Since there is little profit in social services, the folks who "own"
our government are reluctant to underwrite them with money that might
be better spent by giant corporations such as Boeing. But if we do
not keep the pressure on, we could easily lose what we do have. Sure,
I am a dreamer who wishes for a different world. But I also
understand that this is the world I live in, and the one I must always
be at war with if we are going to stand any chance of improving the
lives of older blind and low vision folks.
If that means paddling hard against a strong current, so be it. It's
a nice day to be paddling.
Carl Jarvis
On 10/11/18, Frank Ventura <frank.ventura@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Miriam, just to be fair from the folks I work with the push to refuse
rehabilitation services for the elder blind population is coming from the
younger folks whom have been blind all their lives. They feel that it is
there resources that these newly blinded seniors are taking away from them.
Simple turf wars.
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of Miriam Vieni
Sent: Wednesday, October 10, 2018 12:42 PM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: 'Balanced-Budget' Republicans Vote to Add a
Half Trillion to the Deficit With New Tax Cut Bill
Who in this country, really cares about what happens to old people? No one
is supposed to be old. Have you noticed that people think they're
complimenting you if they say that you sound young or act young or look
young? And it was tough enough to get money for rehab so that blind people
of working age could work. Why would anyone want to fund rehab for blind
people who are old?
Miriam
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of Carl Jarvis
Sent: Wednesday, October 10, 2018 11:03 AM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: 'Balanced-Budget' Republicans Vote to Add a
Half Trillion to the Deficit With New Tax Cut Bill
Meanwhile, back in the state trenches, our Independent Living, Older Blind
Program is scheduled to run out of money in March, and the ILOB will shut
down. This means no more services to older blind and low vision Seniors
until at least July, 2019. Makes me wonder just whose American Way of Life
is being defended?
Carl Jarvis
On 10/10/18, Miriam Vieni <miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
'Balanced-Budget' Republicans Vote to Add a Half Trillion to the
Deficit With New Tax Cut Bill By Josh Israel, ThinkProgress
09 October 18
The House passed a bill to make permanent the Trump tax cuts for the
rich, and it passed mostly along party lines.
As the nation watched the Senate Judiciary Committee meet to consider
whether to rush through the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh, the House
Republican majority was quietly passing the Protecting Family and
Small Business Tax Cuts Act of 2018 - a bill to make the Trump tax
cuts for the rich permanent. According to the GOP-controlled Joint
Committee on Taxation and the Congressional Budget Office, the bill
would add another $545 billion to the federal budget deficit over the
next decade. This would be on top of the trillions already added to
the debt by the original tax bill and the omnibus budget signed by
Trump earlier this year.
The so-called "Tax Cuts 2.0" legislation was backed by 217 House
Republicans and 3 Democrats. Just 10 Republicans - all from
California, New Jersey, and New York, states hit hard by a provision
reducing state and local tax deductions - joined 181 Democrats in
opposing the measure.
A ThinkProgress review found that many of the vulnerable Republicans
who voted for this latest unfunded legislation are also among those
campaigning on their commitment to a balanced budget and/or a
constitutional amendment to require one.
Indeed, the bill's sponsor, Republican Rep. Rodney Davis (IL-13) has a
whole section on his campaign website about the national debt. "Our
national debt has surpassed $17 trillion, nearly $53,000 for every
man, woman, and child in America. In fact recently, the CBO released a
report stating without major reforms, federal debt held by the public
would reach 100 percent of GDP in 2038," he argues. "This is wrong and
immoral. It undermines the dollar and our place in the global market,
resulting is more economic uncertainty that the nation cannot afford.
Washington should live by the same rules as every American family and
that means balancing our budget and only spending what we take in."
Regardless of the merits of this anti-debt fervor, Davis has not
backed it up with his own votes: he supported both the first round of
tax cuts and the spending bill.
He had a lot of company.
1.Rep. French Hill (AR-2). Hill says he has "co-sponsored two versions
of balanced budget amendments to the U.S. Constitution to bring our
spending in line," and that, "Our children and grandchildren depend on
us to solve our debt problem and give them a brighter future." He
voted for both tax cut bills and the omnibus spending bill.
2.Rep. David Schweikert (AZ-6). Schweikert worries that "Our national
debt is out of control," and says, he "has also sponsored real reforms
like a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution that would
mandate that Congress balance the budget each year." He voted for both tax
cut bills.
3.Rep. Tom McClintock (CA-4). McClintock writes that the "single
greatest peril to our nation is our national debt - now exceeding $19
trillion. That debt grew by $595 billion this year - think of that as
more than $4,000 added to an average family's credit card bill." To
solve this, he says, we "need a balanced budget amendment to constrain
borrowing." He voted for both tax cut bills.
4.Rep. Mimi Walters (CA-45). Walters boasts "I voted for a balanced
budget resolution that forces Washington to live within its means."
She voted for both tax cut bills and the omnibus spending bill.
5.Rep. Vern Buchanan (FL-16). Buchanan lists the Balanced Budget
Amendment as part of his "10 point plan to create jobs and restore our
economy,"
arguing it would "help bring stability to our economy." He voted for
both tax cut bills and the omnibus spending bill.
6.Rep. Brian Mast (FL-18). Mast, in the same paragraph, writes "We
must pass a Balance Budget Amendment that will force government to
live within its means," and "The tax cuts passed have allowed you to
keep more of your money, stimulated the economy, and led to more
investment." He voted for both tax cut bills.
7.Rep. David Young (IA-3). Young's"Iowa common sense" principles for
"holding government accountable" include a Balanced Budget Amendment.
"The concept here is simple: never spend more money than you have
revenue. In Iowa, this concept is just common sense." He voted for
both tax cut bills and the omnibus spending bill.
8.Rep. Jackie Walorski (IN-2). Walorski's campaign site says : "With
our national debt standing at $19 trillion and counting, Jackie firmly
believes we must put an end to runaway spending in order to protect
future generations and sustain a strong economy. The first piece of
legislation that Jackie introduced in Congress was a balanced budget
amendment to the Constitution." She voted for both tax cut bills and
the omnibus spending bill.
9.Rep. Andy Barr (KY-6). Barr lists as the top examples of his
"getting results" that he "Voted for H.J. Res. 2, Balanced Budget
Amendment to the U.S. Constitution on 4/12/18," though the effort failed
by a wide margin.
He
voted for both tax cut bills and the omnibus spending bill.
10.Rep. Bruce Poliquin (ME-2). Poliquin brags of being "a leading
voice pushing a federal Balanced Budget Amendment to once and for all
force Washington live within its means." He voted for both tax cut
bills and the omnibus spending bill.
11.Rep. Justin Amash (MI-3). Amash claims that he "has authored one of
the most thoughtful and popular balanced budget proposals of the last
few decades-to combat the greatest threat to our national security:
the federal government's overspending and debt." He voted for both tax cut
bills.
12.Rep. Fred Upton (MI-6). Upton says he "is a supporter of the
constitutional Balanced Budget Amendment, which would require the
federal government to live within its means each year, just like the rest
of us."
He
voted for both tax cut bills and the omnibus spending bill.
13.Rep. Tim Walberg (MI-7). Beneath a quote from Walberg that the
"federal government needs to live within its means," his campaign site
says says, "Tim Walberg understands the $21 trillion and climbing
national debt threatens the future of our country and causes a
significant portion of our federal budget to be used for simply paying
interest on this debt. Tim voted for a Balanced Budget Amendment to
force the federal government to live within its means, and he voted
for fiscally responsible budgets that dramatically reduce the deficit
and place our government on a path to long-term balance." He voted for
both tax cut bills and the omnibus spending bill.
14.Rep. Claudia Tenney (NY-22). After blasting "Obama and the
Washington establishment" for running up over "$18 trillion" in debt,
Tenney vowed that she would "not vote for any additional spending that
adds to the debt." She voted for both tax cut bills and the omnibus
spending bill.
15.Rep. Steve Chabot (OH-1). Chabot writes that he has "been a
consistent advocate for a balanced budget amendment to our
Constitution" because he believes "the federal government should be
required to operate in a fiscally responsible manner, just as most
American families and small businesses do."
He voted for both tax cut bills and the omnibus spending bill.
16.Rep. Troy Balderson (OH-10). Balderson says he "supports a Balanced
Budget Amendment to the Constitution forcing Washington to live within
it means, just like American families. With our nation trillions of
dollars in debt, it's time Congress stop the out of control spending."
He voted for the second tax cut bill and ran in a August special
election on his support for the first one.
17.Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-1). Fitzpatrick 's website says on "his
first day in office, Brian Fitzpatrick proposed a comprehensive
government reform plan challenging the career politicians in
Washington," including "a Balanced-Budget Amendment to our
Constitution to end the limitless borrowing which is crippling our
future." He voted for both tax cut bills and the omnibus spending
bill.
18.Rep. Pete Sessions (TX-32). Sessions claims, "Washington has a
spending problem that has placed our nation on an unsustainable path
of trillion dollar deficits and a $17 trillion national debt. That is
why I have consistently voted to limit federal spending, reform
entitlement programs, and am a co-sponsor of a bill that calls for the
passage of the balanced budget amendment. Thanks to the Republican
majority in the House, we have been able to hold the line of federal
spending, putting total expenditures on a slightly downward path."
(This is false.) He voted for both tax cut bills and the omnibus spending
bill.
19.Rep. Mia Love (UT-4). Love says she "has kept her promises to the
4th District" by cosponsoring a balanced budget amendment," because
"deficits are now on the rise and our national debt has increased to
more than $19 trillion dollars," She voted for both tax cut bills.
20.Rep. Dave Brat (VA-7). Brat says, "Our national debt has
skyrocketed, reaching over $21 trillion dollars. What our leaders in
Washington fail to mention is the $127 trillion dollars in unfunded
liabilities (see U.S. Debt Clock)." He says he "introduced a balanced
budget amendment which will force Congress to rein in the
out-of-control federal spending and restore confidence in the American
economy." He voted for both tax cut bills.
21.Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-5). McMorris Rodgers says she "has
consistently pushed for a Balanced Budget Amendment and voted for it
on the House floor in April." She voted for both tax cut bills and the
omnibus spending bill.
Last month, the Congressional Budget Office announced that the federal
budget deficit had hit $895 billion and would rise to $1 trillion
before the year ends - earlier than predicted. They attributed the
growth to the tax cuts and spending bills.
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