The Sequester Strikes its First Victims!

[IamSam]

As predicted, sequester cuts will hit those most vulnerable. In this instance it’s the children of the men and women serving in our military. The cuts will impact schools serving those children living on or near military bases almost at once. I grew up in the military, and for us Army brats, the schools were excellent, and I appreciate the education I received from them in my early years.

I can only imagine my Father’s distress had he been serving a tour in Korea or Vietnam, only to find out that the government had closed down or curtailed his daughter’s schooling while he was on the other side of the world and helpless to do anything about it.

I imagine military members doing tours of duty outside the country today will feel no differently than my Dad would have – very worried and concerned.

USA! USA! USA! Your country thanks you.

NOT.

FORT HOOD, Texas Public schools everywhere will be affected by the government's automatic budget cuts, but few may feel the funding pinch faster than those on and around military bases.

The still-fragile economy braced itself for the gradual but potentially grave impact of the across-the-board cuts, which took effect Friday night at the stroke of President Obama's pen. Hours earlier, he and congressional leaders emerged from a White House meeting no closer to an agreement.

...School districts with military ties from coast-to-coast are bracing for increased class sizes and delayed building repairs. Others already have axed sports teams and even eliminated teaching positions, but still may have to tap savings just to make it through year's end.

But there's little hope for softening any future financial blows.
"Next year is scarier than this year," said Sharon Adams, chief financial officer for Muscogee County schools in Georgia. The district serves the U.S. Army's Fort Benning and could lose $300,000 in federal funding out of its $270 million in general funds before the end of the school — and more than four times that in 2013-2014.

More -

[Griff]

Too bad.
So sad.

Word on the street is 4,000 head start slots will be lost in New York State, nobody seems to have any idea how many classrooms will be shuttered in my organization. On the upside this is the only way the fuckers will ever cut "defense" spending.

Military Industrial Complex Invokes Emotional Plea for More Tax Dollars

[DanaC]

And what the fuck are single parents (well, any parents but singletons especially) supposed to do if they haven't got access to subsidized childcare? How many part time working mums will have to give up that part time work?

[Griff]

I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess that single moms or the working poor were not among Boehner's biggest contributors in the last election cycle. This is how dictatorships can take root in democracies. The utter failure of elected officials to man up and make real choices will lead to folks asking that more power be placed in fewer hands.

[IamSam]

Originally Posted by Griff

Too bad.
So sad.

Word on the street is 4,000 head start slots will be lost in New York State, nobody seems to have any idea how many classrooms will be shuttered in my organization. On the upside this is the only way the fuckers will ever cut "defense" spending.

Military Industrial Complex Invokes Emotional Plea for More Tax Dollars

I have no love for the military industrial complex. Halliburten can go to hell along with all the rest as far as I'm concerned. But active duty military and their families, as well as our vets should not have to pay for Dick Cheney's sins.

Many bad things will come down if the mindless sequester remains in place. The fact that some frivolous expenditures will get the ax doesn't make it any better.

[xoxoxoBruce]

At the bottom of this page at Whitehouse.Gov, there's a link to a pdf for each state, spelling out what the White House claims is the likely result of this nonsense.

[tw]

Originally Posted by Griff

I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess that single moms or the working poor were not among Boehner's biggest contributors in the last election cycle. This is how dictatorships can take root in democracies.

Boehmer is not the problem here. He tried to fix it. Then his party wackos discovered his Grand Bargain. Intentionally subverted it. Because wackos (ie tea partiers who even wanted a witch for Senator) want America to fail. Limbaugh, Norquist, et al tell these wackos what to think.

Frontline's Cliffhanger discusses this.

Extremists among us destroyed a budget surplus by spending on everything wasteful including welfare to the rich. Invented wars to "protect our oil" (rhetoric from the Project for a New American Century). Tried to put Social Security into the stock market. Advocated tax cuts by even ignoring the lessons from Kennedy's tax cuts. Intentionally subvert the Security and Exchange budget to therefore create Bernie Madoff and other destruction. Blamed unions for America's diminished productivity created by money games. Openly attacked space science and other essential research such as quantum physics. Borrowed massively from the Chinese while passing laws that kept those expenses out of the budget (to hide their deficits). Destroyed jobs by enriching the rich. And then blamed their unchecked spending and unpaid bills on Obama.

Cheney said, "Reagan proved that deficits don't matter." Now those deficits do matter. Cheney, acidicly on Charlie Rose, openly blames our deficits on Obama. Only a brainwashed extremist could believe that.

Boehmer only has two choices. Be backstabbed by his party extremists (as they also did to Gingrich). Or recite their rhetoric.

The Republican party hates moderates as Sen Snow (R-Maine) so bluntly stated. Moderates need facts and numbers. Extremists hate people who would work for America. Or who learn facts before making a conclusion.

Boehmer is a trapped rat in a party dominated by people who, for example, passed laws to ban research into gun violence. He can only recite extremist ideology now that so many of us so hate America as to even want research into gun violence banned.

Dictatorships? Quite correct. A lesson well proven in history. Nazis used similar tactics in early 1930s Germany to obtain power. They were successfull because so many adults who were children believed the rhetoric rather than learn facts like an adult.

[IamSam]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

At the bottom of this page at Whitehouse.Gov, there's a link to a pdf for each state, spelling out what the White House claims is the likely result of this nonsense.

Nice find Bruce. I checked out what this means for just Colorado:

Military Readiness: In Colorado, approximately 12,000 civilian Department of Defense employees would be furloughed, reducing gross pay by around $68.5 million in total.

Army: Base operation funding would be cut by about $57 million in Colorado.
Air Force: Funding for Air Force operations in Colorado would be cut by about $8 million.

Nutrition Assistance for Seniors: Colorado would lose approximately $720,000 in funds that provide meals for seniors.

Protections for Clean Air and Clean Water: Colorado would lose about $2 million in environmental funding to ensure clean water and air quality, as well as prevent pollution from pesticides and hazardous waste. In addition, Colorado could lose another $1.2 million in grants for fish and wildlife protection.

And more...

I don't know why you use the word "claims," Bruce. These are the things that will happen if spending is cut as dictated by the sequester. No, we may not see some of these things happen immediently, but they WILL happen if the damned government doesn't get its head out of its ass.

[xoxoxoBruce]

I say claims because these cuts allow some wiggle room for the department heads as how to apply them. It's politics and I'd bet a lot that these predictions are worst case scenarios.

I doubt anyone in congress will be suffering very much from these cuts. I got an email from my Republican Senator citing several items the government pays for which would make most taxpayers roll their eyes, unfortunately I didn't save it.

[ZenGum]

I've heard it said that the amount that needs to be cut - $85 billion - is about what the US spends on the war on drugs each year.

[Griff]

Some polling.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/127367698/...n-poll-Results

[IamSam]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

I say claims because these cuts allow some wiggle room for the department heads as how to apply them. It's politics and I'd bet a lot that these predictions are worst case scenarios.

I doubt anyone in congress will be suffering very much from these cuts. I got an email from my Republican Senator citing several items the government pays for which would make most taxpayers roll their eyes, unfortunately I didn't save it.

Congress suffering from the cuts? BWAH HA HA HA!

It was mentioned in another thread here that it is actually illegal to change the amount of compensation that Congress receives until the NEXT congress gets convened. So our representatives will continue to get their salaries, plus all the bennies like government paid health care (which tea party members are happy to avail themselves of).

Even if Congress was dropped from the government payroll, they wouldn't even notice since the real compensation for Congressional members comes from payments by the "too big to fail outfits" and other well funded special interest groups.

Government of, by and for the people? Yeah, right.

@Griff Nice link. Thanks for posting it.

[tw]

Originally Posted by IamSam

Even if Congress was dropped from the government payroll, they wouldn't even notice since the real compensation for Congressional members comes from payments by the "too big to fail outfits" and other well funded special interest groups.

You would think, by now, that everyone knows who is now most represented in government at the expense of the public. We changed the definition of a corporation. A corporation is now a person who can spend as much as he wants to distort facts and reality. As McCain so bluntly noted, the Supreme Court did not grasp that fact, in part, because none were employed where opinions and decisions can be sold to the highest bidder.

You would think everyone identifies those who most corrupt government. Who can spend unlimited money buying influence. Italy just voted Berlusconi back into power. Who in the world would be so dumb as to vote for Berlusconi? Those who can be brainwashed with rhetoric.

The Economist has a picture of a smiling Berlusconi entitled "Send in the Clowns". Why did so many Italians vote against their interests? Why were so many Italians so anti-Italy? Berlusconi controls a majority of Italy's media. He preaches like Fox News does in America and Murdoch did in Britain. So many can be brainwashed by a few who literally 'buy' their opinions. The majority are so easily brainwashed to even deny they are easily brainwashed.

Many Americans are also adults acting as children. Irresponsible rich (who do not create the jobs) obstruct solutions for one simple reason. They believe their purpose is to create profits; screw America. They preach trickle down economics. And they say it is good for corporations and the super rich to spend as much as they want to buy politicians.

You would think every American understands brainwashing that has created myths to hate the poor. Last week was a perfect example of how many 'know' only because they were told how to think? They voted for Berlusconi. No intelligent person would have done that. But votes are that easily bought - in public and in Congress. Extremists said that is good. Only extremists would respect Berlusconi. Only an extremist needs Congress influenced by those who invent profits and no jobs. Those who know without first learning facts are quick to endorse myths that even promote hate of the poor.

We have a sequester because extremists say "my way or the highway". Or "we want America to fail" - a direct quote from Rush Limbaugh. Or "Reagan proved that deficits don't matter" - a direct quote from the extremist VP Cheney. Last week was a perfect example of how many adults can be manipulated like children. They voted for Berlusconi.

[regular.joe]

What's the use of having all that green if you you can't buy a few politicians????

[tw]

Originally Posted by regular.joe

What's the use of having all that green if you you can't buy a few politicians????

Warren Buffet, Bill Gates, Andrew Carnegie, the Rockefeller family, and recently Michael Bloomberg all answered that question in numbers that have exceed $billions.