2005 BUDGET: Write a letter to your Senator, PLEASE (link enclosed)

[Divine Discontent]

Greetings Honorable Senator Bill Nelson & Friends,


Instead of taking back the enormous tax cuts that had the largest effect on the wealthiest 1% of Americans, President Bush chooses to lower the 2005 budget by ~

DOUBLING the Prescription Drug Benefit costs for U.S. Military Veterans
Add a $250/year surcharge to certain Vets cost for medical care
Cut millions from the budgets of anti-disease programs related to poverty
Slash the Food Stamp budget of unemployed & low income WORKING parents
Cut public housing that helps those trying to WORK but can't afford housing
Cut farm programs aiding farmers who's sales don't cover their costs
Cuts Medicaid by Billions of dollars, which supports health care for millions

Except for the healthcare, some of the shortfalls of this budget will hopefully be made up by some of the best & responsible charities & religious groups who've received billions (that's billions with a B) in funds from the goverment to run their programs through the Faith-Based Initiatives plan.

It is beyond my understanding, however, why we're relying on local individuals to be fair, color-blind, and without judgement with the taxpayer dollars they receive. These groups base their organizations on their belief system, whether it be Muslim, Morman, Jewish, Christian, or a secular based charity that has their own differing sets of restrictions and rules for receiving support from the taxpayer's funds that they hopefully wield responsibly.

The fairness of tried & true government run programs that has been honed and crafted, to be blind like Lady Justice, with billions of our taxpayer dollars over the past 60 years, is slowly being eroded by the belief that organizations that hold varying beliefs are somehow a better way to help those in need. As there are many organizations & churches who are fair & compassionate beyond my own best intentions, one only needs to recall the story of the

Catholic nuns who demanded starving tsunami victims renounce their religion and be prosyletized into Catholicism, before receiving merciful gifts of compassion, to know that this is not a very good reason to cut these programs. story: http://in.news.yahoo.com/050116/139/2j1rp.html


The most shocking figure is the 4.8% increase requested by Mr. Bush for Pentagon expenditures. The $420 Billion budget request to run and design programs for the military, does NOT reflect the separate $80 Billion for the costs to run the Iraq War for 2005, nor the Homeland Security Department and it's 100,000+ employees. Surely, the needs for a defense against terrorism is understandable, but as in budget's past, I question some of the appropriations of millions of this money to secret corporate/military groups who do not have to explain what they do with the money.

Please, be sure to let your (fellow) Senators know what you think about the direction of our country good or bad -

http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm


I pray to Christ, for this government to be responsible, since it chooses to tax it's citizens trillions each year; so it may help the poor, weak, and most sorrowful amongst us. It cannot allow our money to be bamboozled or held over our heads by people who may not share the same views as our own, that is what makes the U.S. so great!

Thank You

[s-cubed]

1. thanks. n/t

[Divine Discontent]

2. you're welcome, glad at least one is interested! :) N/T