Bush's Budget Transforms the War on Poverty Into a War on the Poor

[struggle4progress]

By Eric Garcetti, Eric Garcetti, who represents the 13th District on the Los Angeles City Council, chairs the city's Housing, Community and Economic Development Committee.

President Bush refers to himself as a wartime president, and he has shown resolve not to back down on the battlefield. But the budget he released this week waves a flag of surrender in another war, the 40-year "war on poverty."

The budget announces cuts of 28% — or $1.4 billion — from our arsenal of critical social programs. The largest and most vital to Los Angeles is the Community Development Block Grant. As more cities draw on poverty-fighting grants each year, Los Angeles' allocation has steadily decreased, from $88.6 million in 2003 to $82.7 million this year. Under the proposed cuts, our allocation would plummet by at least $15 million.

Alongside previously proposed cuts to Section 8 housing assistance, these reductions send a stark message to the country's poor, its elderly and its urban youth: You're no longer our problem. <snip>

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-garcetti9feb09,0,2022770.story?coll=la-news-comment-opinions

[GetTheRightVote]

1. Yes, it is not surprising though coming from the * and posse

I swear that hate most Americans.

:kick: