Just Think Of The Cuts As Reverse Earmarks

From Congresswoman Baldwin's Newsletter come these details of what President Bush feels is important for Wisconsin:

On Monday of this week, President Bush proposed his FY 2009 budget. While again calling for $3 trillion in tax cuts for the privileged and well-connected over the next ten years, the President wants to finance those tax cuts by drastically cutting funds for Medicare, Medicaid, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Low-Income Home Energy Assistance, Community Oriented Policing Services, and the Environmental Protection Agency, among others.

For communities in Wisconsin, alone, the President proposes the following cuts* (adjusted for inflation):

Law Enforcement Assistance (Byrne Grants) – Cuts $2.5 million

Assistance to Firefighters – Cuts $13.2 million

Municipal clean water facility maintenance and upgrades – Cuts $4.1 million

Economic Development, Job Creation, Affordable Housing - Cuts $12.2 million

Improving Teacher Quality – Cuts $2 million

Low-Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP) – Cuts $11.2 million

I believe this budget demonstrates how detached President Bush is from the economic realities that families and communities are dealing with because of the failed policies of his administration. I will join my colleagues in Congress in offering a budget that attempts to reduce the deficit, restore fiscal responsibility, and prioritize much needed services.