Something To Look Forward To

[4dogknight]

Critical Votes Loom For Hill Republicans (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/27/AR2005082700696.html?referrer=email&referrer=email)

{snip}
"Lawmakers are drafting proposals that would cut billions of dollars from the growth of Medicaid, slice into student loans just as students return to college, pare back food stamps and trim farm price supports in the midst of a midwestern drought.

The raft of bills, due out of 16 committees in the House and Senate by Sept. 16, will present the Republican Party its toughest test of fiscal austerity in nearly a decade. For years, the party has embraced the rhetoric of small government while overseeing legislation that has helped boost federal spending by more than a third since the GOP took control of Congress 10 years ago. Now, Republican lawmakers will be faced with the tough votes needed to slow that growth and enact the first cuts in entitlement spending since 1997."

{snip}
"The impact of the bills will be broad:

· The energy committees will produce legislation to open Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling to secure $2.4 billion in royalties and other payments.

· The Senate Finance Committee is trying to find as much as $10 billion in savings from Medicaid, trimming anticipated growth by as much as 13 percent at a time when states such as Tennessee and Missouri are throwing tens of thousands of people off their Medicaid rosters.

· The Senate agriculture committee will try to trim farm price supports by $2.4 billion through 2010 while cutting an additional $600 million from food stamps.

· Senate aides are crafting legislation to cut $7 billion from the federal student loan program.

· The House and Senate education and labor committees are expected to draft legislation to raise the premiums corporations pay to the troubled Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. from $16 to $31 per worker, a move that would improve the government's balance sheet by $6.5 billion.

The bills are mandated by a budget resolution that passed this spring, after acrimonious debate. The budget blueprint mandated $35 billion in entitlement savings over five years, along with $70 billion in tax cuts over that period. By parliamentary rules, the resolution ensures that both the spending and tax cut packages cannot be filibustered, and thus can pass the Senate with a simple majority of 51 votes.

Such rules were established by the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974, specifically to facilitate passage of tough deficit-reduction measures. But since the GOP took control of Congress and the White House, the rules have been used instead to ease passage of President Bush's major tax cuts. This year, amid pledges of fiscal discipline, Republican lawmakers vowed to restore the budget act's original intent. Now, they have just weeks to turn the abstract pledges of the 2006 budget resolution into detailed legislation."

COMMENT: Please read both pages of the article. I assure you there is enough information on a variety of issues to either depress you or make you fighting mad. When I read the article yesterday I lapsed into depression but then when I read it this afternoon, I quickly morphed into my angry little old lady fighting mode, ready to go for the throat or anything else I can reach.

I'm sure everyone has an idea on why this is a bad (or good) path to take at this point in time.

4dk

[EigthAv]

Simply put,we are running out of money.Maybe it's time to draw a line in the Iraqi sand.Let the Sunnis know they can like it or lump it(the new constitution) and create a rapid exit strategy so we can more properly deal with domestic issues.Katrina is going to be very very costly.Drought and wildfires in the west are very very costly.Some tough decisions are going to have to be made.

[madison]

Well. Eighth,
For once I clearly understand and agree with you. We are facing some difficult decisions for years/decades to come.
JMIO.

[EigthAv]

Mother L,it's way worse......Katrina destruction......than it looked 24 hours ago.New Orleans and other areas are kaput.The residual effect will reach everyone in the USA because of the Gulf region's role in oil production.It's another worst nightmare come to life. If we can't do both..........nurse Iraq to a nice democracy and save our own hineys.........I vote for saving our hineys.

[Krista]

Its so sad too. So many historical buildings in New Orleans, just gone :(

[EigthAv]

DMB,from what I've heard and don't take me to the bank,because it's "hearsay",most of the olde quaint historical houses and buildings survived.The worst devestation is the shotgun houses and the projects. It's time to immediatly stop this pointing fingers at each other and let's all get together and save the cities,towns and villages.Do that first and then we can all argue over who is to blame. I would love to believ that if the proverbial "big one" ever does hit LA and Frisco,America won't waste time arguing over "who did it" before we get together and help remedy the disaster.It's not just New Orleans.Katrina laid waste to vast areas of Mississipi and kicked Mobile's teeth out.There are whole towns that aren't there there anymore. I urge all MKFers to give what you can.Things are tore up pretty bad down here and most of us will be honestly greatful for any all of your help.

[missmarysgarden]

You can bet your life that if this Hurricane had hit a heavily-populated lily white metro in the north, people would have had food and water in 24 hours.

[madison]

missmarysgarden,
You'll get no argument from me here. It's America at its worst - absolute worst.

[EigthAv]

What is the first thing you think of when a hurricane tells you,"ready or not,here I come"? You can either run or fight.If you are going run,run fast. If you plan to fight,gather up enough good reliable drinking water in bottles and/or clean jugs to last at least a week,a whole 30 gallon trash bag full of viennas,package cheese and other portable foods,at least one self defense weapon,a stone good flashlight and fight it like hell!!! If you don't own some sort of boat or raft,buy one,steal one or run like hell. I feel for the children,disabled,mentally challenged and elderly folks of New Orleans.I have 0 sympathy for the able bodied-legally sane minded adults who scoffed at such a loud warning.Katrina was as big as the entire Gulf of Mexico,traveling slow and spinning at a rate of 125 to 150 mph.400 miles wide.Pissed off,very.If you ignored her warning in favour of "something more interesting",may God help you,because Mike don't help idiots. Uncle Sam ain't your real Uncle.If you have children,it's up to you to protect them.Sometimes you have to protect them against our dear olde Unkle.This time,it was a demonic she beast from the Atlantic who huffed and puffed and blew huge chunks of the deep south away.I'm told her sisters are worse.:eek Pay attention.We are in a pattern.The gulf region is going to enjoy/fear hurricane alley as we have never known it for several more years. High pressure in the New England area and low pressure in the gulf region is much like a double decker,enourmous,avant garde kettle for brewing up the more wicked hurricanes.Situation whereas by 2008,Montgomery could become beachfront property.

[Krista]

I have to say one thing I noticed about the "refugees" in the US, and the refugees in 3rd world countries. The ones here in the US, sit in one place and scream about people not doing enough for them. The ones in 3rd world countries start walking in the right direction and doing anything they can to survive. Its no ones job but your own, to make sure you survive.

The people are risking their lives right now against snipers in New Orleans and other violence, because people that were FULLY capable of getting out when there was warning, didnt. I totally understand the disabled and elderly not being able to get out, but anyone else who did not start walking, was not very smart. Living in NC there are plenty of hurricanes that come through here, and its the same here. People don't want to leave their house. I understand that its your house and you don't want to leave it because it cost your salary etc, but guess what? the house isn't going to be there anymore!

They don't call New Orleans the Big Easy for nothing. We're seeing it in full force atm. "take care of me, give me this, you aren't doing enough of this and you aren't doing it fast enough" This is a horrible crisis and I feel for people, but some of them should have taken better precaution, and not point the finger at those who had nothing to do with their immediate situation before the hurricane struck.

Not to mention some of the policemen who have just abandoned the people(not all of them, mind you. there are still very many police trying to help)

[Krista]

www.nytimes.com/2005/09/0...nted=print (http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/04/opinion/04rice.html?ei=5090&en=ce2f33f8719dba9c&ex=1283486400&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss&pagewanted=print)

And on the other side of things, here's an article by the author Anne Rice.

I can see where she is coming from as well.

[madison]

DMBChic,
I can't remember how old you are, but do you remember Rwanda? It didn't matter which direction people sought safety, death was all around them.

That's a little like New Orleans. The ones that could, left for the most part; the people who couldn't, stayed behind. Many were told info that wasn't true - so many stayed put hour after hour in 95+ heat where they were told to, and no help was forthcoming. That would make me scream, too. Wouldn't you?

Holding a baby with no place or means to change a diaper. Having no water to even wet the lips of a dying elderly person. Needing medication so you or your loved one doesn't die from insulin shock.

Myself, I'd be hard pressed to wade through feces-contaminated flood water with dead bodies floating along side. Yes, I'd be screaming, in Rwanda or New Orleans. People are people, no matter what language they speak.

Just a thought.

[Lanternlight]

They don't call New Orleans the Big Easy for nothing. We're seeing it in full force atm. "take care of me, give me this, you aren't doing enough of this and you aren't doing it fast enough" This is a horrible crisis and I feel for people, but some of them should have taken better precaution, and not point the finger at those who had nothing to do with their immediate situation before the hurricane struck.

One of the most misinformed statements I have ever read. I am not going to say anything else, because of how angry this type of entitled rant makes me.

God Bless the suffering people. God forgive us for ignoring those in their hour of need.

[Sparks]

One point: The people you saw on television who were crying for help did EXACTLY what the authorities TOLD them to do...Walk to the Superdome, go to the convention center...those who kept walking became stranded on a freeway. They are law-abiding Americans and were ignored...

I wonder if Bush and his Congress is going to repeal the cruel bankruptcy law they just passed? What is going to happen to those lower-middle class Americans who left their beloved city, lost their homes, and their jobs? There are no jobs to return to.
They have had to live on their credit cards, through no fault of their own. I imagine that the poverty and bankruptcy rates throught this country will skyrocket. :(

[Lanternlight]

I wonder if Bush and his Congress is going to repeal the cruel bankruptcy law they just passed?

There's two chances of that happening. Slim and none. Slim just left town. I also hear that the estate tax repeal will be voted on as scheduled.

However, in the service of optimism, Democrats are proposing exception to the new bankruptcy rules for victims of Katrina.

[EigthAv]

DMB made a few good points.I think most of the people who got stuck are innocent.There are some who really will sit on their butts until hell freezes over expecting others to do everything for them.I know people in my own family like that.They want it on a silver platter and also compalin more than folks who work for it.I've never had to flee from a hurricane,but have had to get my own self out of a river before,climb a river bank,go over a fence,walk over a mile to get to where I could buy a ride to call for help and do it all on a badly injured foot/ankle/calf. I tried sitting there on the river bank,yelling and waving at passing boats for help.They thought I just waving and waved back.No one offered me a free ride or use of a phone.Was it because I was a white man walking into a mostly black area? I don't think so. I got myself in a bad situation and got myself out of it.I was about ready to confess to some crime I didn't even commit so the local law would take me to jail.At least there,there would have been a chance for some medical treatment.I don't expect everyone to think like that.I did have some survival training as a youth.You sometimes have to take the,"I would have done this or that" out and remember it isn't you.I have to remind myself of this sometimes.I'm not in the flood.I'm not in the devastated regions of Mississippi or coastal Alabama.It's easy to sit in comfort and second guess others.I ain't got it so bad.Electricity,gas,hot and cold running water,fans,screens on the widows,even msntv. I can say what I might've done had I been in one of those ares,but I wasn't and I might've been crazy enough to ride it out.Help is pouring in from all the World,even Sri Lanka.I'm donating what I can and urging others to donate.There have been moves made already so that the usual unemployment rules can be bent so as to assist hurricane victims.Churchs are kicking in.Even for those who did evacuate the ravaged areas,many of them will have no homes left to go home to.No job to get back on.In some cases,no hometown because the whole town was flattened.People who live in coastal areas and tornado alleys need to be educated about the risks and need to have their own contingency plans.You can't just tie them up and cram this knowledge in their heads or force them to arm themselves with pratical plans.We can take steps to make this sort education a part of every elementary and middle school in such regions.You are more likely to reach the kids in many cases than their parents.When I was in 3rd and fourth grades,we learned about the risks of nuclear war and fallout.At 10 years olde,I could have guided my family to the nearest fallout shelter or let them know that I was running as far from our local Air Bases where the warheads were aimed at as possible and suggested we all run fast.Depends on the scale of the war.At 10. I probably had a more open mind then than I do now and was just as street wise.Survival is just as important as the rest of the subjects.