Bush Shows Wrong Priorities on Health Care

[Dr Ron]

From Light Up the Darkness:
http://www.lightupthedarkness.org/blog/

Bush Shows Wrong Priorities on Health Care
4 February 2005


The New York Times reports on planned cuts in health care spending in George Bush's proposed budget, including cutting programs dealing with chronic diseases, obesity, and epidemics.

If the soccer-moms-turned-defense-moms who voted for Bush in 2004 cannot be made to be seen the error of their ways by these cuts in health care, perhaps other planned Bush cuts will make them reconsider whether George Bush is the man to keep America safe, or is really the man who is increasing our risk. Proposed cuts also include cutting public health programs to defend against bioterrorist attacks--areas where Democrats have already felt Bush has been spending too little. The public health emergency fund which helps state and local agencies prepare for bioterror attacks will be cut 12.6 percent.

While he is unwilling to spend needed money on health care and bioterrorist defense, the influence of the religious right is seen in George Bush's funding priorities. In the State of the Union Address, Bush claimed "We're going to eliminate or vastly reduce 150 programs that aren't meeting needs, aren't meeting priorities and are not getting the job done. It's time to be wise with the people's money." Despite evidence that abstinence-based programs do not work (discussed here recently), Bush plans a $38 million increase in abstinence programs, bringing the total to $192.5 million in 2006, an increase of more than 50 percent since 2004.

In another act of pandering to the religious right, Bush also plans to eliminate a $9.9 million program to collect stem cells from blood found in the umbilical cord after childbirth. Such cells may be useful in the treatment of many diseases, and do not raise the ethical issues involved in taking stem cells from human embryos.

[kerrygoddess]

1. Classic Bush!

We're going to cut things from the budget, but we'll give you a really special tax cut - http://www.lightupthedarkness.org/blog/default.asp?view=plink&id=321

The thought that programs dealing with chronic disease can be deemed cutable is mindboggling!

[msgadget]

2. Ending entitlements in the name of fiscal responsibility. n/t

[kerrygoddess]

3. Yep!

Cause they think no one is entitled!

[msgadget]

4. A public face has to say it out loud

because I don't think a lot of people realize their intent or how hard their actions will be to reverse in the future.

[flordehinojos]

5. before bush INVADED IRAQ, the POPE SAID, BUSH WOULD BE THE ONLY HUMAN

BEING RESPONSIBLE FOR CHANGING THE COURSE OF HUMANITY ...the Pope was referring to bush's invasion of iraq. HE JUST MAY HAVE NOT KNOWN JUST HOW TRUE THE STATEMENT WAS OF BUSH ON SO MANY OTHER COUNTS...including health care, social security, democracy here in the u.s. and on, and on, and on--like the song that never ends.

[msgadget]

6. Thanks, I'd forgotten that visit.

I wondered at the time if he'd go and he did, but he didn't respond to the Pope's wise counsel.

.

[Vinca]

7. This makes me furious.

Why are we so powerless against this idiot? Tax cuts for the megawealthy, health care cuts for everyone else. Democrats need to get in gear for 2006. Taking back Congress is becoming a life or death issue.