Cancel sequester now!

[umbertino]

by: PW Editorial

March 6 2013

 

 

 

 

 

The term "sequester" hides from Americans the damage being wrought by a GOP-led Congress recklessly bent on slashing programs that help poor and working-class people. A sequester means automatic across-the-board spending cuts. It means 10,000 teachers will lose their jobs. It means 70,000 preschoolers will miss a Head Start education. It means 1.5 million women and their families will be deprived of nutrition assistance. Local fire departments and the most vulnerable seniors will feel the effects. The cuts will hit poor people the hardest, increasing the class-wealth gap, and also mean a greater racial-wealth divide.

A total of $85 billion in automatic budget cuts will take effect between now and Sept. 30. Tea party Republicans beam with glee over such cuts. After all they won't cut into corporate profits. According to The New York Times, "sequestration could cost the country about 700,000 jobs, Wall Street does not expect the cuts to substantially reduce corporate profits - or seriously threaten the recent rally in the stock markets."

The newspaper of record goes on to quote a Bank of America official as saying "the market wants more austerity."

That's what the sequestration is: austerity. The budget cuts are Wall Street's prescription for keeping profits high while the rest of us, the 99 percenters, suffer. The Republicans will keep doing their bidding unless the 99 percenters speak up and force them to act.

But acting cannot include cutting benefits in Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. The president has offered to put those hard won programs on the table, even though he has admitted that Social Security does not add to the deficit. Social Security is designed to pay for itself, and with a few adjustments - like raising the salary cap - the fund won't be threatened by changes in demographics.

Wall Street and corporate class have been dying to get at the Social Security fund - and Medicare/Medicaid spending for their own profiteering schemes. That is the danger in putting the American people's programs on the table with scoundrels.

Austerity and budget cuts have not worked in Europe. Economy after economy is suffering and the ordinary people with them. The protests and strikes there are an indication of the level of struggle that's needed to turn around the situation.

The real crime here is that Congress can end all of this today. It takes only one simple vote, and the sequester can be cancelled. Republicans say they have to see substantial budget cuts before they can do this. There have, since 2011, been as much as $1.9 trillion in budget cut. There have been only $600 billion in tax increases on the rich and even those were not really increases - they were simply a cancellation of tax cuts the rich should never have gotten in the first place.

As the labor movement says, the economy is suffering from a jobs deficit! The government needs to spend in wise investments in building the country's infrastructure for the 21^st Century, clean energy development, public and higher education, just to name a few desperately needed investments. Jobs create more jobs. People with jobs pay more in taxes and that's how deficits go down.

The time is now for the American people to stand united and demand that Congress do what is well within its power - cancel the sequester immediately.

Photo: About 100 constituents of Sen. **** Durbin presented 5,000 signatures to his Chicago office demanding jobs not cuts, and no cuts to Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, Dec. 10, 2012. (PW/John Bachtell)

 

 

 

 

 

http://www.peoplesworld.org/cancel-sequester-now/

 

[Muleslayer]

Every body in this nation has to tighten their belts because the democrats spending on welfare and social programs is out of control.

On the flip side of that coin the the replicants/ republicans lol, think we need 100 tanks when 10 will do.

Washington needs to have their credit card cut into pieces.

If I spend to much I go broke. Self control and common sense is the answer.

Saw a bumper sticker that said to smart to be a democrat to poor to be republican.

No I am not a " pauler" either.

Edited March 11, 2013 by Muleslayer

[SgtFuryUSCZ]

***///

 

Good thing obummer cancelled those White House tours and shut out the kids from the place!

 

Must be saving billions by putting those volunteers who gave the tours on hiatus...!

 

(except of course his wife's little friend whose in charge of the tours,

she still has her job and it pays in the 6-figures.....    )

 

Whatta a guy, whatta swell guy....!  

[Shabibilicious]

I have to shake my head in disbelief at the people who demand spending cuts.......and then complain when those cuts effect them.    

 

GO RV, then BV

[bgschlonka]

I have to shake my head in disbelief at the people who demand spending cuts.......and then complain when those cuts effect them.    

 

GO RV, then BV

 

I agree with you Shabs. I have one for you, I have to shake my head in disbelief at the politicians who put their hand on the religious book of their choice and swear to UPHOLD the Constitution, and then shred it.

[Shabibilicious]

I agree with you Shabs. I have one for you, I have to shake my head in disbelief at the politicians who put their hand on the religious book of their choice and swear to UPHOLD the Constitution, and then shred it.

 

I can't say I've seen any shredding.......I wonder if the politicians of Abe Lincoln's day said the same thing when he freed the slaves.  Wait, of course they did.........The problem though, he was right.    

 

GO RV, then BV

[powerpager]

No please No

[tellmewhen]

umberwhoooo,   There you go again.  Many words don't make you look any smarter.  Or less of a marxist communist..

[dog53]

Cancel the Sequester

Oh Hell no.

Its the only way to stop the runaway spending.

Time for everyone two tighten their belts.

including the middle class.

Does junior really need a his own cell phone at age 8

Hell no he doesn't. People are used to to much and need to learn to do with a little less.

The cancer that's growing in this country isn't just the politic`s or the politicians

[Shabibilicious]

umberwhoooo,   There you go again.  Many words don't make you look any smarter.  Or less of a marxist communist..

 

Umbertino didn't write the editorial......he just posted it, with a link, I might add.  Not to worry, you would have figured it out sooner or later.    

 

GO RV, then BV

Cancel the Sequester

Oh Hell no.

Its the only way to stop the runaway spending.

Time for everyone two tighten their belts.

including the middle class.

Does junior really need a his own cell phone at age 8

Hell no he doesn't. People are used to to much and need to learn to do with a little less.

The cancer that's growing in this country isn't just the politic`s or the politicians

 

Well said Dog.    

 

GO RV, then BV

[tankdude]

I want a balanced budget - I mean, if Iraq can pass a budget, our government should be able too. Just seems to me that no common sense gets applied to these things. I know I have a budget - and do I stick to it 100%? No, but it sure creates a mindset of watching your spending - especially when you hate credit like I do. (Working on being debt free except for the house - only 1 loan left to pay off.) 

 

Personally for me, this sequester is going to be a pain. I will find out for certain this Friday, but it's looking like I will have every Monday off (without pay) for a while.  For me personally, it means a loss of $500.00 a month in my paycheck.  Looking like I will have to either -

 

A: Get another job part time

 

or

 

B:  Push harder on the Network Marketing that I work with (I actually prefer and working on this one - Great product by the way - just saying )

 

Being a Federal Employee (Or as I sometimes call myself - a "ward of the government") has its ups and downs.  Just going to have to deal with the down.

[bgschlonka]

I can't say I've seen any shredding.......I wonder if the politicians of Abe Lincoln's day said the same thing when he freed the slaves.  Wait, of course they did.........The problem though, he was right.    

 

GO RV, then BV

 I agree with Lincoln abolishing slavery. What about the Second Amendment ? It seems the Fedaral Gov't is taking the lead in gun control, with a few states actually putting forth laws to confiscate guns. It's right out of the playbook of Adolph. When you have a problem with criminals killing innocent people, go after the criminals. Make them know upfront how serious they're going to be dealt with. Laws can be made tougher.  As far as this Adam Lanza, according to their neighbors, his mom knew about his mental state, and apparently left guns unlocked. I don't understand that one. I might seem paranoid to some, but if you look back at history, all it takes is the right cult of personality to grasp hold of a country. Ask Adolph.

[eddiemac]

Bottem line is we have supported those who choose to feed off our us for way too long, now the well has run dry and you cannot change those who have been pampered half their life, Its gotta come from somewhere. Who ? The backs of the middle class. Why can a women have 4 kids with no Daddy and recieve from the state as much as I get from working? how can I claim zero exemptions and still owe the feds 1000.00 bucks? Bull, I pay a ton in taxes every year. This country was meant to be a melting pot not a soup kitchen for those who choose not to take on the onus to at least try and make a go at it. I could go on forever, but at this point it really does not matter..

[Muleslayer]

I want a balanced budget - I mean, if Iraq can pass a budget, our government should be able too. Just seems to me that no common sense gets applied to these things. I know I have a budget - and do I stick to it 100%? No, but it sure creates a mindset of watching your spending - especially when you hate credit like I do. (Working on being debt free except for the house - only 1 loan left to pay off.)

Personally for me, this sequester is going to be a pain. I will find out for certain this Friday, but it's looking like I will have every Monday off (without pay) for a while. For me personally, it means a loss of $500.00 a month in my paycheck. Looking like I will have to either -

A: Get another job part time

or

B: Push harder on the Network Marketing that I work with (I actually prefer and working on this one - Great product by the way - just saying )

Being a Federal Employee (Or as I sometimes call myself - a "ward of the government") has its ups and downs. Just going to have to deal with the down.

You sound like a Dave Ramsey guy. Me to. workin those baby steps I am.

I sound like yoda ,I do;)

Edited March 12, 2013 by Muleslayer

[KiaKaha]

(Working on being debt free except for the house - only 1 loan left to pay off.) 

 

Awesome, great job!

 

KK