[GPCA Updates] GP RELEASE Greens: Emerging budget deal fulfills GOP plan to dismantle gov't, destroy the social safety net

[Green Party of California Updates]

GREEN PARTY OF THE UNITED STATES
http://www.gp.org

For Immediate Release:
Wednesday, April 13, 2011



Greens: Emerging deal on the federal budget fulfills GOP plan to dismantle
government and destroy the social safety net

• Obama's retreat from promises of change led to the Democrats' sell-out and a
battle to save Social Security, Medicare, collective bargaining, public
broadcasting, the EPA, scientific research, and Planned Parenthood

• Greens blast Obama's proposed $1 trillion cut in Medicare and Medicaid and
the budget deal's 'tyrannical' policies imposed on the District of Columbia,
including denial of funds for abortion


WASHINGTON, DC -- Green Party leaders urged President Obama to expand his goal
of raising taxes on the wealthiest tax brackets, and insisted that the key to
dealing with the deficit is reversing tax cuts for the wealthy, even greater
reductions in military spending, and ending the wars.  Greens strongly
rejected the President's proposal on Wednesday for $1 trillion in cuts to
Medicare and Medicaid.

• Farheen Hakeem, co-chair of the Green Party of the United States:  "The
Green Party calls for withdrawal of troops and a halt to US military
operations in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Libya, and Iraq; an overall cut in
military spending of at least 50%; and cancellation of the $900 billion in tax
cuts for the rich enacted six months ago, with a requirement that corporations
and the wealthiest Americans pay their fair share.  These actions would
quickly solve the federal deficit.  It's obvious that Republicans are seeking
to dismantle government, to satisfy regulation-hating corporate lobbies and
false populists in the Tea Party whose agenda would destroy the infrastructure
of democracy.  Democrats, led by President Obama, have marched into the budget
debate armed with a willingness to capitulate.  This pattern will continue as
long as Democrats and Republicans remain each others' sole competition."

• Laura Wells, 2010 Green candidate for Governor of California:  "Last
Friday's 11th-hour postponement agreement opened up a chance to keep the
social safety net in place and maintain investments in America's future.
Unfortunately, Democratic leaders are continuing to compromise with
Republicans, with virtually no consideration of the effect that the budget
will have on low-income and unemployed Americans or future generations.
President Obama's promise of change has turned into a battle to save Social
Security, Medicare, Medicaid, collective bargaining, public broadcasting, the
EPA, scientific research, and Planned Parenthood.  Top Democrats are willing
to place these necessities on the chopping block, helping the GOP make federal
government a wholly owned subsidiary of the US Chamber of Commerce.  By
rejecting single-payer and incorporating mandates in their 'historic' health
care bill, Democrats set the stage for the Republican plan to slash
  Medicare and Medicaid, even before the bill would go into effect."

• Audrey Clement, co-chair of the Green Party of the United States:
"Republicans describe the wealthy beneficiaries of their draconian budget
cuts, tax giveaways, and deregulation schemes as 'job creators'.  In reality
they are corporate welfare addicts.  In light of the GOP's attempt to abolish
EPA regulation of greenhouse gas emissions by corporate polluters, we might
also call them 'global catastrophe creators'."

Greens were especially critical of language in the budget deal that would
impose Republican policies on the District of Columbia, outlawing the use of
federal or local funds for abortion for low-income women or for needle exchange:

• Alan Page, DC Statehood Green Party candidate for At-Large City Council in
the April 26 special election (http://alanpagedc.com):  "The White House and
Congress have fulfilled Newt Gingrich's dream of making the District a
'laboratory' for Republican policies.  Congress has a long history of forcing
unwanted laws on DC and vetoing locally passed statutes.  After the 2008
election, President Obama and Democrats in Congress refused to act on their
ability to end this outrage by granting DC statehood, even though the result
would very likely have been a new Democratic vote in the House and two new
Democratic votes in the Senate.  During the past decade, while the DC
Statehood Green Party and other local advocates of DC democracy demanded
statehood, Democrats led by Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) and Sen. Joe
Lieberman (Ind.-Conn.) campaigned for a bill that would have given DC a single
voting seat in the US House but would not have abolished federal
  control over DC laws, policies, and budgets.  The 'DC Vote' bill served only
to eclipse the far greater need for genuine self-government and an end to
Congress's tyrannical rule over the District.  Under the continuing resolution
passed on Friday, DC residents will suffer the brunt of the Democrats' lack of
political will."


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"Mr. President: Why Medicare Isn’t the Problem, It’s the Solution"
By Robert Reich, April 13, 2011
http://robertreich.org/post/4559031328

"Budget compromise will cut education and science research, but not defense"
By Ryan Witt, Examiner.com, April 5, 2011
http://www.examiner.com/political-buzz-in-national/budget-compromise-will-cut-education-and-science-research-but-not-defense

"Free DC! The Obama Inauguration and a New Chance for Democracy in Our
Nation's Capital"
By Scott McLarty, OpEdNews.com, January 17, 2009
http://www.opednews.com/articles/Free-DC--The-Obama-Inaugu-by-Scott-McLarty-090115-146.html

'GreenStream Wednesday': News and discussion on the Green Party's Livestream
channel
http://www.livestream.com/greenpartyus

Green Pages: The official publication of record of the Green Party of the
United States (Fall 2010 issue now online)
http://gp.org/greenpages-blog


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