Middle Class vs. Wealthy

President Bush's proposed budget for 2008 does no favors for the middle class.

$77 billion in funding cuts for Medicare and Medicaid over the next five years, and $280 billion over the next 10.

$223 million in funding cuts (4 percent decrease from this year’s levels) to the Children’s Health Insurance Program.

$4.9 billion, or 8 percent, cut in education, training, employment and social services grants.

$100 million cut for Head Start, which provides child development services to economically disadvantaged children and families.

$2.4 billion cut in community and regional development grants, which often provide funding for low- and middle-income communities to $16.5 billion from $18.9 billion.

$400 million — 18 percent — cut in the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which provides $2.2 billion to help people pay heating bills this year.

$172 million nearly 25 percent — cut in funding for housing for low-income seniors.

While at the same time, the people who income is over one million would get tax cuts averaging $162,000 a year.

There is no shared sacrifice in this in this budget, or any budget proposed under the Bush years. Also, there is no shared sacrifice in the war effort. The fact is Republican Party is giving tax cuts to the wealthy and passing on the cost of the Iraq war to middle class Americans.

Sigh.