June 29, 2011

What he said

Hats off to Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders for kicking up dust on the deficit reduction debate. Here's an extract from a recent letter of his to President Obama:

This is a pivotal moment in the history of our country. Decisions are being made about the national budget that will impact the lives of virtually every American for decades to come. As we address the issue of deficit reduction we must not ignore the painful economic reality of today – which is that the wealthiest people in our country and the largest corporations are doing phenomenally well while the middle class is collapsing and poverty is increasing. In fact, the United States today has, by far, the most unequal distribution of wealth and income of any major country on earth.

Everyone understands that over the long-term we have got to reduce the deficit – a deficit that was caused mainly by Wall Street greed, tax breaks for the rich, two wars, and a prescription drug program written by the drug and insurance companies. It is absolutely imperative, however, that as we go forward with deficit reduction we completely reject the Republican approach that demands savage cuts in desperately-needed programs for working families, the elderly, the sick, our children and the poor, while not asking the wealthiest among us to contribute one penny.

Mr. President, please listen to the overwhelming majority of the American people who believe that deficit reduction must be about shared sacrifice. The wealthiest Americans and the most profitable corporations in this country must pay their fair share. At least 50 percent of any deficit reduction package must come from revenue raised by ending tax breaks for the wealthy and eliminating tax loopholes that benefit large, profitable corporations and Wall Street financial institutions. A sensible deficit reduction package must also include significant cuts to unnecessary and wasteful Pentagon spending.

Please do not yield to outrageous Republican demands that would greatly increase suffering for the weakest and most vulnerable members of our society. Now is the time to stand with the tens of millions of Americans who are struggling to survive economically, not with the millionaires and billionaires who have never had it so good.


WHAT THEY SAID. Key WV legislators warn Senator Manchin about the dire consequences to the state if Medicaid is cut. Manchin has never been much of a fan of that program. Or of poor people.

ON THAT NOTE, proposed cuts to Medicare could also hurt seniors.

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8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Im a WV Democrat and im embarrased to be one! Our current party is the worst ever imo! And in 2012 im voting against my own party! We are being destroyed from within and no one has enough common sense or American pride to even notice! We will end up like Greece if we dont wake up .

Hollowdweller said...

"End up like Greece"

You mean if we keep burning coal that with the global warming that we will be able to grow olives??

El Cabrero said...

Growing olives would be kind of cool.

Hollowdweller said...

They go great w/ goat cheese.

Bob said...

Black or green?

El Cabrero said...

Maybe the kind that already comes stuffed with garlic

Zachary Sovine said...

So this senator has a bit of a point, but he drops the ball on the biggest issue of them all. He said in the begining of the letter that it was caused by all of these rich "male donkeys" and two well make that three wars that we didn't ask for, but we all needed to share the responsibility of paying for it. Thats a nice sentiment if you are one of those "male donkeys," but maybe they should read the letter of a working man who can't pay the bills he has now or the soldier that has spent three years in the sandbox away from his family because some politician decided it was important. To bad it wasn't members of our government loosing limbs, getting blown up, and giving thier lives for thier own ideaology. Didn't these men pay enough? Yes. More than we can ever pay them for.

El Cabrero said...

Hey Zach,
I have an idea: how bout we tell the ruling class that from here on out they'll have to fight their own wars?