Catholic Bishops Blast Boehner's Debt Plan

[one...two...tree 2,762]

As the House prepares to vote on a debt-ceiling package that, in the words of Robert Greenstein, "could well produce the greatest increase in poverty and hardship produced by any law in modern U.S. history," the US Conference of Catholic Bishops has weighed in with a highly critical statement about the House GOP plan's moral priorities, saying in part:

A just framework for future budgets cannot rely on disproportionate cuts in essential services to poor persons. It requires shared sacrifice by all, including raising adequate revenues, eliminating unnecessary military and other spending, and addressing the long-term costs of health insurance and retirement programs fairly. [emphasis in original]

In this letter we do not offer a detailed critique of the entire measure before the House, but we ask you to consider the human and moral dimensions of several key choices facing the Congress. We fear the human and social costs of substantial cuts to programs that serve families working to escape poverty, especially food and nutrition, child development and education, and affordable housing.

We also fear the costs of undermining international assistance which is an essential tool to promote human life and dignity, advance solidarity with poorer nations, and enhance global security. Such assistance supports a wide range of life-saving programs, including: drugs to combat diseases; assistance to poor farmers and orphans; food aid for starving people; aid to victims of natural disasters; and help to refugees fleeing for their lives. The House proposal will require massive cuts in all these areas. We support continuing reform of programs that serve poor people to make them even more effective.

Keeping in mind that House Speaker John Boehner is Catholic, and is under enormous pressure from the Tea Party to move in the opposite direction, the bishops' position complicates his position even more. Hopefully Boehner listens to his faith leaders rather than his extreme colleagues who seem bent on forcing a solution that exacerbates rather than alleviates human suffering.

http://blog.faithinpubliclife.org/2011/07/catholic_bishops_blast_boehner.html

[mawilson 2,133]

A just framework for future budgets cannot rely on disproportionate cuts in essential services to poor persons. It requires shared sacrifice by all, including raising adequate revenues, eliminating unnecessary military and other spending, and addressing the long-term costs of health insurance and retirement programs fairly.

Something's seriously wrong with the system when the "essential services to poor persons"

cost us 2 trillion dollars per year.

Yep, $2 trillion - almost $7,000 for every man, woman and child in America:

$695 billion – Social Security

$453 billion – Medicare

$290 billion – Medicaid

$571 billion – Other mandatory programs (unemployment, welfare, etc)

Either this country is full of a lot of poor persons, or the lion's share of the money is given to

people who make the rest of us look like the biggest suckers and patsies this side of the universe.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Who cares what a bunch of child molesters in second century Roman garb thinks.

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Something's seriously wrong with the system when the "essential services to poor persons"

cost us 2 trillion dollars per year.

Yep, $2 trillion - almost $7,000 for every man, woman and child in America:

$695 billion – Social Security

$453 billion – Medicare

$290 billion – Medicaid

$571 billion – Other mandatory programs (unemployment, welfare, etc)

Either this country is full of a lot of poor persons, or the lion's share of the money is given to

people who make the rest of us look like the biggest suckers and patsies this side of the universe.

Social Security and Medicare and UI are not "essential services to poor persons".

[mawilson 2,133]

Social Security and Medicare and UI are not "essential services to poor persons".

Try telling that to the Republican-Democrat regimers in Congress.

Cut Medicare = push grandma off the cliff

Cut Social Security = throw seniors under the bus

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Try telling that to the Republican-Democrat regimers in Congress.

Cut Medicare = push grandma off the cliff

Cut Social Security = throw seniors under the bus

We were talking about poor people, not old people.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

We were talking about poor people, not old people.

AARP wants you to think that old people are poor people.

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AARP wants you to think that old people are poor people.

I've seen many AARP ads on TV. The images of the old people I see on their commercials do not appear poor to me. In fact, they appear well off.

[luckytxn 2,264]

I have started to get membership invites to join AARP for some reason. Is it worth joining?

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

I've seen many AARP ads on TV. The images of the old people I see on their commercials do not appear poor to me. In fact, they appear well off.

You might be right, looking at this commercial, but why is that perception still out there?

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You might be right, looking at this commercial, but why is that perception still out there?

Sorry can't YouTube at work.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

I have started to get membership invites to join AARP for some reason. Is it worth joining?

It's cheap, and eventually, you will have to buy their insurance.

[luckytxn 2,264]

It's cheap, and eventually, you will have to buy their insurance.

It is cheap for sure and it says I just show my membership card and get discounts so thinking about it but I am not old and it feels like fraud. Guess I could pretend I am a GW scientist.

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... but I am not old and it feels like fraud.

AARP is for retired people, not necessarily old people. You could say you are retired (from your previous career)

[luckytxn 2,264]

AARP is for retired people, not necessarily old people. You could say you are retired (from your previous career)

Guess that could work. I can maybe ask for a child discount for my wife.