Democracy for Vancouver

Bush today:

[L]ast February I submitted a budget to Congress that fully funds our priorities, yet holds the growth of non-security discretionary spending to less than inflation, it puts us on the path to budget surplus by 2012, and it does all this without raising taxes. In other words, we can meet priorities and we can do so without raising taxes. I think raising taxes would be bad for the economy and bad for the working people.

So, we can continue the war in Iraq indefinitely, keep the tax cuts and have a budget surplus in 5 years, without screwing the poor?

What did you say, Mr. Bush? I could have sworn I just heard you say Fuck the Poor:

The president’s plan would permanently extend tax reductions that now are set to expire in 2010, a change that would reduce anticipated tax revenues by $1.6 trillion over the next 10 years.

The budget would boost spending on Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid by 1 percent, well below the current 2.5 percent annual inflation rate.

Other big losers?:

Low Income Home Energy Assistance is dropped from $3.2 Billion to $1.8 Billion. Good thing the price of oil has been so low and stable!

The EPA will have to make due with 4.9% less money than in 2007. Mmmmm, I love the smell of toxins in the morning.

The Department of Education will have 5% less than it received in 2007. Leave no tax cut behind!

The Office of Disability Employment Policy is cut from $28 million to $19 million, or 32 percent. But discrimination against the disabled is a thing of the past, right?!

The CDC’s budget is cut by a mere $550 million. Bird flu? What bird flu?

But thankfully, that always-starving Department of Defense got a big boost in funding: $624.6 billion, a 4.1 percent increase over 2007.

Yes, Mr. Bush, we hear you loud and clear.