The US government has declared that massive automatic spending cuts through sequestration, (approximately 85 billion in) must be made to avert the nation from fiscal disaster. These cuts to date have only included layoffs and furloughs (underhanded way of forcing pay cuts) to government workers, reduction in military benefits, reducing/ending meals on wheels, closing & shortening of heavily relied on preschool program for low-income families, reduction of housing benefits to the poor and reduction in payment for Medicare health claims. The food stamp program, which was supposed to be exempt from sequestration is being gone after a different way- through bills designed to slash that too.
No sequester cut to date has taken any money from corporate subsidies, foreign aid or any tax haven/evading individual.
Even more striking, while the pay of most government workers face the threat of elimination or furlough everyday, the Congress is completely exempt from having their salaries or perks cut by the sequester. If these cuts are so vital to our economy, why aren’t Congress members themselves subject to it?
There are many well-respected economists & organizations that dispute the claim that without sequester cuts the country going over the fiscal edge are even true. Their research shows that reduction in corporate subsides/ welfare to high profit companies, reduction in foreign aid to “allies”, that even ones use that money to attack our interest and the closing of tax loopholes for rich corporations and individuals that shelter their profits from taxation with offshore accounts, the budget could easily go into a surplus. But they don’t have high paid lobbyist and the spending power of big corps empowered by Supreme Courts”Citizens United” decision declaring corporations are people, so their voices go unheard.
But if the situation is so critical, why aren’t these items even on the table. While the amount spent on entitlement programs for the poor is miniscule compared to the billion in corporate welfare, companies turning huge profits which obviously don’t even need this money, Congress has been able to convince enough of the nation they are fighting for our interest when they go after the most vulnerable in our nation.
I can’t see how anyone can’t see through the “smoke and mirrors argument” that the US is in critical financial straits, yet we can keep paying large government bonuses to high level officials, keep large Congressional salaries in place, etc but must crush the poor.
But since obviously since many people find that logical, why aren’t at those same folks at least curious why Congressional salaries aren’t linked to the sequester? Even if you agree we should slash the government big time, don’t you think we should be asking the harbingers of that assertion why their salaries are exempt?
If so, please sign this petition asking why they aren’t. Whether you agree with the sequester cuts being necessary or not surely you must want to know why high ranking Congress members aren’t holding themselves to the same standards they ask of their lower ranking counterparts, right?
Please click and sign Petition Why Aren’t Congressional Salaries tied to Crucial Economy Saving Sequestration Cuts Thanks!!
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