GOP to Audit the Poor?

[rodeodance]

http://blogs.washingtonpost.com/achenblog/?referrer=email

Posted at 01:24 PM ET, 09/22/2005

GOP to Audit the Poor?

When I go to the Hill later I'll try to ferret out, or weasel my way into, the answer to the burning question of how we are going to pay for Katrina relief. Give the House Republicans some credit for actually specifying what they'd cut in the way of spending. So many politicians hide behind generalities or vague references to pork or waste or earmarks or whatnot. At least you know where some of these House Republicans stand. Which is: We should raise taxes on the poor.

That, at least, is one possible interpretation of the list they produced yesterday. In case you missed it, here are some of the items on their Whack List:

-Delay the Medicare Prescription Drug Bill for One year
-Increase Allowable Co-pays in Medicaid
-Block Grant Medicaid Acute Services
-Reduce Farm Payment Acreage by 1%
-Eliminate Subsidized Loans to Graduate Students
-Increase Medicare Part B Premium from 25% to 30%
-Level Funding for the Peace Corps
-Eliminate the Federal Anti-Drug Advertising
-Eliminate Federal Funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting
-Eliminate State Grants for Safe and Drug-Free Schools
-Eliminate the Even Start Program
-Eliminate Teen Funding Portion of Title X Family Planning
-Eliminate Funding for Penile Implants Under Medicare

That's just a sample. Some of these items would save a lot of money, some would save very little. But there's one item that the GOP believes would save $85 billion over 10 years:

"Verify Income of Earned Income Tax Credit Participants"...........

[bullimiami]

1. well i agree the anti drug advertising is a joke and a complete waste

but how much money can they possibly save on penile implants?

[Nikki Stone 1]

2. Eliminate Subsidized Loans to Graduate Students?

This is a mistake.

[stevietheman]

3. This would be an opportunity to end the failed War on Drugs...

maybe we should try to grab this opportunity.