John Boehner, the House chairman, may be lots of things but he's no leader. He was presented by President Obama with a deal only a maniac would refuse, and he did. Obama offered him hundreds of billions of "entitlement" cuts - to Social Security and Medicare- the first time any Dem president has ever done so on this magnitude. All he asked in return was not extending the Bush tax cuts, and closing a few loopholes. Boehner's response? Basically to say in so many words: Up yours!
And so we continue to careen ever further toward the Aug. 2nd debt ceiling deadline and a possible default. Make no mistake, the horrific recession we went through two years ago will appear like a walk in the park compared to what a default will bring. No credit, not for businesses or school loans, likely missed checks by veterans and Social security recipients, and no funding by Medicare for any medical needs, or prescription assistance. Do the Reeps care? Not to hear Boehner tell it!
What most got my goat was Boehner's performance at a brief conference after stalking out of his meeting with Obama. The first words out of his mouth were:
"We are going to get the American People's spending cuts!"
Trouble is, I believe 9 of 10 Americans want NO part of them! They don't want to see 10-15% cuts in Social Security disability payments, or Social Security hamstrung by a "chained CPI" that cuts one month's benefits from them every two years. Seniors don't want to see higher Medicare premiums than what they're paying now, especially for Part B - and given the fact there've been no COLAs for 2 years!
Veterans don't wish to see their regular VA pensions "offset" by VA disability payments, i.e. if they receive $850 in the former and $360 in the latter, they don't want to see their total reduced to: $850 - $360 = $490 a month! As opposed to getting their justly earned $1210!
Parents don't wish to see their kids denied school lunches, especially when that may well be the only nutritious meal they receive for the day. Nor do poor mothers want to see the few remaining clinics for them shuttered and barred, making the only option a midnight run to the ER.
Seniors don't want to see their heating oil subisidies cut, especially when winter begins, nor do they want to see their utility assistance pared back now in the dead of summer -especially with global warming-fueled heat waves raging - in which the NIGHT time high temperatures have already broken 98 records according to the NOAA. (Night time record high temperatures are one of the predicted signatures of global warming).
So, no thanks, Mr. Boehner, spare us your cuts. Or,...if you must impose them, do so for the benefit of your Tea Bagger faithful! I'm sure they won't mind!
Meanwhile, when can we expect that you and Mr. Cantor will accept future cuts to your regular (automatic) congressional pay raises?
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