We talk religion...

sessionswedding

...might as well talk politics.  ;-)  What do you think about the budget deal that was just reached?  Do you think the cuts were deep enough?  Are you disappointed that there weren't any cuts to Planned Parenthood?

http://www.cnn.com/2011/POLITICS/04/08/congress.budget/index.html?hpt=T1&iref=BN1

DramaGeek

i'd like to see specifically what they're cutting.  I'm not opposed to Planned Parenthood, but I'm probably one of the more liberal on this board.  I actually work with PP, helping them better their materials and education so that they can reach young people better.  It is not uncommon to find used condoms in our school bathrooms.  Our motto is, "at least they're using protection."  I don't believe in abstinence only education as I believe it doesn't work.  Do not confuse this to mean I don't believe in teaching abstinence - I absolutely do - but I also think it's unrealistic and irresponsible for us to assume that 100% of teens will be abstinent.  Not to mention PP also provides services to women who are uninsured or underinsured.  A good friend of mine goes there for all her exams and her BCP because she can't afford a regular drs office or the prescription.

All that said, if they took a huge bite out of education funding but left PP alone, I'll be raging.

How would I like to see the cuts?  Well, for one, I'd love to see our politicians take a paycut.  I took a 20% paycut one year because our school district didn't have enough money to pay all of us.  Know what percentage our district office lost of their pay?  Zero.  I feel the same way about politicians.  Your state, your country, is in crisis...why are you still raking in the big bucks?  Man up, take a pay cut or a few furlough days, and help a brother out.  Seriously.

marinabreeze

I think there is a reason why we don't talk politics much on this board.  Unlike our Christian faith, which is something we share, we probably aren't all the same politically, and can be more of a dividing force than anything.  But I'll oblige only because I do enjoy political convos :-). 

I really wish that in terms of the budget and the wave of cuts going on in GOP-controlled Congress and the states, there would be cuts made to politicians' salaries. I think the cuts are needed generally, but it shoudn't be shouldered by those who can afford it least.

As far as PP and the fact that the budget didn't cut it, I'm kind of glad it didn't.  PP doesn't only perform abortions.  In some places, women rely on PP clinics for other types of reproductive care.  And government funds do not go towards abortion specifically anyway, so I think that it's a false fight.

But please keep in mind too that like DramaGeek, I'm a little more liberal-leaning than many of the other brides on the Chrisitan board.  I'm definitely not for abortion, but I don't think I can judge anyone who has to decide what to do with their pregnancy considering I have never been in their position.  I also don't think government intervention would help to lessen or end abortion.  I also feel that the fight for life shouldn't be limited to advocacy for the unborn, and should also extend to the funding of social services and health care for the very children the pro-life movement fights to see carried to term.

kellya01

Honestly I haven't been as much into the political news the past couple of weeks because I've been so exhausted with work, I didn't want to get depressed about how grown men and women in the US Congress couldn't come to some kind of agreement sooner than the eleventh hour!  

I'm a little wary of the the cuts... how they'll impact us individually, as well as what programs are on the chopping block.  I think planned parenthood is actually doing a lot of good for women in my community, despite the argument about whether or not gov't funds through planned parenthood actually support abortion... as far as I know, they don't, but I could be wrong.  

GJones27

I work at a political consulting - lobbying firm, so I study these issues a lot.  I characterize myself as a pro-life Democrat, so here are my thoughts.

I am totally against Republicans' approach to cutting the deficit.  The problem with the deficit is that it is not being driven my discretionary spending.  It's overwhelmingly from entitlement programs, such as Medicare.  I think it's blatantly unfair, as well as mathematically non-sensical, to allow things like defense to have all of its funds while forcing cuts on discretionary spending.  The lower and middle classes will be hurt, but Republicans in turn aren't asking the wealthy classes to make sacrifices by raising taxes.  If we are serious about cutting the deficit, we have to cut spending and raise taxes.  Even Ronald Reagan raised taxes nine times, and I don't understand why the anti-tax thing has become an ideology.  I believe it's because the wealthy, through political contributions, have a powerful voice.

I also think now is not the time to cut taxes.  Our economy is only starting to get better now.  Cutting spending will lay off people, cut grants for businesses, reduce support for the unemployed, etc.  There have been a lot of studies showing that when economies are suffering, anti-spending policies make the problem worse.  Herbert Hoover did this during the Depression, and it made the Depression worse.  Japan also did this during the 1990's, and it contributed to the Lost Generation.  We're not in any immediate danger of going bankrupt right now as with Greece.  Our interest rates are low, our credibility is still good, and we have more tools such as currency flexibility to address problems (unlike the Greeks).

I believe this anti-spending approach is partially a political cover for Republicans to cut funding for programs they don't like.  This was happening right now, when Republicans insisted on defunding EPA's greenhouse gas regulations.  I work in environmental policy and believe climate change is real, so I was really opposed to this.  I supported a provision to defund Planned Parenthood for abortions, but I don't think it deserved to go in the budget process.  

P.S. Just wanted to add one more thing.  I have conservative friends who say that spending is a big waste and produces no results.  But there is evidence that spending spurs economic growth and innovation.  During the Cold War, Dems and Republicans agreed to investment in defense (e.g. missiles, satellites).  These have produced technologies that have benefited the private sector.  The Internet came out of DARPA.  The computer chip came out of missiles.  Even the iPhone touch screen came out of the CIA.  Our tech sector today wouldn't be what it is today if we hadn't spent money on research and development.  Democrats today are now trying to replicate this model with things like renewable energy.

sessionswedding

I totally agree with Congressmen and Congresswomen taking a pay cut.  I think the President should have to take a pay cut as well.  And I have always thought that the President should have to fund his own flight to Hawaii, Brazil, or whatever country he's "work vacationing" in this week.

I don't agree with raising taxes.  I think the government we currently have has shown that it is irresponsible with the money it already has, why give them more?  The budget should have been done 6 months ago, the national debt is outrageous, and the economy still sucks.  Until the government proves it can be responsible with what it is given, no more should be given.

The thing that worries me the most is the talk of raising the debt ceiling.  We are already in more debt than this generation and the one after will ever be able to get ourselves out of, should we really take on more?

Beazilla

I'm glad funding for Planned Parenthood didn't get cut and really funding for it shouldn't be an issue, aside from giving them more money. For every $1 invested in Planned Parenthood, the government and taxpayers save $3, so from a fiscal standpoint Planned Parenthood should be funded. They also provide low cost cancer screenings, other health screenings (especially endocrine issues), STI testing and treatment, contraception, prenatal care, and other health services. Abortion is only a small part of what they do, and that's not funded in any part by the federal government. They provide health care to people who otherwise couldn't afford through lack of insurance or inadequate insurance and who don't qualify for Medicaid or Medicare (older people use them too), and there aren't many organizations in the US that do that.

I support Senator Franken's call to have all wars supported by tax increases to pay for those wars. Military spending is immune to being cut, even in the areas that the Pentagon says can be cut without affecting support to our current troops and wars. The EPA should not have been defanged, but rather given more funding and power to ensure good stewardship of the planet. Taxes do need to be raised so we can provide social services and as Christians we should be demanding that social services be supported. Limiting tax increases to the top 10% of Americans would go a long way to covering budget shortfalls without taking more money from the other 90% of Americans. Even the GOP's favorite president, Ronald Reagan, raised taxes.

You have more money in your purse or wallet then Bank of America paid in taxes last year and you really should ask yourself if that should the current situation. Cutting taxes for corporations and the wealthy don't help the budget situation and if they really increased jobs, unemployment would not be at the current rate and people would not have given up on searching for jobs after 2 or 3 years.

SuMmErKuTiE

I'm also not disappointed that funding wasn't cut for Planned Parenthood. PP is great for women who don't have health insurance and it gives them an opportunity to receive affordable healthcare including pap smears, breast exams, birth control pills, and STD testing. 

I still don't think cuts were deep enough as OP asked, but I think they are headed in the right direction and I am extremely relived they were able to come to an agreement so that the entire federal government wasn't shut down. That would have caused a huge mess that would have had a really bad domino effect.