WP: Bush Plans Sharp Cuts in HUD Community Efforts

[kskiska]

Friday, January 14, 2005; Page A01

The White House will seek to drastically shrink the Department of Housing and Urban Development's $8 billion community branch, purging dozens of economic development projects, scrapping a rural housing program and folding high-profile anti-poverty efforts into the Labor and Commerce departments, administration officials said yesterday.

The proposal in the upcoming 2006 budget would make good on President Bush's vow to eliminate or consolidate what he sees as duplicative or ineffective programs. Officials said yesterday that economic development programs are scattered too widely in the government and have proved particularly ineffectual at HUD.

Advocates for the poor, however, contended that the White House is trying to gut federal programs for the poorest Americans to make way for tax cuts, a mission to Mars and other presidential priorities. Administration officials would not say how much the consolidation would save, but it could lead to steep funding cuts. That is because the HUD programs would have to compete for resources in Commerce and Labor budgets that are not likely to expand to accommodate the shuffle.

"I'm always willing to look at consolidation, but clearly they're using consolidation as a shield for substantial budget reductions," said Rep. Barney Frank (Mass.), the ranking Democrat on the Financial Services Committee, which has jurisdiction over housing and community development programs.

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A7862-2005Jan13.html

[doxieone]

1. I don't know why no one is responding to this topic.

I guess we are getting tired of one atrocity after another by him/them.

[BrklynLiberal]

5. It is not that we are tired of his atrocities..we are no longer surprised

by them. It is like waiting for the other shoe to drop waiting for him to keep cutting the programs that assist the less fortunate in order to put more money in the pockets of the rich.

[driver8]

8. That is definitely the reason in my case...

Everyday they just shovel more shit onto the people of this country and shovel more money into the coffers of their big business buddies. I have not seen a report where Bush will be cutting the funding for his illegal invasion, though.

I don't think we will have to worry too much about who is running in 2008 -- there won't be any country left to be President of...

[rockedthevoteinMA]

2. so...

we give tax cuts to the wealthy, cut overtime pay for millions, cut health care for millions... then leave them with no where to live?

"Advocates for the poor, however, contended that the White House is trying to gut federal programs for the poorest Americans to make way for tax cuts, a mission to Mars and other presidential priorities."

:mad: :grr:

[NVMojo]

3. I work in this field ...there isn't enough money to go around now ...

...and the Department of Commerce is a joke ...I can list a litany of projects they've shot your tax dollars into out in the rural parts of the country that were not adequately researched and money was pissed into the wind. That is not the place for this work to be transferred either. The poor will not benefit, only the corporations like JR Simplot, filthy rich feckers, will benefit. That's why this is a joke.

[iamjoy]

4. HUD Is Ineffective?

And yet, Dubya & most of the rest of the Conswervatives sing the praises of Florida's newly elected Senator, Mel Martinez for his chairmanship of that department.

Some one help me out here....

[Deja Q]

6. Come on everybody, sing it with me!

It's there, the culture of life, doo-dah, doo-dah... And what's the cost of life to be, doo-dah, doo-dah. Only as much as oil can buy. Oh, the doo-dah day. x(

[legally blonde]

7. I guess since

Bush cut Pell grants for education, he must think that the poor don't need homes, either. What an ass. :mad:

[William Bloode]

9. Just another case of......

Billions too kill brown people and nothing for the betterment of our society.

More compassionate conservatism from your friends of the B.F.E.E.(Bush Family Evil Empire)

[zann725]

10. They cut the HUD vouchers in Los Angeles a year ago.

This only means more and more homeless everywhere. Bushco is so out of touch, they think by eliminating HUD Housing, that people who would've lived in HUD Housing, will now just "work harder" and live in higher rent units. NOT!!
Did you hear Shrub's similar logic recently at that "Town Hall" meeting about Social Security privatization: In which he said by privatizing SS, people could invest in what they wanted, "like lottery tickets, or gambling in Vegas." ??? His Repug theory being: that all SS Retiree's and Disabled do with their benefits is gamble them away, as "mad money." And to think, most retiree's and Disabled are living at poverty level (even WITH SS benefits as-is).

[sandnsea]

12. Are you serious?

He said that too? "lottery tickets or gambling in Vegas" That would be his Repug theory that po' folk don't know the difference between the lottery and an investment. Maybe that's the next step, a national lottery run by Halliburton to suck out the last few nickles before the country goes belly-up.

(Although most retirees aren't living at poverty level, it's down around 25% or less. In fact, they've got the vast majority of the wealth. Because of their homes. Disabled is another story I think)

[Demit]

13. no no. he said there'd be oversight of private accts so that people CAN'T

blow their money on lottery tickets, throwing dice, going to the track, etc.

[flaminbats]

11. Will these new tax cuts go exclusively to the homeless and Iraqi vets?

Manned missions to Mars are likely to cost anywhere from $500 billion to $1 trillion. When men were sent to the moon, the national debt was lower than last year's budget deficit. By the end of this year the debt will hit $8 trillion. When inflation is factored in, the national debt hasn't been this large since World War II.

Cutting funds for public housing and privatizing Social Security is twisted at a time when trillions will be wasted for more tax cuts along with a one-way trip to Mars. It takes a complete flake to propose publicly financed missions to Mars and the Moon, even as the war in Iraq continues to escalate.

[Massachusetts]

14. georgie boy king

is hoping he'll see that Gee Sus $$$$ he has given to the "charities and churches", fill some of the gap. What better way to strengthen that vote and justify giving them more of our $$$$$.

[0007]

15. The homeless would go up in record numbers and the crime

rate will go higher.

[ally_sc]

18. you were just reading my thoughts...

which some posted below. this administration is obviously whacked...

[Crackingham]

16. Lemme guess. He'd rather go with faith-based initiatives.

[ally_sc]

17. and just when you think things are not going to get any worse..

there is already a housing crisis in this country already...you will see a big rise in the homeless population...:wtf:

[GOPBasher]

19. That's one way to cut into the deficit.

Of course, we could have not had the fucking tax cuts for billionaires, or we could not spend so fucking much on a missle defense system that can't work and won't protect us from our enemies. But what the fuck do I know? I'm just a pansy-ass, bleeding heart, big-government, tax-and-spend, ultra-leftist, liberal, pinko, commie, leftist... you get the idea.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

20. You called? (nt)

[struggle4progress]

21. kick