Gibbs asked about cuts to community service block grants

[Enrique]

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/02/09/press-briefing-press-secretary-robert-gibbs-292011

Q ... Now, also on the budget cuts, Jack Lew says that $350 million will be cut from the community service block grants. What do you say to the poor and grassroots communities that benefit from these community block grants, as they also supported this President when he was then candidate Obama, as they believed he felt their pain?

MR. GIBBS: Well, he does understand the importance of this funding. But as Jack Lew said in his op-ed, and as the President and Jack have talked about in the construction of the budget, we have reached a point where we have to do something about what we take in and what we spend and the great divergence in those two numbers, and that this process is not going to be an easy one.
It means that on each side we’re going to have to give a little on things that are even -- even that are greatly important to us. And if we simply exempted everything that was important to everybody in this process, we would simply continue the process of spending much, much more than we have.

Q But in the September the 10th press conference that the President had, he talked about his efforts as a community -- someone who was in the community, who worked for the community. And how far -- and he understands -- he said he understood what it meant to be an advocate for grassroots organizations, advocate for communities. But how far did the President go to spare these $350 million cuts to these programs?

MR. GIBBS: Well, look, obviously, we had to make a series of decisions. I think when you see the budget come out, you’ll see very little that was spared in the tough decisions that had to be made to construct a budget that gets us back on a path toward fiscal responsibility. It’s not that he doesn’t care about the grassroots; it’s that all of these decisions are going to be tough.
And quite frankly, we -- all of the easy decisions have been made. Those decisions are going to not just impact the type of discretionary spending, April, that you’re talking about -- you’ve seen that the Secretary of Defense is -- has made it one of his priorities to get rid of weapons programs that even those in the military don’t want. So there are a series of tough decisions that will be laid out both in the budget that the President has, and in going forward, that even make changes to things that we believe are priorities.

Yes, sir.

(...)

[Autumn]

1. "all of the easy decisions have been made."

That just about sums it up. Endless fucking wars, tax breaks for the wealthiest. Fuck the poor.

priorities. What a fucking joke

[atreides1]

2. I have an idea

Place a tax on all religious institutions...and use that tax money for comminuty service block grants...after all isn't that what churches are supposed to do...help those in need!

[jtuck004]

3. Gibbs, do you think you are talking to stupid people?

"...we have to do something about what we take in..."

and

"...you’ll see very little that was spared in the tough decisions..."

and

"...all of the easy decisions have been made..."

Apparently one of the "easy decisions" was sparing the wealthiest people tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars apiece in additional taxes for jobs we KNOW they won't create - they haven't done it for the past 30 years, why would they start now?

Now you want to make the "tough decisions" on the backs of people who can't afford heat, the 40 million people getting food stamps, the 30 million underemployed, and the people who will lose their homes in another record year for foreclosures. Like the gal I did taxes for last week - she makes about $11,000 a year working for Walmart. Would like to work more, but they won't let her, and she hasn't been able to find another job. Like that mom who will go in the other room so her kid doesn't have to see her tears, because she knows they won't get food this weekend. That will be on you and everyone who voted to put you in place. It doesn't look like you miss too many meals, however, so you probably don't understand that.

You figure that last category doesn't have the money to drive to the voting booth? That they historically vote D so you don't have to worry?

Take a look at the tv. You will see hundreds of thousands of people who were told that if they didn't go along that life would get tougher, that they might even be killed or tortured. It would have been safer to stay with the status quo, despite the attendant threats if they didn't. But that hasn't stopped them, despite beatings, torture, even murder.

Makes me wonder if people with the least to lose in this country will decide its worth a few years of pain just to teach people like you and others working on the conservative agenda that they shouldn't turn their backs on the most vulnerable.

I will be sure and mention you were thinking about them.

[woo me with science]

4. I don't usually get an urge to punch smarmy evil people's faces.

Not usually.