Chicken Politics

Politics is a game that everybody is invited to play, but not nearly 25% of us actually participate. This allows the people like George Bush to get elected and play their games with our tax dollars, and what do we do about it? Still not step up to the plate. This trend is highly disconcerting.

Bush's proposed budget - and this is me using my new favorite word - is redonkuless. The budget calls for $2.77 TRILLION in spending. Treasury Secretary John Snow claims, "This budget represents the president's dedication to fiscal discipline, an efficient federal government and the continuation of a thriving U.S. economy."

This statement is clearly the truth as Bush as our government is in over its head with a record deficit of $423 Billion. This dedication to fiscal discipline includes the cutting of the budgets of 141 government programs, nearly 1/3 of which are educational programs, including support for educational arts, parent resource centers and drug free school zones. He is also cutting funding to Medicare, I suppose so that old people will die younger, which will then off-set the sky-rocketing costs of social security (an issue that has, I guess, been tabled since last year's state of the union address). As if it isnt already hard enough for an elderly or disabled person to gain health support, Bush's budget calls for nearly $36 Billion in cuts over the next five years. There are some Republicans, including Arlen Spector, who call these reductions (Bush refuses to call them cuts) scandalous.

If you’re like me, you may wonder why, with all of these cuts, the budget is calling for increased spending. Im sure I dont have to tell you the reason, you've probably already guessed it.... Yep, another increase in military spending, to the tune of nearly 7%. The budget calls for $439.6 Billion in military spending. And as ridiculous as this next statement sounds, it is the truth: that number doesnt even include the cost of two wars that we are currently involved in - a number that approaches $130 Billion.

Additionally, the White House continues to bribe our better judgment by offering the continuation, on a permanent basis. Basically, they are admitting that they dont need as much money per person that they used to need. But what they realize and we, the average US citizen, dont is that there are more of us than ever, allowing them to continue to play their world-wide game of battleship with the highest level of funding ever. Yikes!

And because of this tax cut, and this increased spending on the military and two congruent wars, our future is looking quite grim. The programs that are suffering the most are those that help the impoverished to attain a respectable education, or help the elderly live out a pain-free existence. Yet somehow the Republicans are able to get these people, those most affected by the cuts, to continue to not only support them, but also to come out in droves to vote for them. Some of the poorest states in our union are in the midwest, and all of these states somehow turn red on Election Day.

Clearly a change needs to be made, however cutting the head off of this chicken is not a viable option. His head is firmly planted until November of 2008. However, this year we can opt to change the feet that support this chicken. We can change the Republican controlled congress. We can vote for those who will offer stability among our government so that maybe the chicken will start walking straight instead of making all those uninhibited right turns.

Please, instead of bitching about all of the problems, go out and vote (for WHOEVER you want, regardless of my opinion) and make a difference.