hugging progressives visit them any way. However, please don’t stand up any longer claiming how much you love America, and how much you love its rich history and the valiant men who fought and died to defend her. When you cut the budget of the National Park Service you’re not just cutting the upkeep of Yellowstone, you’re also cutting the budgets for the upkeep of Valley Forge, Cowpens, Yorktown, Gettysburg, Fredericksburg, Harpers Ferry and The USS Arizona Memorial.
It’s funny – in that odd sense of the word – but have you ever noticed how the GOP always goes for domestic spending first, never for spending on things like Iraq, Afghanistan or Kosovo. Yes Kosovo. We are spending millions if not hundreds of millions each year to keep thousands of U.S. troops in Kosovo. We spend $1 billion dollars each week funding the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Here’s an idea, before we cut spending for American families, our national security, environment and parks, bring our troops home! Iraq and Afghanistan are failed missions. We didn’t get Bin Laden, and the Taliban are still operating there – FAILURE! We found no weapons of mass destruction, killed and injured hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqis – FAILURE! And why are we still putting troops into Kosovo for Pete’s sake?
In spite of the draconian cuts mentioned above, some are also saying it’s unclear how Republicans will treat particularly sensitive programs, including Pell Grants for low-income college students and the Women, Infants and Children program, which provides food for low-income pregnant women, mothers and young children.
It’s not unclear at all to anyone who’s spent any time listening to the talking bovines of FOX PAC and right wing radio, to include GOP members of Congress bleating about the need to cut and slash. Pell Grants will no doubt be cut because low income students need to get jobs to pay for school, and low income women need to stop being welfare queens, get jobs and maybe even put their children to work too. Keeping these programs funded are not priorities for the GOP, after all these groups aren’t part of their constituents.
The GOP always goes for the poor, and the underprivileged first. Why? Because many of them are minorities who don’t vote and if they do vote they vote Democratic.
On the other side of that coin, not only does the GOP always pushes hard to cut the poor, it does so while fighting tooth and nail to keep tax cuts in place for the top 2% Americans. Why? Because many of the top 2% are white, vote Republican and are their Sugar Daddies.
Cut health care, cut funding for abortions, cut Pell Grants, cut WIC, cut, cut, , slash and cut. It’s obscene, it’s racist and it’s wrong.
Grant
February 3, 2011 at 20:43
Obviously I have a bias as I work for a federal agency (Interior). I accept my pay freeze and I’m even willing to share the pain if some cuts are needed. But it seems to me that this dogmatic campaign to slash and cut so-called “discretionary” spending is a brazen attempt to cut and slash at the whole concept of government of, by and for the people. The Tea Party and conservative Republicans aren’t brave enough to take on the programs directly, so they say we can’t afford them and slash away. I’m still suspicious that Bush blew the balanced budget and a thriving economy he inherited from Clinton and yes, Republicans in Congress, in part so he could slash away at programs unpopular with Republicans (like clean air, clean water, National Parks, anything to help out the poor and disadvantaged, etc.)