Spring Break
Reconstruction Must Be Responsibly Funded
Editorial
Issue date: 9/23/05 Section: Commentary
As the water recedes and bodies mixed with rubble are collected from the streets where Hurricane Katrina struck, there is growing controversy among lawmakers about how to finance the relief effort, much of it a reaction to President George W. Bush's reluctance to abandon his tax cuts or raise taxes.
Many analysts have estimated that the cost of rebuilding the affected areas will be around $200 billion. White House advisers have yet to release their own estimate, but some like Rep. Tom DeLay have scoffed at this initial cost. Most Republicans are confident the expenses can be covered by cutting government spending while maintaining Bush's political agenda to cut taxes.
How to fund this looming and immense domestic project while still maintaining a war on the other side of the world without leading the country into economic ruin has sharply divided not only officials of opposing parties, but has also caused a rift within the Republican ranks.
Sen. George Voinovich (R-Ohio) is one example of a leader clashing with his Republican colleagues. He expressed strong opposition to Bush's refusal to forgo his tax cuts for the wealthy and his plans for Social Security in an Associated Press story.
Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) said in a New York Times story, "There is no agreement to pay for this at all. Those of us who would like to pay for it are very much a minority within our caucus.''
This past week, Republican members of the House of Representatives planned to release a list of potential cuts, including delaying the start of the new Medicare prescription drug coverage for one year, eliminating projects from the newly enacted transportation measure, eliminating the Moon-Mars initiative NASA recently announced, ending funding for public broadcasting and charging government employees for parking, among other suggestions.
These are the cuts discussed in public, but the unfortunate reality is the sum of these cuts still does not come close to fully funding the planned reconstruction efforts. Cutting "unnecessary spending" for a wealthy, white Republican means cutting the social services the poorest people in this country rely on.
Bush and his supporters need a wake up call. The seemingly easiest and quickest way to provide funding and begin repairing the devastated areas of this country is to pass on the tax cut for the wealthy outlined in this fiscal year's budget and eliminate the estate tax cut, which, according to Sen. Joseph Biden (D-Del.), who appeared on CNN, would save a trillion dollars over the next 10 years.
With a bloody mess in Iraq and a long recovery ahead from one of the worst hurricanes to ever hit the United States both racking up unplanned expenses, our national leaders must not place the burden of funding these expenses solely on the backs of our poorer citizens.
Many analysts have estimated that the cost of rebuilding the affected areas will be around $200 billion. White House advisers have yet to release their own estimate, but some like Rep. Tom DeLay have scoffed at this initial cost. Most Republicans are confident the expenses can be covered by cutting government spending while maintaining Bush's political agenda to cut taxes.
How to fund this looming and immense domestic project while still maintaining a war on the other side of the world without leading the country into economic ruin has sharply divided not only officials of opposing parties, but has also caused a rift within the Republican ranks.
Sen. George Voinovich (R-Ohio) is one example of a leader clashing with his Republican colleagues. He expressed strong opposition to Bush's refusal to forgo his tax cuts for the wealthy and his plans for Social Security in an Associated Press story.
Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) said in a New York Times story, "There is no agreement to pay for this at all. Those of us who would like to pay for it are very much a minority within our caucus.''
This past week, Republican members of the House of Representatives planned to release a list of potential cuts, including delaying the start of the new Medicare prescription drug coverage for one year, eliminating projects from the newly enacted transportation measure, eliminating the Moon-Mars initiative NASA recently announced, ending funding for public broadcasting and charging government employees for parking, among other suggestions.
These are the cuts discussed in public, but the unfortunate reality is the sum of these cuts still does not come close to fully funding the planned reconstruction efforts. Cutting "unnecessary spending" for a wealthy, white Republican means cutting the social services the poorest people in this country rely on.
Bush and his supporters need a wake up call. The seemingly easiest and quickest way to provide funding and begin repairing the devastated areas of this country is to pass on the tax cut for the wealthy outlined in this fiscal year's budget and eliminate the estate tax cut, which, according to Sen. Joseph Biden (D-Del.), who appeared on CNN, would save a trillion dollars over the next 10 years.
With a bloody mess in Iraq and a long recovery ahead from one of the worst hurricanes to ever hit the United States both racking up unplanned expenses, our national leaders must not place the burden of funding these expenses solely on the backs of our poorer citizens.