Yes, Katrina Highlighted US Poverty

But we have to balance the budget and the poor have no power (they didn't donate to our campaign) so this our solution.

Planned GOP Budget Cuts Target Programs Such as Foster Care: "This spring, Congress approved a fiscal 2006 budget blueprint calling for $35 billion in savings over five years. Now House leaders are trying to win enough votes to increase those projected savings by $15 billion. But they are encountering stiff opposition from rank-and-file House members, as well as from the Senate. And the political problems may only get worse as details emerge of how House committees would achieve the $50 billion in savings demanded by the revised budget."

That is because we need our tax cuts on otherwise the kids can't go to St. Bart's for their eighth birthday.

"The House Ways and Means Committee today will begin drafting legislation that would save about $8 billion over five years, eight times the $1 billion target the panel was given in the spring. To do it, Chairman Bill Thomas (R-Calif.) would cut back federal aid to state child-support enforcement programs, limit federal payments to some foster care families, and cut welfare payments to the disabled. He would also eliminate a politically popular but controversial trade rule that directs duties collected on some imports to companies disadvantaged by unfair foreign trade practices. Instead, those duties would go to the federal government.

Ways and Means officials said the child-support proposal would change the federal matching rate for child-support enforcement from a 66 percent share to a 50 percent share that would be more in line with other federal and state partnerships, saving $3.8 billion through 2010. The foster care provision would restore the traditional eligibility rules that were expanded by a court decision in 2003. And the change in the "Byrd Amendment" on trade would put the United States in accord with international trade rules and bring in $3.5 billion over five years."

Since when has the US cared to be in accord with anyting an international group wanted? I love the specious reasoning.

"Foster-care cuts of nearly $600 million would cease payments to children taken from the home of impoverished grandparents or other relatives who are not their parents, according to the liberal Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

Equally controversial will be cuts to the growth of Medicaid under consideration in the House Energy and Commerce Committee. The committee's plan, to be formally drafted tomorrow, would slice $3 billion over five years from Medicaid prescription-drug payments and more than $6 billion from other parts of the program. Committee aides framed the cuts as marginal -- even with them, Medicaid spending will grow 7 percent through the end of the decade, rather than the 7.3 percent currently expected."

Let's pretend that poverty is not growing in this country and we can make everything look good on paper. Shades of Enron!

Shame knows no bounds with our Congress. Soon the immigration problem will be solved because this will no longer be a country where you can come to and get ahead. I keep remembering this opening skit fron Saturday Night Live after Reagan was elected. A faux David Rockefeller came out and explained the new eligibility rules for living in the United States. Minimum income $50k otherwise you had to leave the country until you could earn that amount. There were a whole list of other requirements, none of which most of America can meet now.

Welcome to the new world order.