Overview of the Presidential Budget Proposal

[Godhumor]

For anyone interested in the White House supplied overview, it is at:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/overview

Anyway, my highlights:

$78 Billion cut from the Pentagon

Wireless to 98% of populace with a $10 billion in deficit reductions

20 New Economic Growth Zones to encourage economic development in hard-hit areas

Eliminating fossil fuel tax breaks and using those to pay for electric vehicle and clean energy initiatives

Not extending the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts

Making permanent R&D tax credits

Maintaining the Pell Grants Maximum Awards (Sorry, I consider this a plus, because it would not happen without some cuts to summer and grad school awards)

No called for cuts to Social Security or Medicare

On Edit: And of course, can't forget the closing of the corporate tax loops


My lowlights:

The various social/community program cuts like LIHEAP, Great Lakes Initiatives, etc.

Medical malpractice reform (Really? In the federal budget?)

Embracing competitive grant programs based on Race to the Top (Yeah, not sold on that)

[Hello_Kitty]

1. 13% cut to the EPA. eom

[uppityperson]

2. k&r for all the good reccing anything postive does.

[cali]

3. that's sort of a whitewash

the 75 billion "cut" from DoD is over 10 years and Defense spending actually goes up next year under the budget. In addition, 78 billion is a negligeble percentage of the Defense budget.

Spending $$$$ on Wireless while cutting off heating aid makes no sense from my perspective in Northern Vermont where we have very high heating costs, very long winters and spotty coverage when it comes to wireless or cell towers, etc.

What is the point of Economic Growth Zones when you're cutting Community Block Grants? And what about poor rural areas?

He's already fucking extended the tax cuts for the wealthy. I sure as hell don't trust him on this issue. He lied. flat out fucking lied.

I could go on, but why bother?

[Godhumor]

4. Pentagon cut is 5 years not 10 and brings spending to zero growth

So yeah, I see it as a positive.

And as to the other points, I don't see it as tit-for-tat--I don't like LIHEAP being cut but I do like the plans for nationwide wireless. I don't need to like the one to like the other.

Economic growth zones is about growing local economy through encouraging investment in those areas, so it isn't piggy-banked on the community block cuts which deals with helping people directly. Again, I dislike the cut, but the economic growth zones are a different animal.

Finally, I have no idea if it will survive the Congressional round, but, in the actual proposal, it is nice to see the tax cuts pop back up. I want to see a representative stand up and say "I can't support ending the tax breaks but I'm all fine for the cuts to the neediest". I don't think that will play well publically.

[Hello_Kitty]

7. It's so nice that you "don't like" the LIHEAP cuts.

Very magnanimous of you.

[Godhumor]

8. It is what it is, lots of positive and some negatives

LIHEAP is definitely the largest of the negatives.

[Hello_Kitty]

9. Let me guess, you don't personally need assistance paying your heating bills.

Am I right?

[Godhumor]

10. Sorry, I won't condemn the entire budget over LIHEAP--I don't like the cuts

But neither you nor I know how they will be enacted and what the 2.5 billion will come out of.

It just simply isn't enough for me to call the entire budget proposal a con job or a failure.

[Hello_Kitty]

11. Besides, it's not like you'll be harmed by the cuts.

Just some worthless poor people. Who cares about them?

[sad sally]

6. just wrap that wireless gizmo around your cold feet - warms 'em right up!

Seriously, the doublespeak is outrageous - tell us something is good, when we know it's not.

[Godhumor]

5. Going to bump this for people to actually read what's in the budget

n/t