Repugs Still Hate Kids

Joan Ryan’s excellent column today on the disgusting hypocrisy of Bushco on the issue of choice spurred me into looking a little bit harder at whether or not this administration is looking out for those who, hopefully, will go on after us. Actually, I can see without too much examination that, like just about everything else, they’re falling down in that department also.

Well, let’s just say that, for the sake of argument if you’re an expectant mom, that you have delivered your baby without complications. Congratulations, especially since the rate of premature births is on the rise in this country (as noted by Dr. Nancy Green in this article).

As you and your family learn to care for your newborn child, you should also consider this, a pretty comprehensive laundry list of how Bushco has betrayed families and continues to do so, and here is a link to an article explaining how most women not just in this country, but around the world, are thoroughly wise to the con by now also.

Of course, the White House provides information for women, infants, and children which is helpful, and that’s a good thing, including instructions in basic care including feeding and immunizations. However, as most of us know, funding is where “the rubber meets the road,” and here is a link to an analysis by AFSCME of the 2006 Bush budget for selected states (including Pennsylvania). I thought these passages told the true story:

• Child Care: The Bush budget proposes a five-year freeze on child care funding that will effectively cut the number of low-income children receiving child care assistance by 300,000 in 2009. Currently, only one in seven eligible children receives child care subsidies.

• Child Welfare: President Bush has once again proposed his risky, untested option for states to convert their foster care entitlement programs into fixed-funded block grants. This would leave the states financially responsible for any surge in foster care cases due to severe economic downturns, spikes in drug use, or other societal changes. The budget cuts federal funding support for the foster care program by $252.5 million.

• Head Start: President Bush proposes to increase funding for this highly successful program by just 0.6 percent, not even close to an adjustment for inflation. He also reiterates his risky plan to allow nine states to merge their Head Start programs with state-run child care programs.

• Other Nutrition Programs: The budget proposes to eliminate funding for the Community Food and Nutrition Program. It also cuts the Commodity Supplemental Food Program by $3 million, which would mean a drop in caseload of 45,000 people. Proposed caps on discretionary spending will leave WIC, Meals on Wheels, and other nutrition programs vulnerable to program cuts in the years beyond FY 2006.

And it’s not as if they’ve never betrayed kids before, right?

Basically, when it comes to Bush’s budget (as I pointed out in Everybody Bend Over a day or so ago), defense and homeland security did well (hopefully the money will be spent wisely…I can dream, can’t I?), and everyone and everything else “took it in the neck” (the more things change…).

Just remember: barring impeachment, 1/20/09 is Bush’s Last Day (and now and forevermore, THANK YOU RED STATE VOTERS!).