- The Record Archives
- Volume CXVIII, No. XXII - December 1, 2005 -
Who is really representing you?
Staff writer
The House of Representatives recently passed a deficit reduction bill.
Yes, that's right; the Republicans are reforming your ever-so-wasteful government once again.
They pride themselves on being the "party of fiscal responsibility" and apparently decided that the national debt increasing from $3.4 trillion to $4.6 trillion under President Bush probably has not been the best thing for our economy.
With the costs of rebuilding Iraq and the hurricane-torn areas of the South accumulating on top of already record-high deficits, the Republicans decided it might be time for some spending cuts.
What exactly did the "party of values" cut in order to save you money?
Well, it turns out those compassionate conservatives cut child-care, food-stamps, Medicare, veteran's health care and student aid.
Yes, that's correct.
The young, the poor and the disabled will be paying the bill.
In order to rebuild New Orleans, some victims who lost everything will now lose their government assistance.
In order to pay for Iraq, some soldiers who return home will go without health care.
And in order to prevent our generation from shouldering more of the national debt, some of us will just shoulder more personal debt.
While all of these cuts will seriously affect those least able to pay, I am guessing the cuts to student aid will be of most interest to you.
Student aid was cut by $14.2 billion, making it the largest of all the cuts.
What does that mean?
Interest rates and loan consolidation fees will be going up.
If you happen to be an average student who will leave college with $17,500 of debt, you will get to pay $5,800 more in interest.
The bill passed 217-215 with our very own representative, Republican candidate for Senate and former Johnnie, Mark Kennedy, casting the decisive vote.
Perhaps e-mailing or calling him, like a group of students on campus was advocating a few weeks ago, doesn't seem like such a waste of time anymore.
Nonetheless, I am sure the Republican Party is happy you are willing to pay now, and in the future, so that they can fund their priorities.
So, just what are the Republican's priorities?
This year, they gave slightly more than they cut from student aid, $14.5 billion, in tax breaks to the very same energy corporations that were making record profits gauging prices when you filled up your car at the pump.
Then there are the $32 billion in tax cuts that the Republicans in the House of Representatives are working on passing right now.
Their plan would make sure stock dividends are not taxed so that their wealthiest donors, who make their money in the stock market rather than through an actual job, will never have to pay taxes.
Finally, they spent $24 billion on special projects like a $223 million bridge that will connect an island of 50 people to mainland Alaska.
This bridge to nowhere is so important to the Republicans that Ted Stevens, the Senior Senate Republican, threatened to resign if the money was spent instead on rebuilding a bridge destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.
Maybe these are also your priorities, but if not, speak with your voice and your vote to make sure your representatives actually represent you.
This is the opinion of Peter Meyer, a senior political science major at SJU. Contact him at pjmeyer@csbsju.edu.