What the hell are we doing?

Just when I thought that I was ready for beddy-bye, Tom Terrific forwarded a neat piece from the Madison (WI) fishwrap. Ol' Dave Zweifel has it right. We are practicing the politics of the misery index. His analysis of current fiscal policy is right on. Billions for nonsense. Zip for folks who need help. W has got to go. And all of his followers have got to go. Go where? I am afraid that we are in a downward spiral. The NYTimes reported that all of the bigtime CEOs have been selling stock as fast as possible. In the meantime, W promises that prosperity is just around the corner. We are waist deep in the Big Muddy, and the fool says, Push on! If this be (fair & balanced) treason, so be it!

[x Wisconsin State Journal]

Bush policies make tough times tougher

By Dave Zweifel

August 25, 2003

These are painful times in America.

I see it nearly every day here at the office as a seemingly endless line of public officials, concerned citizens and advocates for the poor, needy and disabled drop in to plead for editorial support for their causes.

The mayor and county executive are telling their department heads to make deep cuts in the services they provide citizens because there simply isn't enough money.

The district attorney and the sheriff plead that deep cuts in their budgets will hurt law enforcement and actually drive up the population in the county jail, which will then cost more money.

The school district has to appeal to the voters in a referendum to get permission to keep class sizes manageable and leaky roofs fixed.

Lifeguards aren't serving public beaches like they once did and weed cutters aren't cutting as much even though portions of our lakes are clogged with growth.

The public works people may have to cut back on snowplowing or brush pickup.

Advocates for the disabled tell us about people languishing on endless waiting lists to get services.

Nonprofits that work with kids to get them a good start on life haven't enough to work with all who need help.

State workers, meanwhile, are getting pink slips and legislators want even deeper cuts in the work force.

All the while, many individual property taxpayers call to say they can't afford to pay any more. And, for heaven's sake, don't touch the income or sales taxes, either.

On top of everything else, health care costs are soaring, eating into meager raises that, if they're lucky, employees are getting from their bosses these days. Millions more are being relegated to the ranks of the uninsured.

Yes, painful times.

Yet we've got billions upon tens of billions to pour into a quagmire of our own making in Iraq. Billions more to develop a pie-in-the-sky missile shield and add even more weapons to our incredible military arsenal.

And hundreds of billions more to give tax cuts to the people who can best afford to pay taxes.

Just thinking of that dichotomy makes it even more painful.

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