or How Will Welfare Recipients Spend Benefits If There Is No Country?
Obama’s Attitude/Opinion
Sooooooooooooooooooooo, Obama says budget cuts should favor Food Stamps at the expense of Defense. From Rebecca Kaplan at National Journal we get Obama’s statement: “I think what’s absolutely true is that core commitments that we make to the most vulnerable have to be maintained,” Obama said. “A lot of the spending cuts that we’re making should be around areas like defense spending as opposed to food stamps.” In an interview with NPR, Obama cast himself as the defender of the poor and middle class in the debt-reduction debate by calling on Congress to close tax loopholes for Big Oil and the owners of corporate jets.
Obama proposed in an April, 2011, letter that lawmakers should cut tax breaks to oil and natural gas companies to keep the economy moving. But from Erica Lovley at Politico we learn that Obama and members of Congress may have to answer for the millions of dollars in campaign contributions they’ve taken from the oil and gas giant over the years. BP and its employees have given more than $3.5 million to federal candidates over the past 20 years, with the largest chunk of their money going to Obama.
From Richard Rubin and Andrew Zajac at Bloomberg we get this fact: Obama’s proposal to end a tax break for corporate jet owners would achieve less than one-tenth of 1 percent of his target for reducing the federal deficit. “It’s only fair to ask an oil company or a corporate jet owner that has done so well to give up that tax break that no other business enjoys,” Obama said. “I don’t think that’s real radical. I think the majority of Americans agree with that.”
These comments from a guy that gets chauffered around in a BIG limousine and flies repeatedly in what has to be the ultimate corporate jet.
From Bryan Preston at Pajamas Media, we get a tweet from Obama when he was at the Twitter townhall event: “We will have to make tough decisions about Defense spending, or even on programs that I like.” So are we to conclude that Obama’s priority is to buy as many votes as he can with your money, and spending to defend the country doesn’t buy the votes he’s looking for.
Just For The Record: Growth of Food Stamp Program 2001-2010
From LeftandRightNews we learn that in November, 2010, there were 43.6 million individuals receiving food stamps. In other words, one in seven Americans currently receive food stamps. November, 2010, marks the 33rd consecutive month the amount of participants in the food stamp program have increased. Ever since 2001, the cost of the program, as well as the number of participants, have grown every year. As this trend continues into fiscal year 2011, food stamp expenditures are on pace to hit at least $70 billion for yet another record setting year.
More Just For The Record: Defense Spending Versus Entitlement Spending
From The Heritage Foundation, we learn that, as a percentage of GDP, spending on national defense has declined significantly from 1965 through 2010, while spending on the three major entitlements – Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid – has more than tripled. Now I know that there is a difference between food stamps and entitlements. But do welfare recipients feel that they are entitled to food stamps?
More Just For The Record
From The Wharton School of Business at The University of Pennsylvania we learn that: “Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) president Marion Blakey warned House Speaker John Boehner in a letter that deep cuts to the Pentagon’s budget would exacerbate the country’s already troubled economy.” She continues, “Deeply cutting defense during these tough economic times could make our nation’s fiscal and broader economic situation even worse.” It also points out that “major cuts to defense would create further layoffs, and great uncertainty for them and their families, and undercut economic gains.”
But that’s just my opinion.