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Obama: Cut Domestic, Increase Military
WASHINGTON - January 26 -
JO COMERFORD
Executive director of the National Priorities Project, Comerford said today: "President Obama's plan to freeze 'non-security' discretionary spending could spell disaster for a broad range of federal programs. ... The proposed 'freeze' is actually a cut. The proposal caps non-security spending at $447 billion for each of the next three fiscal years. During that time, inflation will erode the purchasing power of that total, requiring additional cuts in services in each successive year. While meaningless in reducing the deficit, these cuts could be devastating to non-security discretionary programs such as nutrition, education, energy and transportation. These types of programs account for only 17 percent of total federal spending, yet they will absorb all of the proposed cuts. ... Military spending, which in the current fiscal year represents roughly 55 percent of discretionary spending, will be spared the budget knife. And all indications are that military spending will go up next year. In fact, based on the Office of Management and Budget's projections as part of the FY 2010 budget request released last year, we will spend an additional $522 billion on the military over the next decade."
KATHY KELLY
DAN PEARSON
Kelly and Pearson are with the group Voices for Creative Nonviolence, which is organizing the Peaceable Assembly Campaign, a series of actions to mark the beginning of President Obama's second year in office and "in support of finding alternatives to U.S. militarism." Today, over 20 Minnesotans who have come to Washington, D.C. to continue lobbying their elected representatives to stop funding war are expected to be arrested in front of the White House at a "die-in, protesting the U.S. occupation and wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, highlighting opposition to the Obama administration's recent military escalation in Afghanistan."
Kelly, who recently wrote the piece "Tough Minds, Tender Hearts," said today: "The U.S. government devotes massive resources and much sophistication to killing in Afghanistan. Would that it would spend a little to realize that its policies are creating anger. ... It costs about $1 million a year to have a U.S. soldier -- boots on the ground -- in Afghanistan. Imagine what good that money could do if spent to help the Afghan people. A governor in Afghanistan makes about $1,000 per year."
JO COMERFORD
Executive director of the National Priorities Project, Comerford said today: "President Obama's plan to freeze 'non-security' discretionary spending could spell disaster for a broad range of federal programs. ... The proposed 'freeze' is actually a cut. The proposal caps non-security spending at $447 billion for each of the next three fiscal years. During that time, inflation will erode the purchasing power of that total, requiring additional cuts in services in each successive year. While meaningless in reducing the deficit, these cuts could be devastating to non-security discretionary programs such as nutrition, education, energy and transportation. These types of programs account for only 17 percent of total federal spending, yet they will absorb all of the proposed cuts. ... Military spending, which in the current fiscal year represents roughly 55 percent of discretionary spending, will be spared the budget knife. And all indications are that military spending will go up next year. In fact, based on the Office of Management and Budget's projections as part of the FY 2010 budget request released last year, we will spend an additional $522 billion on the military over the next decade."
KATHY KELLY
DAN PEARSON
Kelly and Pearson are with the group Voices for Creative Nonviolence, which is organizing the Peaceable Assembly Campaign, a series of actions to mark the beginning of President Obama's second year in office and "in support of finding alternatives to U.S. militarism." Today, over 20 Minnesotans who have come to Washington, D.C. to continue lobbying their elected representatives to stop funding war are expected to be arrested in front of the White House at a "die-in, protesting the U.S. occupation and wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, highlighting opposition to the Obama administration's recent military escalation in Afghanistan."
Kelly, who recently wrote the piece "Tough Minds, Tender Hearts," said today: "The U.S. government devotes massive resources and much sophistication to killing in Afghanistan. Would that it would spend a little to realize that its policies are creating anger. ... It costs about $1 million a year to have a U.S. soldier -- boots on the ground -- in Afghanistan. Imagine what good that money could do if spent to help the Afghan people. A governor in Afghanistan makes about $1,000 per year."
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Show AllPresident Obama: November 21, 2009
Dear Mr. President,
The time has come that we the people of America demand a government that represents all of America's people; a government that can not be bought off. An idealistic thought indeed, but a good thought nonetheless.
Coming from the lower east side of Cleveland, I have a unique perspective of America that I would like to share with you.
It is a perspective that needs to be seen if you intend to keep your promise of a real change for America and a reelection shoe in.
I would imagine that most of the Great Lakes cities are in dire need of infrastructure reconstruction. I know that the City of Cleveland, on many levels, is in disrepair and blight. The blight in our neighborhoods has perpetrated a youthful
blighted mindset which does nothing good for our country. It is a mindset that has no hope and no work ethic. It is a mindset that keeps entrepreneurs and investors alway from our inner cities. At some point America must look at the problems of the inner city and the economic hopeless situation with which our youth are faced. I believe that time is now.
I have a proposal for you, Mr. President. It is a proposal which will help all of America through an effort to reinstate our inner city youth with something substantial, something which is spiritually rewarding, and something that will stop the blight.
A work and educational program will bring carpenters and other unemployed tradesmen to our inner cities to help with construction and renovation. Simultaneously, this will teach a trade to disadvantaged youth. Hope will come back to the table. That will bring something to our cities that is truly needed for our youth ~ pride and self esteem. It will regenerate a pride in our country and a pride in our cities. It will bring visitors to the Great Lakes region to spend their money and bring a livable economy back. This will also help with how we feel towards our government and your reelection.
I call this project ~ Project for Renovation and Pride. It will be inspired by the work and the word of a great carpenter. It came to me through carpentry and I pass it on to you through my love for Cleveland. Some call our potentially great city The City of Deliverance, which I believe is quite appropriate. If this brings success, as I believe it will, we will see a real change in America; change that will have an uplifting spiritual reawakening that will hopefully eliminate the corruption which holds US down. Come to Cleveland and we will help you keep your promise.
I believe in miracles, Mr. President, and I hope this letter helps you to believe in them as well.
Yours truly, Alan Baker Schultz
p.s; bring the boys back home
Isn't this the formula Raygun supposedly used to destroy the economy of the USSR to end the Cold War?
Why are we doing this to ourselves?
Let's cut military and national security emergency spending in half and apply some of it to the deficit and the rest to social programs like education(not the Arne Duncan variety of education but real education), and serious health care reform that puts insurance corporations out to pasture.