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The Antithesis
of Compassion
March 30,
2001
by Maren L. Hickton
Bush, while touring the states touting his tax cut recently
said, "Any suggestion that people give I'm willing to listen
to." But he is not listening. He is mowing through states
like Nemesis, bound and determined to get back at the opposition
Party for a delayed "victory," that was not to be without
influence.
I have more than one suggestion, Mr. Bush: Get in touch with
reality. You are sputtering.
Your Fake Tax "Relief" Proposal
Few support your tax "refund" because it is not a refund.
It doesn't matter what socioeconomic group gets what percentage
in return. All of us, the rich and the less financially fortunate,
have saved millions alone with consistently low interest rates
for years -- which will increase to rates we have not seen
if you get your way. Tax cuts also take money out of a variety
of necessary programs, including ones that you proposed yourself,
to make America a better place.
By all authorities, your dated economic prospectus jeopardizes
a balanced budget, projecting surpluses that do not even exist
and, worse, cuts into budgets of existing and truly compassionate
plans, such as Social Security and your promise of a prescription
drug plan for senior Americans. You promised to leave no child
behind, but you are already working to actively legislate
cuts in Congress that would do just exactly that.
Quid Pro Quo To Institutions Rather Than Caring For Individuals
You have chosen to invest huge amounts of money in institutions
for R&D and other inane programs, rather than using these
tax funds to help people who are in immediate need. You have
chosen to withhold money from the most basic institutions,
our school and extended health care systems, just to promote
your tax cut.
Contributing To An Unstable Economy
The boomers, including you, are nearing retirement. Many
have taken their savings and invested a portion into the stock
market, which has been up and down like a yo-yo largely due
to your continual propensity to promote "relief," when relief
is not necessary. You obviously do not understand the ramifications
of how your negative talk is also affecting the international
markets. The last thing that we need right now, is the Social
Security funds, or FICA (which is what the "surplus" is),
to be squandered.
Negatively Impacting The Manufacturing Industry
If we all were to assume that supply-side economics was the
only basis for what is negatively occurring in this country,
we would also have to agree that there was a surplus of goods
resulting from overproduction. But this is not the case. Businesses
were manufacturing based on demand. Any surplus of goods is
the result of Americans who are now afraid to take out their
wallets to buy anything due to continual bashing of the economy
in the promotion of the tax cuts.
Not Paying Attention to the Important High Technology
Sector
In all economies, especially our new economy, shakeouts are
a reality. But to remove corporate subsidies, to remove the
infusion of money into the small business sector, especially
critical investment in the technology sector when this sector
has contributed to the greater wealth, literally and figuratively,
of this nation at the present time, is simply bad policy.
Reverting back to sole investment in big brick and mortar
business development is not where the world is now. America
must be able to compete internationally in the area of high
technology and the Internet -- beyond the White House.
Neglecting Small Business, Despite Propaganda To The Contrary
America's largest business base is small businesses. America
is about providing individuals with new opportunities to create
these new business concepts with incentives to prosper rather
than existing in fear that they will be squashed by the big
guys with ineffective support, protections and policies. You
have ignored "Workplace Rules," ergo the resulting actions
will cause more money to big business with health care insurance
increases due to related injury than ergonomic upgrades would
ever cost them. You underest imate the power and passion of
this huge base of single and multiunit operators. I won't
bore you with stories, just remember who won in David vs.
Goliath.
"Star Wars" Was A Movie
All possibilities regarding your purported missile defense
system are largely fictional, yet you discuss how this program
will save the world from imagined threats. All your talk about
this extremely expensive program is creating a fearful international
environment, causing other nations to react negatively, when
you are the sole perpetrator of terror at the moment. You
have clearly and consistently demonstrated a total disregard
for the opinions from other nations, including NATO.
The dismal performance of Patriot during the Gulf War remains
a widely under-appreciated reminder that sensors and battle-management
systems are the more complex, and less reliable, system elements.
Development and testing of ground-based and space-based sensors
and their associated battle-management systems may continue,
though there is little prospect of realistic testing that
would provide high confidence that these crucial components
will perform as advertised.
Warmonger, that you seem to be, you also continue to tender
your deployment of a national missile defense system, irrespective
of the international political consequences, which has been
characterized as "a weapon that does not work against a threat
that does not exist," with millions of dollars invested in
R&D to prove this characterization.
Let me offer a little conjecture of my own, since that seems
to be Republican-chic right now: Boeing, a major defense contractor,
is moving to Dallas/Ft. Worth with a nice big contract, right?
Screw Seattle's work force, even though they are the one of
the most significant technological capitals of the world.
They didn't vote for you anyway, huh?
I hope you get religion and develop a conscience. Many Republicans
with a conscience are sorry they voted for you. I feel sorry
for your outstanding cabinet members who are being glaringly
silenced. In a couple of shortsighted months, you have independently
put forth a variety of damaging proposals that could take
the new President two terms or more to undo when you lose
in 2004.
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