Contradiction

Quote from the Summary of the 2007 U.S. Budget at Whitehouse.gov:

"The President’s 2007 Budget continues his commitment to fighting and winning the War on Terror, protecting the homeland, and advancing the cause of freedom across the globe. Its policies also promote a strong U.S. economy and support important domestic initiatives, such as improving our schools and reducing the cost of health care. As in past budget proposals, the President is focusing taxpayer dollars on these priorities, and enforcing additional spending restraint elsewhere across the Federal Government."

I'll agree that there is no contradiction with the first statement--winning the "War on Terror" (I feel it a necessity to use quotations because it's a war against an abstract thing). The budget gave the Department of Defense an additional 28.5 billion dollars (or a 6.9% increase) from 2006.

I do see a contradiction in the President's commitment to "improving our schools and reducing the cost of health care." I have two points:

1. It's aweful hard to improve our schools when there is a budget cut of 3.8% (or $2.1 billion).

2. He did reduce the cost of health care...for the government. It will cost them $1.6 billion less (-2.3%) in 2007 than it will in 2006. However, I believe that statement above wants me to believe that health care will cost less not for the government but for the people of the United States.

I want to talk about the fact that we reduced the agricultural budget by 6.5% (or $1.4 billion). However, this is pretty logical. America doesn't need to help it's farmers--we'll just steal all our agricultural needs from 3rd World Countries.

I don't care whether you are pro-Bush or anti-Bush. I don't care whether you are so right wing that you're in the Reform Party or so left wing that you're a Communist. This is a contradiction. Most people won't go look at the individual breakdowns of the budget. Okay, most won't even go look at the White House summary either. However, more people will look at a summary of the budget than the breakdown. This statement above was a flat out lie in the budget summary.

My point is this: the President's budget plan is disgusting. Even Republican Senators and Representatives are appalled. Also, I feel that as a Christian voter, it does not represent the values of Christ in many ways. I know there will be some of you who read this and leave comments applauding my "attack" on the budget. Some of you will tell my that I'm a dirty liberal or that I shouldn't attack our government.

I want to say that 1st Peter tells us to follow the authorities over us--using a king as an example. We don't have a king (though many times our President acts like one). We can still respect our authority by disagreeing with the President's budget. We can do so by acting in a legal, respectable manor. We can contact our Congress and tell them we don't feel this budget should pass. The people of America are the final authority in our democracy. We have elected officials (more than just the President) who will hopefully vote in a manner that represents us well. I plan on writing to Congressman Boozman and our Senators (although I feel Mark Pryor will probably be against this budget anyway). Stephen Compston sent me a link to Sojourners where you can sign a petition to Congress. I've linked it to the left as "Reject Bush's Budget." If you agree with me me (and others) that this budget is bad, it is your duty as an American to do what's in your power to change it--that's what a democracy is about.