Bush's Budget Transforms the War on Poverty Into a War on the Poor

[papau]

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-garcetti9feb09.story

Bush's Budget Transforms the War on Poverty Into a War on the Poor
By Eric Garcetti
Eric Garcetti, who represents the 13th District on the Los Angeles City Council, chairs the city's Housing, Community and Economic Development Committee.

February 9, 2005

President Bush refers to himself as a wartime president, and he has shown resolve not to back down on the battlefield. But the budget he released this week waves a flag of surrender in another war, the 40-year "war on poverty."

The budget announces cuts of 28% — or $1.4 billion — from our arsenal of critical social programs. The largest and most vital to Los Angeles is the Community Development Block Grant. As more cities draw on poverty-fighting grants each year, Los Angeles' allocation has steadily decreased, from $88.6 million in 2003 to $82.7 million this year. Under the proposed cuts, our allocation would plummet by at least $15 million.

Alongside previously proposed cuts to Section 8 housing assistance, these reductions send a stark message to the country's poor, its elderly and its urban youth: You're no longer our problem.

In Los Angeles, these grants pay for after-school programs, home repairs for the elderly in blighted neighborhoods and intervention programs for youth on the brink of joining or already in gangs. They spur economic development projects and fund outreach to the homeless.

Now the president wants to cut these groups off from the prospects of economic recovery. That represents a radical departure from a nation's commitment to its most vulnerable citizens. <snip>

[LeaderlessResistance]

1. Bush's Budget

Proposed Budget

Bush loves war, but seems to dislike veterans.

The budget would more than double the co-payment veterans would pay for prescription drugs and would force some veterans to pay a $250 fee to receive government health benefits.

[papau]

2. It is an amazing budget - almost like he expects the cuts to be DOA

A lot like the Reagan budgets!