Sunday, February 05, 2006

Waldenmath 101

It seems the O sees fit to agree with me that Greg Walden is nothing more than a Republican jack booted ass kisser:

House Republicans prevailed in a 216-214 vote Wednesday, apparently with nary of pang of conscience. The news since then has been full of triumphant GOP leaders declaring a victory in attacking the federal deficit.

But cutting aid to innocent children born into poverty? This act will devolve from shameful to immoral if these Republicans move ahead with their next objective, a tax-cut package that could cost $60 billion over five years.

During those same five years, the newly approved budget is projected to save nearly $40 billion.

Do the math: $40 billion in budget reductions minus $60 billion in tax cuts equals . . . $20 billion more for the federal deficit.

Among Oregon members of Congress, only Republican Rep. Greg Walden supported the budget-cutting package. The state delegation's only other Republican, Sen. Gordon Smith, stood up to his party's leadership and opposed it in the Senate on proper moral grounds.


Yeah Greg, even that hack Gordon Smith wouldn't vote for this shameful piece of immoral crap legislation.

What the O manages to leave out is the fact that these cuts are not going to be a net savings in the end. Cutting student loans (which is a big part of this package) is the same thing as cutting our investment in education. When people are educated they get better jobs and are better contributors to society. Cutting access to loans for education completely undercuts that long term, lucrative investment.

The cuts also include Medicaid, which means that more people will be waiting until they're in dire need of medical help before they go to the doctor. Then the doctor is stuck with a bill that those folks can't pay. Who ends up paying that? We do. and it's a helluva lot more expansive than our share of Medicaid. Medicaid is a long term investment in savings for everyone.

But apparently according to Waldenmath (the Oregon offshoot of the federal Republican's "new math), cutting $40 billion in spending and $60 billion in tax cuts, when put together yields a balanced budget. The Oregonian calls that a $20 billion deficit.

What they should be calling it is a morality deficit.