A Moral Document

I've always considered the national budget to be a moral document, it list's the nation's priorities and is a reflection of what we hold as important. The new proposed budget by the Trump administration can be best described as a crisis of conscience.

There is a fundamental shift in this new budget away from social infrastructure to a militarized state that is firmly on a war footing. The proposed increase of 54 billion in the military budget is a clear and distinct saber rattle that signals both our allies and the world at large that we will soon be at war again. You don't increase the military budget by that much without a clear intention of using it.

So while we will find ourselves up to our necks in new shiny military toys, the proposed cuts are going to be felt by those who are most vulnerable in our society, the poor, the elderly, the children, and women. On the chopping block are such vital programs as: Planned Parenthood, The WIC Program, Meals On Wheels, The National Endowment Of The Arts, and Public Broadcasting, just to name a few. I must admit I was incredulous when I perused the proposed budget and learned what cuts were listed, by how much, and what the results of those cuts would be. Heck, I think anyone with a soul and a conscience would feel troubled by that news. And, that brings me to this monologues power word....... Conscience.

We probably will never know who exactly it was that thought up the bright idea to cut a program like Meals on Wheels. A program that is so noble and so altruistic that there is literally no ulterior motive on the part of the big bad government. As you know Meals on Wheels delivers filling nutritional food to the elderly, the shut in's, and the disabled. I am interested to know if whoever thought of that mighty brain fart, had any crisis of conscience as he or she wrote it? How about getting rid of the WIC program?, was there any flutter in their soul as they proposed axing a program that the anachronism literally means "Women, Infants, and Children". WIC supplements healthy food for low income mothers, provides vouchers for baby food and formula for infants and small children. What about Public Broadcasting? Did he or she experience any irony when as they were putting forth that as a viable cut, they were suggesting ending a show like Sesame Street which if they personally didn't watch it, they know someone who did?!

We can go around and around on the need to balance the budget and pay off the national debt. I am certainly not saying that there is no governmental waste and there are ways of running the economy more effectively. I am strongly suggesting that we find other areas to consider when thinking of taxes and departmental cuts. Let's see here, off the top of my head we could..... I don't know........ maybe start with closing the tax loop holes for the top 1% of incomes so that they can finally start paying their fair share of taxes. And while we're on the subject of tax loop holes, why don't we close the loop holes for the big corporations too. Don't feel sad for Wall Street, I think they will be alright. It seems by doing those two things alone would help make up for any increases to the budget, and I'm willing to bet a large portion of the national debt would be taken care of too.

Let's go back to that power word.... Conscience. It's time we seriously examine ours if it means of ending programs that helps ease the burdens and suffering of our most vulnerable citizens. If you want to make america great again, you certainly aren't going to be when you go after the poor, the elderly, and disabled. Conscience...... It seems to be in short supply both in the White House and in the halls of Mar - A - Lago.