Huffington Post obtained a memo of Senator Ben Nelson's proposed cuts to the stimulus bill (pdf).
While his spokesperson, Jack Thompson, is apparently arguing that the list is unimportant because it's days old and negotiations are ongoing, I do think it important to note where politicians head when looking to shave money from the budget.
Total Reductions: $80 billion
Eliminations:
Head Start, Education for the Disadvantaged, School improvement, Child Nutrition, Firefighters, Transportation Security Administration, Coast Guard, Prisons, COPS Hiring, Violence Against Women, NASA, NSF, Western Area Power Administration, CDC, Food Stamps
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Reductions:
Public Transit $3.4 billion, School Construction $60 billion
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Increases: Defense operations and procurement, STAG Grants, Brownfields, Additional transportation funding
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Yeah. We can't shave our overbloated military budget, which, by the way, gives tons of money to projects politicians know are a waste. We can't possibly ask the wealthy to be their brothers' keeper. No. Let's target the people who can't defend themselves.
Contact your Congresspeople. I am.
