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I wanted to discuss poverty in America as we enter this holiday season, its my personal view that we all should be advocates for the poor, to the extent that our finances allow, but even if money is not an option, one can also donate time and talent, also intangibles such as love, kindness and compassion. I find it disheartening that under Bush we have become an increasingly selfish and greedy society, and it shows from big business CEO's that simply defraud their stockholders simply out of greed such as Worldcom, Enron etc all they way down to the small guy and the ma and pop operations, there are so many things that the American consumer is overcharged for, sometimes a 1000% markup in profits.
Sunday at mass the gospel was a good one and it got me thinking just how much do we give of ourselves? It was the parable where Jesus was in the Synagogue and many wealthy donated large sums of money to the temple treasury, then one widow put in two copper coins worth about a cent, and Jesus turned to His Apostles and asked them who donated the most money? Jesus said to them that the Widow did, the others gave of their surplus wealth but the widow gave of her want, the copper coins were all she had to live on. My point is that we have to be more like the widow that Jesus pointed out in the parable and in this day and age where the Bush Administration has a motto and policy similar to that of Gordon Gekko, that believes greed is good and poverty somehow is a sin, it becomes increasingly difficult not to embrace that mentality.
Now that the Democrats took the majority in both houses of congress the ball is in their court to pick up the mantle of poverty in America and to restore to some degree or another the programs that Bush cut perhaps funding from Bush tax cuts that benefit the wealthiest 2% in America programs that benefit the homeless, elderly, students, single medically uninsured moms, the mentally ill and handicapped, and children, veterans that served in our wars and protected our nation literally sacrificing life and limb. We as a Democracy have an obligation to uphold and protect our most vulnerable citizens its about defending those unable to protect themselves. These are the people that the Bushs' despise and hold in contempt... our Founding Fathers would be turning in their graves. I sincerely hope that Speaker of the House Ms. Pelosi makes a sincere effort to get bills passed through the congress that benefit the less fortunate and middle class in America.
The following is the legacy that Bush has left for the poor and working class people in America, its not a resume that I would be proud of, but then again Bush has too much arrogance to be ashamed. When Bush said in jest "the haves and the have mores I call you my base" I think it was the first time he spoke the truth.
Tighter restrictions on Food Stamp eligibility so rich people can have more money.
Federal Drug Administration inspection teams sacked so rich people can have more money.
Highway and infrastructure improvement budgets slashed so rich people can have more money.
An 11 percent reduction in Homeland Security funds available to state and local coordination efforts so rich people can have more money.
$250 million cut from programs to train child care doctors and other health care professionals so rich people can have more money.
Small Business Administration cut from $3.3 billion to $.6 billion so rich people can have more money.
Increase on charges for Veterans' health care so rich people can have more money.
Cutting Federal Foster Care Programs so rich people can have more money.
Cutting Medicaid and Medicare benefits so rich people can have more money.
Ending community services block grants, a $637 million program that helps pay for community action agencies founded more than 35 years ago as part of the fight against poverty so rich people can have more money.
Proposed cuts in aid to farmers, seniors, children, students, cops, veterans, the homeless, the hungry, the environment, Amtrak, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention so rich people can have more money.
Gutting the low-income home energy assistance program which is mostly used by the elderly. That's right friends, he's cutting winter heating subsidies to the elderly so rich people can have more money.
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