What a proud liberal achievement: devastating spending caps
by digby
Thinkprogress points out something that’s been overlooked in our zeal to “win” some more big budget battles:
Even without the spending cuts included in the so-called “sequester,” America’s domestic spending levels are scheduled to hit historic lows in the coming years. That’s because the Budget Control Act, signed into law as part of the plan to raise the debt ceiling in August 2011, capped future spending levels.
Those caps will ultimately reduce spending to its lowest level as a percent of the economy since the 1970s, according to a report from Democrats on the House Appropriations Committee.
Now, we know that it doesn’t matter to anyone that poor women and children have been cut off from the WIC program that put a minimum amount of food on the table. And certainly the last thing anyone thinks about is the coming deep cuts in child care and education. It’s just a bunch of kids after all. They can always be home schooled and their parents can beg on the streets.
And the elderly can always go to thrift stores and buy a cheap used blanket when their inadequate housing and heating subsidies are cut. And really, all those disabled people who are unable to get through the maze of the SS system once huge numbers of SSA jobs have been eliminated and 35 offices have been closed will just have to get jobs.
But what about these programs?
Food safety: The Food and Drug Administration nearly doubled its inspection of food imports between 2007 and 2011, but such inspections would be reduced by 24 percent under scheduled spending caps. Food imports are skyrocketing, but the FDA inspects only 2.3 percent of them. In addition, budget cuts have jeopardized implementation of major food safety reforms.
Aviation Safety: The Federal Aviation Administraton has faced $205 million in cuts to programs meant to help update its infrastructure, even as the department is switching its monitoring system to a safer one based on satellites.
Feeling really, really safe and secure are we? Do all the individualistic libertarian types have access to their own food inspection and airline safety? I doubt it. But there is a silver lining. When our food supply is tainted and airplanes fall out of the sky, they can blame it on the Big Bad Gummint which can’t do anything right.
I don’t know where this ends, but I have a sneaking suspicion there will be a whole lot of suffering that could have been prevented before it does.
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