Congressman's Truth on Budget

Allan Boyd is a congressman from my district, and his editorial-- "Administration's Budget Doesn't Add Up" --ran in our local paper today (Tallahassee Democrat, 2/11//07). Congressman Boyd is a new member of the House Budget Committee and is a Vietnam infantry veteran who supports veterans issues with dedication and rectitude. These credentials lead to his comments.

Regarding veterans, here's what he says of Bush's budget diktats:

"Possibly the most disappointing aspect of the proposal is the effect it would have on veterans. It snubs our veterans by establishing a new enrollment fee and nearly doubling their prescription co-payments.

For the fifth year in a row, the budget raises health-care costs on 1.3 million veterans by imposing $4.9 billion in increased co-payments on prescription drugs and new enrollment fees over the next 10 years.

What's worse is that the proceeds from the fee increases would not go to the VA...

...including these fees is simply a tricky budgeting tactic that only undercuts those who have defended our country."

This seems to Ranger to be a total abnegation of GWB's claims to respect and honor veterans. Ranger's take is that tax cuts for the rich should not be financed with "nickel and dime" tactics against veterans and our neediest citizens.

Do veterans have to pay enrollment fees when they voluntarily join the armed services? In fact, are these negative features ever discussed with potential enlistees? Their veteran's benefits should be legally defined on their enlistment contracts, but they are not. Why?

As Boyd goes on to say, "Cutting health-care programs that are vital to our seniors and our children is not the answer to deficit reduction." He lists several of the commendable health-care, community and child development programs which will come under the executioner's ax in this budget--programs that work, and that's a crying shame.

"Furthermore, the administration gets the budget to balance by 2012 only by using the Social Security surplus to mask the true size of the deficit. This is not honest budgeting."

The GWB administration can not even be truthful about the budget, so how can we believe anything that they say about our elective wars? Truth, not propaganda, is the basis of democratic institutions.

Truth. Thank you Congressman Boyd for speaking the truth. This veteran salutes your service, both military and congressional.

And for a different voice on the same problem, see Winter Patriot's throwdown of the euphemistic "mixed reviews" for this bogus balancing budget act.