Latest Cuts To The Stim Package: Head Start, Child Nutrition, Food Stamps Public Transit

[1776Forever]

The Plum LineGreg Sargent's blog
Latest Cuts To The Stim Package: Head Start, Child Nutrition, Food Stamps Public Transit

http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/stimulus-package/latest-cuts-to-the-stim-package-head-start-child-nutrition-food-stamps-public-transit/

I’ve just obtained an internal Senate committee memo detailing the latest cuts being eyed by the gang of Senators being led by Dem Ben Nelson and GOPer Susan Collins. Here is what’s being eyed in the bill right now:

*****************************

Total Reductions: $80 billion

Eliminations:

Head Start, Education for the Disadvantaged, School improvement, Child Nutrition, Firefighters, Transportation Security Administration, Coast Guard, Prisons, COPS Hiring, Violence Against Women, NASA, NSF, Western Area Power Administration, CDC, Food Stamps

*****************************

Reductions:

Public Transit $3.4 billion, School Construction $60 billion

*****************************

Increases:

Defense operations and procurement, STAG Grants, Brownfields, Additional transportation funding

*****************************

Nelson spokesperson Clay Westrope confirms the authenticity of the memo, adding that the figures obviously could change. But this is currently the general direction.

As you can see the amount being cut appears to have fallen, to a total of $80 billion, though Westrope says the actual number is closer to $100 billion. Also, it appears some of those cuts are being maintained even as defense funds appear to be getting added.

...........

Oh - Right - Repub's base is taken care of - To Hell with the people's needs!

[Mojambo]

1. Bipartisanship = More kids going to bed without eating every night.

FUCK bipartisanship.

[Phx_Dem]

25. Kids don't need food.

They can eat dirt, ants, peanut butter from Georgia, whatever.

:sarcasm:

Republicans are filthy PIGS.

[Rocknrule]

51. That money would be so much better spent

buying Hummers, Learjets, multiple mansions, rack of lamb, and lobster for Republicans

:sarcasm:

[Honeycombe8]

44. Is there something in the bill that takes away food from children? I haven't seem that provision.nt

[Critters2]

2. Public transit and schools....God fucking dammit!!!

What the hell do these people think taxes SHOULD support?!! :banghead:

[amborin]

28. we need MASSIVE BILLIONS for public transportation

this is horrible

same goes for head start, etc.....

rethugs are getting their way?

[liskddksil]

3. Call your senator now [phone] and demand they vote against these cuts!

[trueblue2007]

24. I just called Sen Wyden's office / Oregon. I SAID I AM AGAINST THIS

i TOLD THE YOUNG MAN that this is caving into the STINGY, selfish GOP. WE SHOULD NOT BE CUTTING CHILDREN, PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.

I said PLEASE stand up to the GOPS. Tell Harry Reid to stop being weak!!


I hope this message gets across to Wyden and others. Caving into the GOP is a desperate STUPID measure.

I have voted for Wyden every time. If he caves in, I will find it very hard to every trust or support him again.

I'm mad as HECK that the Gopigs are screwing up this country. I dispise this.

[sandnsea]

27. $800 billion dollars is going to be GONE

people aren't going to even be able to get food stamps - and they're going to blame Democrats.

[Parker CA]

4. Such F-ING bastards. Pedal to the metal with *'s trillions for war, but suddenly they have

a sense of fiscal responsibility when they won't be profiteering from war or getting rich via some other means. Stick it to the average Joe/Jane and tell us to deal with it. Absolutely ridiculous.

Coburn needs a muzzle. He actually said "no government job creates wealth." Absolute idiot. They are so scared this is going to work, they are doing ANYthing they can to stop it from happening.

[Pirate Smile]

According to TPM:

So Much For a Vote Today

Looks like Harry Reid is telling negotiators on the stimulus bill that if they're going to cut the size of the spending provisions, then they should reduce some of the tax cuts in the bill, too.

--David Kurtz

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2009/02/so_much_for_a_vote_today.php

[liskddksil]

8. thats good news

even if it means delaying the vote till monday.

[Pirate Smile]

5. Dupe

[FrenchieCat]

6. "latest cuts being eyed by the gang of Senators"

meaning the cuts have not been made.

[1776Forever]

10. Yes - but from this we can see what they are "negotiating" - Not good I think.

Too bad they are bringing more defense $$ in the mix. I cannot believe it. Makes me ill!

[Wapsie B]

7. No cuts. No appeasing the gop. Draw the line in the sand now.

They lost. They need to get over it. They're quickly becoming an irrelevant, regional party. And they need to be dealt with as such.

[xiamiam]

15. dinosaurs...its a new day..burnt toast in just a matter of time..nt

[liberal N proud]

9. The masses suffer at the hands of the few

The GOP should be proud of themselves. Which I am sure they are. The have prevented relief for so many, halted the much needed assistance to a failed education system all while sustaining the pollution levels and increased the number of bombs.


It is a sick twisted society that sees this as normal or OK.

[Thrill]

11. Taking $60 billion from School Construction is Bullshit

WTH is wrong with these Blue Dog Democrats? This is nonsense

[Sebastian Doyle]

13. They aren't Democrats

They never were, and that's the truth of it. And it's time to get rid of them.

[riskpeace]

21. I think that must be a typo and should be $6.0

There was only $14 billion in there for school construction in the House.

[Blue_In_AK]

12. Oh, my God.

Someone please stop these idiots.

[bluestateguy]

14. I'm for cutting the appropriations to prisons

If prison budgets are cut then states and the Feds will be forced to release non-violent drug offenders. In the long run it costs more to keep them in jail.

[WinkyDink]

20. Think again. Prisoners are being charged "rent" in some places, and for food.

[bluestateguy]

22. And if they can't pay the rent?

I'm not sure that that is constitutional.

[crimsonblue]

16. It is absolutely idiotic to be cutting food stamps

Food stamps are THE best stimulus. They are distributed and used very quickly. Fuck these fuckers.

[LatteLibertine]

17. Whew

Those eliminations, reductions and increases really make me want to spew a litany of profanity. I thought we won?

[ShortnFiery]

18. Blue Dogs = Whores for Corporations

[WinkyDink]

19. Come on, people! Save the Bankers! Rich people know how to spend!

[Vinca]

23. Food stamps? They cut food stamps?

It boggles the mind. Beside our moral obligation to be sure our fellow citizens are fed, the stamps would be spent immediately and that's the point of this whole exercise.

[ecstatic]

26. What part of "We won" do the senate dems not understand?

:shrug:

[kiranon]

30. I don't get it either. Education, food stamps, Head Start, Transit need funding.

This is not pork and creates jobs, allows people to get to their jobs or look for jobs or have the necessary skills to do the job.

[DesertRat]

29. @%&!!@!!!!!!!

:mad: :cry:

[HOLOS]

31. Proof All RepugsDeserve Prosecution for Treason (and a few D's)

[Doctor_J]

32. Yep, another big win for Harry Chamberlain

He has a lot of nerve bragging about it.

[amborin]

33. these cuts are terrible

we desperately need massive funding for public transportation

and we need the other programs funded

[dpbrown]

34. Fuck them. Tax the fucking rich and let's get going!

They're cutting everything that people need. For what? More tax cuts?

The Republicans fucking win again.

[tavalon]

35. This is not the one and only jobs stimulus package

They will be coming fast and furious and every one of our favorite projects will get so much money it will boggle. Don't sweat the small stuff (not calling any of that small, just saying it will come around again). We are on a precipice. It might not have been as fine a precipice if fucknuts Bush had done anything but line his cronies pockets but he didn't and we saw him do it and there nothing to be done now. If we don't get something out there pretty much now, this country will pass the tipping point and even though my grandparents both lived through the depression I have no interest in comparing notes. We are falling.

[BrklynLiberal]

36. Disappointing...very disapppointing.

[Two Americas]

37. question

If the Democrats cave now, on this, with a new and extremely popular Democratic administration, with control of both houses of Congress, with the fate of the country hanging in the balance, then when would they ever fight? How can things get better from here? How can we take "baby steps?"

This may be the high water mark, as close as we ever get, as strong as the Democrats will ever be.

Now what?

[depakid]

38. What needs to happen is for Democrats to target specific states for cuts

and others for increased funding.

Like Maine and Nebraska- along with the other "usual suspects." They don't like the stimulus- fine, your funds are slashed.

That's basicallt putting the money where their mouth is.

[MadHound]

39. The stimulus is hanging by a thread,

If these cuts go through, then frankly the bill needs to be scrapped and we start from the beginning. And this time fuck the bipartisan bullshit, no tax cuts, and throw back in family planning and everything else the 'Pugs wanted out.

If Reid, Pelosi and Obama can't bring the Dems into line, then we're truly fucked, and the Democratic party will be proving just how irrelevant they are.

If this shit is cut out, it's not going to be a stimulus bill, it's going another pork and tax cut bill that won't do a damn thing except add to our debt. How anybody, much less Democrats find fault with some of this stuff, think that projects like school construction isn't a stimulus is just fucking insane

Once again, Obama needs to stop this bipartisan bullshit, he's going to do the same thing that Clinton did, give away the farm and in essence become a moderate fucking 'Pug.

[Baikonour]

40. I'm completely fine with NASA being cut out.

They already waste the money they receive.

But can someone please explain why STAG was increased while improvements to schools were cut?

[Honeycombe8]

41. I'm okay with cuts. I think it's right that some parts, while good, are not "stimulus."

As Susan Collins said - and I agree with her - there are good programs in the bill that should be done, but they are not stimulating to the economy and should not be in this stimulus bill. They should be in the regular budget bill.

[senaca]

42. I see it another way.

Food stamps are stimulus to grocers, head start stimulus to education, and public transit is a stimulus to transit. Whose to say cuts in head start, food stamps and public transit would not lead to cuts in jobs in these sectors? Particularly food stamps. If people can't feed their families in the end it will be harder to perform jobs to the best of their abilities and will eventually lead to health problems/susceptability to disease in which the cost to taxpayers would be higher than the original food stamp amount. It's all very short sided.

[Honeycombe8]

43. There isn't a "cut" to head start or food stamps. There is simply not an increase in them in the

stimulus bill. This doesn't mean there won't be an increase to them in the regular budgeting bill.

I don't think food stamps would kickstart the economy much. Not compared with other projects, like building roads and bridges, that'll bring tens of thousands of jobs into the economy. Those people will get off unemployment rolls, and then have money to buy groceries, electronics, clothing, and other items.

Food stamps....very worthy program. It's not being cut at all. It should be increased, but this is a bill strictly for the purpose of kickstarting the economy. It's not a budget bill.

I think many people are confusing the two things: what is good for poor people, and what will kickstart the economy (and therefore be good for poor people and all other people in the economy). And they are not mutually exclusive....food stamps and other programs can and will STILL be addressed like they always are....in regular budgeting bills.

[senaca]

52. I respectfully disagree that this is not a cut.

The rate of people becoming unemployed and in need is increasing at a staggering rate. To keep these programs at stasis in funding is essentially a cut to funding in the programs.

I can't understand how food stamps would be not be a stimulus since that is money being spent for food and a basic need. It helps the grocery industry, the trucking industry, farmers, ranchers etc. If people cut back on food due to inability to pay in large numbers, it would surely effect these industries.

After this stimulus bill is passed, how soon would regular budgeting bills be passed before we have people dying of starvation or related side issues? It is taking forever for the stimulus package to pass. They are not going to want to extend funding for other things soon. In this respect we are being penny wise and pound foolish.

[Honeycombe8]

54. You're talking a philosophical "cut." In reality, a cut is a decrease. There is no decrease.

Another poster corrected me and convinced me that it is a stimulus. I stand corrected on that.

But even if it's not in the stimulus bill, don't forget that this has ALWAYS been in the regular budgeting. So it's not like it's canned.

And neither I nor you are economists, to know how much stimulus increasing food stamps would bring. Even economists probably don't know the answer to that one.

I think it should be kept in. But it doesn't look as if anyone's asking ME.

[Maven]

45. MORE for DEFENSE?!?!

How is universal health care ever going to happen with priorities this FUCKED?

[Ishoutandscream2]

46. Increase defense spending!!

Yeah, that's the ticket!! The military industrial complex has really been hurting lately. Oh, and yes

:sarcasm: :sarcasm:

[rucky]

47. why do they hate America?

i'm not kidding for once. that's what this sounds like.

[LittleBlue]

48. NASA? WTF? Why was this in the bill to begin with?

Why did we spend so much political capital on these ultimately doomed-to-fail irrelevant spending projects?

[Sebastian Doyle]

49. So basically its "Fuck the poor, let's have more WAR"??

So much for Susan Collins being a "moderate" Republican.... :eyes:

And Nelson, worse than useless, as usual. :puke:

[blindpig]

50. When this thing finally passes

maybe people will begin to see what kind of country this really is.

Obama and the congress critters will fold every chance they can get, with a few inadequate fig leaves which they will disingenuously triumph.

What happened in November meant absolutely nothing, Some 'win'.

[PurityOfEssence]

53. Even as they were impeaching him, Clinton STILL thought he could get the reactionaries to love him

if he just moved the country a little more to the right.

He probably still does.

Notice how fast the contraception was thrown out of the House bill, and it DIDN'T GET A SINGLE REPUBLICAN VOTE.

After the effort has been made toward bipartisanship, one should follow one's heart in a partisan way. If not, one is looking for cover, and that's not leadership.

[Cha]

55. Really. Fuck

them.

[Lorien]

56. Food stamps-the single most effective way to stimulate the economy

why pass anything at all if we're just going to be flushing taxpayer dollars down a hole? More Defense spending? Are they f-ing kidding us??

[GinaMaria]

60. yep food stamps and extending unemployment insurance

followed by infrastructure. Everything the NeoCONS hate and Obama and team had in the original plan, no?

[LeftAlone]

57. I'm Ambivalent

The stated objective of the stimulus is too inject currency into a cash-starved economy.

This is NOT to say that people who have lost jobs don't need assistance but assistance programs do not create jobs they merely stave off the effects of jobs lost.

I would agree to seeing assistance programs bolstered in sebsequent legislation so long as it was not unduly delayed. But we do need to get a handle on bills serving as covers for amendments that have nothing to do with the primary intent of the initial legislation. This is where the BS earmarks come from. Let stimulus bill be about stimulus and assistance bills be about assistance. The catch-all nature of this "stimulus" bill is giving the GOP the political cover it needs to obstruct. If we dealt with assistance programs seperately the GOP would be pilloried for crapping on people in need as well as be without an excuse to oppose the stimulus.

My ambivalence comes from the fact that the die is already cast and I find myself supporting a bill I would oppose because it is so poorly constructed and politically vulnerable nonetheless MUST be passed lest no aid will ever be manifested for the creation of jobs or aiding those that lost their jobs. Add to that: if it dies Obama loses major political capital and the GOP stages a strategic victory in their insurgency.

I fully blame Pelosi's lack political acumen. She is far too clumsy to adequately deal with the entrenched GOP.

[Bettie]

58. These people make me sick

And WHEN are the Dems going to collectively grow a spine and SHUT THESE A@@holes DOWN!?!?

We won, our side, the people who actually care about the most important part of our country, the people!

I can't believe that Reid/Pelosi are listening to the whining Republican babies.

[GinaMaria]

59. Moody's report

This came from Believing Is Art

www.economy.com/mark-zandi/documents/assissing-the-impa...

with a message to look at the table on page 4.

This report was done in 2008 during talk of a * Stimulus plan. It lists the top (in terms of bang for the buck) economic stimulus measures. The top four are all under Spending Increases. In order of impact they are:

1. Temporary increase in food stamps
2. Extending Unemployment Insurance
3. Increased Infrastructure Spending
4. General Aid to state governments.

Tax cuts come after these four. The tax cut with the most bang for the buck is

5. Refundable lump sum tax rebate (this is the kind of tax cut the neocons hate, go figure)