“Poverty is a state of mind.” —Dr. Ben Carson
The federal budget is like a giant mirror. It reflects the values and priorities that serve as the nation’s moral imperative. It encapsulates what the government wants to achieve through the allocation of revenue. Unlike campaign promises or rhetoric, this is where the rubber meets the road; the budget designates exactly what programs, services and people will receive funding and support and therefore who and what will benefit, and by omissions and cutbacks, who and what will not. It’s Trump’s roadmap for how to Make America Great Again through the allocation of resources. Put another way, the budget should be Trump’s manifestation of campaign promises. But it is not.
This is Trump’s budget, not the final version … that will be determined by Congress. So if it’s going to change, why bother discussing it now? The answer is that it’s important to see how Trump’s promises translate into what he hopes will be actions. This much is clear. It is a slap in the face (or a body slam if you prefer) to the many poor and middle class Americans who believed his promises and put their faith in him with their votes. It was the ultimate con.
Simply put, the people who helped put Trump over the top have been kicked to the bottom of an ever-growing heap of losers … Trump’s favorite pejorative as long as it doesn’t apply to him. Here’s Trump’s view of how to Make America Great Again over the next decade.
- Slash Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program by $850 billion affecting millions of poor families.
- Cut food stamps by $191 billion.
- Cut funding for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families by $22 billion.
- Cut Social Security Disability benefits by nearly $70 billion. Many of these cuts will hit not just families but also schools serving children with handicapping conditions.
- Cut student loans by $143 billion.
- By not addressing Social Security and Medicare retirement benefits by eliminating the employee contribution cap and increasing contributions, funds could run dry and retirees living on fixed incomes could face steep cuts in benefits.
- Women’s health will be impacted by not funding agencies offering legal abortion services, even though federal dollars already cannot be used for abortions. Free or low cost health screenings and family planning services would no longer be available through these clinics.
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will see their budget cut by 18%.
- The National Institutes of Health, the premier medical research agency, will be cut by 18%.
- Scientific research funding to the American Association for the Advancement of Science will see their budget cut by 17%.
- Services from the VA will be cut to pay for choice in medical providers.
- Public education will be cut by $11 billion, eliminating such things as after-school programs, art and physical education, foreign languages, on-going teacher training – just a sampling of the 22 programs cut or eliminated.
Here’s more; cuts in the State Department budget affecting embassy security (well, who needs that), food safety inspection, the FAA, mental health and drug rehabilitation, programs for rural areas – the impact will be felt throughout the economy and sooner or later will affect most everyone. Yes, even us. Or maybe you have $50,000 a year to pay for your nursing home; add another $50,000 for your spouse. That’s the current average cost nationwide and it’s rising. And you’ll need that nursing home because if you’re under 65, you’ll likely not be able to afford coverage for pre-existing conditions. Had a mole removed lately? So sorry. That’s a pre-existing condition.
But if you’re among the fortunate 1%, your taxes will go down bigly thanks to the elimination of the Estate Tax and the ACA. The wealthy will receive huge tax cuts. The poor, the young, the old and the sick will pay the bill. The con man cometh.
This budget will not pass as is; Congress will amend the most egregious cuts but whatever the final result, voters will remember that Trump violated their trust. No one likes being conned.
The good news is that Congress will have the final say. Further good news is that some Republicans in leadership positions are distancing themselves from the budget and, as Trump’s approval ratings sink and more information about the Russian connections roll in, from Trump himself. But since Republicans are in the majority, the end result is TBD. The good news is that 33 Senators and the entire House is up for reelection in 2018 and if Trump has forgotten his promises, voters will see to it that Congress does not.
One further comment on the impact of this budget; if Dr. Carson believes his comment
that “poverty is a state of mind,” perhaps he’d be willing to test that assertion on the people he cares for the most. Just think of the money we’d save if all that was needed were classes in the power of positive thinking.
Marsha Shearer is a Villager and frequent contributor to Villages-News.com
