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boutons_deux
04-26-2013, 01:02 PM
but:

12 Programs Congress Refuses To Save From Automatic Spending Cuts (http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2013/04/26/1927581/12-programs-congress-refuses-to-save-from-automatic-spending-cuts/)

1. Long-term unemployment: There are 4.7 million Americans who have been unemployed for longer than six months, but sequestration cut federal long-term unemployment insurance checks by up to 10.7 percent (http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2013/04/02/1810621/sequester-budget-cuts-unemployment-insurance/), costing recipients as much as $450 over the rest of the year. Those cuts compound the cuts eight (http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2013/02/11/1569621/states-cut-unemployment-insurance/) states (http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2013/02/19/1610571/north-carolina-unemployment-cuts/) have made to their unemployment programs, and 11 states (http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2013/02/19/1610571/north-carolina-unemployment-cuts/) are considering dropping the federal program altogether because of sequestration — even though the long-term unemployed are finding it nearly impossible (http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2013/04/16/1867941/long-term-unemployed-chart/) to return to work.


2. Head Start: Low-income children across the country have been kicked out of Head Start (http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2013/03/15/1725841/head-start-sequestration/) education programs because of the 5-percent cuts mandated by sequestration, as states have cut bus transportation services and started conducting lotteries to determine which kids would no longer have access to the program, even though the preschool program has been proven to have substantial benefits (http://thinkprogress.org/education/2011/03/25/177541/gop-shrug-head-start/) for low-income children. In all, about 70,000 children will lose access to Head Start and Early Head Start programs.

3. Cancer treatment: Budget cuts have forced doctors and cancer clinics to deny chemotherapy treatments (http://thinkprogress.org/health/2013/04/04/1819811/sequestration-cancer-clinics/) to thousands of cancer patients thanks to a 2 percent cut to Medicare. One clinic in New York has refused to see more than 5,000 (http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/04/03/cancer-clinics-are-turning-away-thousands-of-medicare-patients-blame-the-sequester/) of its Medicare patients, and many cancer patients have had to travel to other states to receive their treatments, an option that obviously isn’t available to lower-income people. Rep. Renee Ellmers (R-NC) proposed restoring the funding (http://thinkprogress.org/health/2013/04/10/1845591/gop-congresswoman-cancer-sequester/), but the legislation so far hasn’t moved in Congress.

4. Health research: The National Institutes of Health lost $1.6 billion thanks to sequestration, jeopardizing important health research into AIDS, cancer, and other diseases. That won’t just impact research and the people who do it, though. It will also hurt the economy, costing the U.S. $860 billion in lost economic growth and at least 500,000 jobs (http://www.cnbc.com/id/100444803). Budget cuts will also hamper research at colleges and universities.

5. Low-income housing: 140,000 low-income families — primarily seniors with disabilities and families with children — will lose rental assistance (http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2013/04/03/1815401/budget-cuts-to-deny-rent-assistance-for-140000-low-income-families/) thanks to sequestration’s budget cuts. Even worse, the cuts could likely make rent and housing more expensive for those families, as agencies raise costs to offset the pain of budget cuts, and sequestration will also cut from programs that aid the homeless and fund the construction of low-income housing.

6. Student aid: Sequestration is already raising fees (http://thinkprogress.org/education/2013/03/18/1736531/sequestration-student-loans/) on Direct student loans, increasing costs for students who are already buried in debt. The budget cuts reduce funding for federal work study grants by $49 million and for
educational opportunity grants by $37 million, and the total cuts will cost 70,000 college students (http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2013/02/sequester-snapshot-student-loans/) access to grants they depend on.

7. Meals On Wheels: Local Meals on Wheels programs, which help low-income and disabled seniors access food, have faced hundreds of thousands of dollars in cuts (http://www.kansascity.com/2013/04/02/4157140/sequestration-may-mean-hard-times.html), costing tens of thousands of seniors access to the program. Many of those seniors have little access to food without the program, but Congress has made no effort to replace the funding.

8. Women, Infant, and Children programs: WIC helps 9 million low-income women and children (http://www.cbpp.org/cms/?fa=view&id=3909) with nutrition and health care referrals. Among these women, the program has led to healthier births, a higher intake of important nutrients, and a strong connection to preventative services. Sequestration means that the program would have to cut off about 600,000 participants (http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/02/08/fact-sheet-examples-how-sequester-would-impact-middle-class-families-job).

9. Heating assistance: The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) helps nearly 9 million households afford their heating and cooling bills. Sequestration will cut the program by an estimated $180 million, meaning about 400,000 households will no longer receive aid (http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2013/02/22/1626221/10-ways-the-sequester-will-expose-americans-to-greater-health-risks-and-other-perils/). These cuts come on top of $1.6 billion in reductions (http://markey.house.gov/press-release/markey-mcgovern-welch-protect-liheap-sequester-cuts) since 2010.

10. Workplace safety: The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has long suffered from a lack of funds, which means its staff is so stretched that many workplaces go without an inspection for 99 years (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324763404578431270477197746.html). The fertilizer plant that exploded in West, Texas, for example, hadn’t had a visit from OSHA since 1985 (http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2013/04/19/1893601/update-last-inspection-of-west-texas-fertilizer-plant-was-in-1985/). That will get worse, as sequestration will cut the agency’s budget by $564.8 million (http://info.emilcott.com/ehswire-blog/bid/272939/How-Will-The-Sequester-Cuts-Affect-OSHA), likely leading to 1,200 fewer workplace inspections (http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/02/08/fact-sheet-examples-how-sequester-would-impact-middle-class-families-job).

11. Obamacare: Sequestration cuts a number of important programs in the Affordable Care Act (http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2013/03/02/1662271/the-dumbest-and-most-devastating-sequester-cuts/): $13 million from the Consumer Operated and Oriented Plan Program, or CO-OPs; $57 million from the Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control program; $51 million from the Prevention and Public Health Fund; $27 million from the State Grants and Demonstrations program; and $44 million from the Affordable Insurance Exchange Grants program, or the insurance exchanges.

12. Child care: Child care costs can exceed rent payments or college tuition (http://www.naccrra.org/sites/default/files/default_site_pages/2012/cost_report_2012_final_081012_0.pdf) and waiting lists for getting assistance are already long. Yet sequestration will reduce funds even further, meaning that 30,000 children (http://www.nwlc.org/what-federal-budget-sequestration-will-mean-child-care-and-head-start) will lose subsidies for care. For example, Arizona will experience a $3 million cut to funding (http://www.azcentral.com/news/politics/articles/20130325cps-oversight-committee-talks-sequester-effects.html) that will force 1,000 out of care.

http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2013/04/26/1927581/12-programs-congress-refuses-to-save-from-automatic-spending-cuts/

Wild Cobra
04-26-2013, 01:03 PM
Why don't you fund these programs then, if you like them so much?

boutons_deux
04-26-2013, 01:08 PM
because I'm not looking for them :lol

Wild Cobra
04-26-2013, 01:12 PM
because I'm not looking for them :lol
Ooops...

I meant "fund." The damn "i" key jumped in front of the "u" key.

boutons_deux
04-26-2013, 01:25 PM
they have been funded, but have been defunded by the 1% gaming the system to cut its fair share of taxes.

Wild Cobra
04-26-2013, 01:38 PM
they have been funded, but have been defunded by the 1% gaming the system to cut its fair share of taxes.
And most these programs should be funded by charities. Not tax dollars.

boutons_deux
04-27-2013, 10:33 AM
Earth to Washington: Repeal the Sequester

Economic forecasters exist to make astrologers look good. Most had forecast growth of at least 3 percent (on an annualized basis) in the first quarter. But we learned this morning (http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-04-26/economy-in-u-s-grows-at-faster-pace-as-consumers-boost-spending.html%5D) (in the Commerce Department’s report) it grew only 2.5 percent.
That’s better than the 2 percent growth last year and the slowdown at the end of the year. But it’s still cause for serious concern.

First, consumers won’t keep up the spending.Their savings rate fell sharply — from 4.7% in the last quarter of 2012 to 2.6% from January through March.
Add in March’s dismal employment report, the lowest percentage of working-age adults in jobs since 1979, and January’s hike in payroll taxes (http://robertreich.org/post/48943124297#), and consumer spending will almost certainly drop.

Median household incomes continues to decline, adjusted for inflation. Another report out today showed consumer confidence fell in April.

Second, the recovery continues to be wildly lopsided. The only thing really keeping it going is the rip-roaring stock market. But the stock market only boosts the wealth of the richest 10 percent of Americans, who own 90 percent of stocks (including 401-K retirement accounts (http://robertreich.org/post/48943124297#)).

But no economy can maintain momentum just on the spending of the richest 10 percent.

Third, American exports can’t possibly pick up the slack. In fact, they’re dropping. Europe is falling into recession because of austerity economics. Japan is still a basket case. China’s economy is slowing. Much of the developing world’s economy is dependent on exports to the developed world – so don’t hold your breath for developing countries to bail us out.

So what is Washington doing? Worse than nothing. It has now adopted the same kind of austerity economics that’s doomed Europe — cutting federal spending and reducing total demand. And the sequester doesn’t end September 30. It takes an even bigger bite out of the federal budget next fiscal year.

Earth to Washington: The economy is slowing. The recovery is stalling. At the very least, repeal the sequester.

You don’t have to be an astrologer to see the dangers ahead.

http://robertreich.org/post/48943124297

boutons_deux
04-30-2013, 12:41 PM
Jon Stewart Slams ‘F@#ktard’ Congress For Fixing Sequester Airport Delays ... and Nothing Else
"If you look up Congress in the dictionary," said Stewart. "You find "Do-Nothing F@#ktards who couldn't solve a problem if it was eating them alive anus first."

As the sequester takes its toll around the country -- cuts to Meals on Wheels and extended unemployment benefits, to name just a few programs that have been impacted -- Congress came together this weekend in an uncharacteristic display of collaberative problem-solving. Democrats and Republicans agreed to give the FAA more flexibility in dealing with the sequester, allowing them to bring back air controller staffing to full capacity in order to prevent flight delays.

"Why, perchance, that part of the sequester?" Steward wondered. Could it have to do with the fact that they were basically on their way to the airport to enjoy an upcoming Congressional recess?

Watch Steward eviscerate our selfish lawmakers below:


http://www.alternet.org/files/styles/story_image/public/story_images/screen_shot_2013-04-30_at_9.59.05_am.png

http://www.alternet.org/jon-stewart-slams-fktard-congress-fixing-sequester-airport-delays-and-nothing-else

z0sa
04-30-2013, 02:26 PM
:lol Just more bullshit proving both sides of the aisle are FUBAR.