The recent budget proposal that President Bush submitted to Congress proposes to cut the growth of Medicare and Medicaid by over 100 billions dollars over the next five years while providing an additional 245 billion in spending on the occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan. And why do we need to cut the projected growth of these healthcare programs? Bush has "cited the need for fiscal responsibility". Let that stew for a minute. Suddenly the mad spender is feeling fiscally responsible. Suddenly the father of the largest budget deficit in the history of the world is having a moment of doubt about his reckless budget policies.. Bush never cared about running record deficits while his greedy cohorts were in power. Let us not forget, Bush never saw a republican spending bill he couldn't sign even when they were loaded with goodies for the folks back home. He did not veto one spending bill no matter how much the spend crazy republicans loaded it up for their friends. Now that the republicans are thankfully out on their asses Bush wants to rein in spending. And look who he chooses to pay the price for his irresponsibility, It is easy for Bush to pick on elderly Americans because they aren't going to fund his retirement. Here's a thought. Why not a wind fall profit tax on the oil profiteers? Why not repeal the tax cuts on the wealthiest Americans? Why not cut all of the giveaways to corporate America? Better yet, end the occupations and take the 245 billion and put it into Medicare and Medicaid. It is completely inexcusable to spend money rebuilding and providing security in Iraq and then telling Americans we don't have funds to rebuild our own infrastructure or take care of elderly Americans. Bush ran on a philosophy he called "compassionate conservatism". His spending has been anything but conservative and once again his priorities show no compassion.
__________________________
Work and struggle and never accept an evil that you can change -- Andre Gide
