Jan. 09, 2005 - 12:25 MST

THE WONDERING JEW

Unbecoming Events

Conjecture runs, as they say, rampant. Yet though a lot of the worrisome things conjectured, some of them have a bad habit of becoming realities.

There is an article in The Denver Post/Rocky Moutain News Sunday paper that may prove that some conjectures can and do come true. These, I pray to God not.

Written by Robert Pear of The New York Times. In full:

Bush Budget To Limit Benefits

Insiders say the president will give priority to military operations and domestic security over social welfare programs

"WASHINGTON -- In his budget request to Congress, President Bush will try to impose firm, enforceable limits on the growth of federal benefit programs, and the chairmen of the Senate and House budget committees said they strongly support that effort."

"Administration officials and congressional aides said Bush would also seek cuts in housing assistance for low-income families, freezes or slight increases in most domestic programs, and larger increases for domestic security.

The spending plan for 2006, like the appropriations enacted for this year, would give priority to military operations and domemstic security over social welfare programs."

"The new chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, Judd Gregg, R-N.H, said he and other fiscal conservatives want to establish "enforcement mechanisms" to put the brakes on the growth of entitlements," which pay benefits to millions of Americans according to formulas set by law."

"The White House also wants to address entitlement spending," Gregg said."

"Bush plans to submit his budget to Congress early next month."

"Officials at the affected agencies said he would propose a virtual freeze for the National Science Foundation and a very small increase for the National Institutes of Health."

"Agency officials throughtout the government spoke on condition of anonymity because the White House wants to control the way details of the president's budget are released."

"A legislative proposal drafted by the White House would make it more difficult for Congress to pass legislation increasing the "long-term unfunded obligations" of benefit programs like Social Security, Medicare, civil service retirement and disability, veterans disability compensation, and health benefits for retired federal employees.

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My opinion from here. "to put the brakes on the growth of entitlements" which pay benefits to millions of Americans according to formulas set by law" So now they are going to set about sinking the established laws ?

"Long term unfunded obligations," An obligation is in my eyes an obligation and must be satisfied whether funded or not. So just what the heck is that all about ? Seems that the government manages to find the cash to do things they want to do, regardless.

Seems that those anonymous quotes from administration officials often prove to be very near the truth of what is going to happen. And if there is a difference it is slight, and I suppose that we plebians are supposed to think we gained a point there.

Now this domestic security, exactly what has all the shuffling of departments and additional expenditures done to make us more secure ? Have we seen mass expulsions of illegal aliens ? Much increased border patrols ? Have they stopped the influx of tractors and semi-trailers from south of our border ? Or, have they increased the trailer by trailer minute inspection that would show terroristic loads coming in to our country ? And what after all have they done or is it possible to prevent terroristic activities like contamination of whole cities water supplies and such things, what could make us safe from things like that ?

And what about freezing of funds for the National Science Foundation and a "very small increase" for The National Institutes for Health, isn't that going to be a double step backwards for our country ?

I have seen in the papers where welfare in some form or other has put families in one hell of a bind. Sure, monkey with Social Security -- as long as they grandfather the benefits for those of us who are near the end of our working career or are already retired.

The big idea of passing along the inflated cost of services of one sort or another to John Q. Public is putting most of us into a place behind the eight-ball. People who are finding that they will have little or no in retirement benefits, which benefits were promised them way back when. Already some of our HMO services have doubled in cost to Heather and I, and I guess Heather and I are lucky as some folks find themselves without any health sustaining organizations to turn to.

So, who am I to cry Wolf ? ? ? ? Judging by what I have seen come from the conjectures in the papers, it looks to me that we are being set up for a bunch of Unbecoming Events . . . . . . .

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