A Federal Budget That Hurts

Here's my main question. What kind of people develop and present such a mean spirited and hateful budget to Congress and the American people? While Donald Trump holds meetings abroad, he has Mick Mulvaney present a federal budget that slashes programs for not just the poor, people with disabilities, and the elderly but also for rural communities, farmers and children.

I just can't comprehend the meanness, the lack of caring that is represented. This is from a campaign that presented themselves as Christian and pro-life. How can it be that people who are so pro-life don't care about children losing health insurance or people with disabilities dying from lack of supports? But there's more to it - small rural airports will lose out on aid they depend on in the transportation budget. Small towns and cities will lose community development block grants.  Students will lose needed educational support grants.

The military and wealthy Americans are the winners. The military-industrial complex never really left us but now it's certainly back in full swing. The biggest and the best Navy, Coast Guard, Air Force, etc. if we need it or not. Military contracts loom on the horizon for industrial moguls as other aspects of the budget are slashed and cut. Tax cuts for the wealthy rule vs spreading the responsibility of cost to those who can certainly afford it.

Mulvaney, Trump's Budget Director, states that there won't be any of Obama's crazy climate money in this budget as ice caps melt at record speed. The harm to the environment as well as to fragile lives is breathtaking. It's all done with a half smile or a smirk.

This is the art of the deal being played out in front of us. Present the worst and negotiate from there and do it with a straight face. Do it while putting people down or presenting them as losers. Senators can talk about a budget that's dead on arrival but the reality is that some of these proposals are going to stick. There's so much to chose from. Why do we need the Corporation for Public Broadcasting or cancer research or NASA for that matter?

This is a budget that's based on 3% growth annually for the next ten years at a time when people are beginning to realize that we are near or at full employment. The numbers just don't add up. But once cuts or reductions are set in motion turning them around will be difficult. The worst of it is that many people won't react until they are directly impacted by this budget. That includes elected officials in state, county, town and village governments. By the time they react it will be too late. People themselves need to react. People need to get on the phone, email, Tweet, march, vote and resist all of this over and over.