This blog is cross-posted at StewartAcuff.com
Something akin to bargaining or negotiating proceeds between the White House and John Boehner, the Speaker of the House of Representatives to avoid the fiscal cliff.
Though, as in any real bargaining, it is impossible to know what is going on from public statements, it appears Boehner wants the Bush tax cuts to expire for those making a half million or a million dollars a year. Boehner, we know from Paul Ryan’s budget, wants to privatize Social Security in Wall Street, turn Medicare into a voucher with no guarantee of coverage in the event of a catastrophic medical crisis, and give Medicaid to the states to do as they please. Under that plan guess where poor people would get the best and worst care.
The Democrats are very tempted to make “adjustments” to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Hard to imagine an adjustment that wouldn’t hurt people and wouldn’t hurt the Democratic Party politically.
That is why we must keep the heat on Congress. Tell them NO cuts to programs that serve our elders, our veterans, and the disabled.
Please call your Senators and your Representative TODAY at 202-224-3121.
It is sometimes as if the White House forgets these issues were litigated in a national election and settled. There is no reason to re-visit them.
These issues do not occur in a vacuum. We have heart-wrenching inequality and poverty. It Is crazy for a Democrat to countenance making it worse.
Keep the heat on. More tomorrow.
—–
Follow @StewartAcuff on Twitter!
Connect with Stewart Acuff on Facebook!
Stewart Acuff is the former organizing Director of the AFL-CIO. Acuff has also written two books: Playing Bigger Than You Are: A Life in Organizing, and Getting America Back to Work.
Get the e-book edition of Playing Bigger Than You Are by clicking here!