10 things you should know about Obama's plan (but probably don't)

[Political Tiger]

Dear MoveOn member,

Want to see what change looks like? Real change?

Well, here it is. Last week, President Obama unveiled his budget—his blueprint for America—and it's ambitious, amazing, and unapologetically progressive. As Paul Krugman said, it will set America on a "fundamentally new course."1

President Obama called his budget "a threat to the status quo," and trust me, the status quo noticed. Oil companies, big banks and insurance companies are already mobilizing to stop it.2

Unfortunately, most folks don't realize how far-reaching and progressive the plan is—that's where we all come in.

Here are 10 really incredible things about Obama's plan. Check them out and then send them on to your friends and family so that millions of people will have the information they need to fight to make this vision a reality.

The plan:

1. Makes a $634 billion down payment on fixing health care that will go a long way toward paying for a more efficient, more affordable health care system that covers every single American.3

2. Reduces taxes for 95% of working Americans. And if your family makes less than $250,000, your taxes won't go up one dime.4

3. Invests more than $100 billion in clean energy technology, creating millions of green jobs that can never be outsourced.5

4. Brings our troops home from Iraq on a firm timetable, finally bringing the war to a close—and freeing up almost ten billion dollars a month for domestic priorities.6

5. Reverses growing income inequality. The plan lets the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans expire and focuses on strengthening the middle class.7

6. Closes multi-billion-dollar tax loopholes for big oil companies. 8

7. Increases grants to help families pay for college—the largest increase ever.9

8. Halves the deficit by 2013. President Obama inherited a legacy of huge deficits and an economy in shambles, but his plan brings the deficit under control as soon as the economy begins to recover.10

9. Dramatically increases funding for the SEC and the CFTC—the agencies that police Wall Street.11

10. Tells it straight. For years, budgets have used accounting tricks to hide the real costs of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Bush tax cuts, and too many other programs. Obama's budget gets rid of the smokescreens and lays out what America's priorities are, what they cost, and how we're going to pay for them.12

P.S. Turns out there are way more than 10 amazing things in Obama's budget and we couldn't resist sharing just a few more.

1. Stops unnecessary government subsidies to big banks, health insurance companies and big agribusinesses.13,14,15

2. Expands access to early childhood education and improves schools by investing in programs that make sure every child has a qualified, strong teacher.16

3. Negotiates for better prescription drug prices using Medicaid's tremendous bargaining power.17

4. Expands access to family planning for low-income women.18

5. Caps the pollution that causes global warming, and makes polluters pay to support clean energy innovation.19


Sources:

1. "Climate of Change," The New York Times, February 27, 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/27/opinion/27krugman.html?em

2. "Obama Calls His Budget Sweeping, Needed Change," The New York Times, February 28, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51201&id=15687-8583572-JGQib1x&t=2

3. "Obama Offers Broad Plan to Revamp Health Care," The New York Times, February 26, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51202&id=15687-8583572-JGQib1x&t=3

4. "Obama Expects Fight Over $3.55 Trillion Budget Plan," Bloomberg News, February 28, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51203&id=15687-8583572-JGQib1x&t=4

5. "Energy Budget Is Sunlight After Eight Years of Darkness," Center for American Progress, February 26, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51204&id=15687-8583572-JGQib1x&t=5

6. "The Economic Cost of War in Iraq and Afghanistan," The New York Times, March 1, 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/01/weekinreview/01glanz.html

7. "Tax Cuts," The New York Times, February 26, 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/27/washington/27web-tax.html

8. "Energy Budget Is Sunlight After Eight Years of Darkness," Center for American Progress, February 26, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51204&id=15687-8583572-JGQib1x&t=6

9. "Student Loans," The New York Times, February 26, 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/27/washington/27web-edu.html

10. "Obama unveils budget blueprint," CNN, February 26, 2009
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/02/26/budget/

11. "Obama budget would boost SEC, CFTC, FBI," Reuters, February 26, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51205&id=15687-8583572-JGQib1x&t=7

12. "Obama's budget," Los Angeles Times, February 27, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51206&id=15687-8583572-JGQib1x&t=8

13. "Student Loans," The New York Times, February 26, 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/27/washington/27web-edu.html

14. "Health Insurance Stocks Dive on Medicare Advantage Cuts," The Wall Street Journal, February 26, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51207&id=15687-8583572-JGQib1x&t=9

15. "Agriculture," The New York Times, February 26, 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/27/washington/27web-agri.html

16. "Investing Wisely in Our Children," Center for American Progress, February 26, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51208&id=15687-8583572-JGQib1x&t=10

17. "Obama Offers Broad Plan to Revamp Health Care," The New York Times, February 26, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51202&id=15687-8583572-JGQib1x&t=11

18. "Obama Offers Broad Plan to Revamp Health Care," The New York Times, February 26, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51202&id=15687-8583572-JGQib1x&t=12

19. "Setting 'Green' Goals," The New York Times, February 26, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51209&id=15687-8583572-JGQib1x&t=13

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

1. #8 and #10 are contradictory

[FrenchieCat]

2. How is that?

[vaberella]

4. I'm wondering the same thing...n/t

[Boomerang Diddle]

6. Yeah, me too

The contradictory claim makes no sense.

[donheld]

7. You got proof?

[GeorgeGist]

3. But the capitalists will still OWN ...

the working class becaise that's the core principle of the American Dream.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

5. Thanks so much! I love this president nt

[OneBlueSky]

8. #1 worries me . . .

"1. Makes a $634 billion down payment on fixing health care that will go a long way toward paying for a more efficient, more affordable health care system that covers every single American." . . .

this worries me not because of what it does, but because of what it (and Obama) doesn't do . . . from what I've read, the task force being put together to revamp healthcare is notably short of advocates for a universal, single payer system . . . and Obama himself has never, to my knowledge, come out for single payer, or even acknowledged that it's worth discussing . . .

but the bottom line is that a universal single payer system is the only one that makes any sense, because it's the only one that cuts out the middle men and takes control of healthcare away from HMOs and insurance companies . . . apparently the administration is predisposed to ensuring that whatever reform is passed includes these corporations and the hefty chunk of our healthcare dollar that they skim off the top for corporate profits, advertising and marketing, CEO perks and bonuses, purchase of other companies, and all the rest -- none of which have anything at all to do with providing decent and affordable healthcare for all . . .

I fear that unless Obama changes his outlook and starts listening to a whole different set of advisors on this issue, we're going to wake up one day with a "reform" package passed by Congress that will ensure continued waste and inefficiency and that will have to be addressed again in five years, ten years, or whenever . . . someone well versed on this issue needs to get his ear, sit him down, explain the facts of life to him, and get him to come down four square on the side of sanity in healthcare reform . . . otherwise we're going to end up right where we are now -- at the mercy of healthcare and pharmaceutical corporations whose sole objective (by law) is increasing their profits . ..

[polmaven]

9. I keep hearing ads on the radio

that infer that the budget is shutting down tax deductions for mortgage interest rates and for "rich people who contribute to charities"......I admit I have not had the opportunity to look it up. Do you know if any of that is true? Or is it just more scare tactics?

[Optical.Catalyst]

10. Kick