I keep reading that sequestration is greatly exaggerated and that the cuts coming from sequestration are really nothing to worry about. Who is doing all this prediction? Why Republicans of course. The White House is being accused of fear-mongering and creating hype and a sky is falling environment. Why would Republicans say that? Probably because they know what caused this impasse. It all goes back to the brinkmanship of the debt ceiling crisis in July 2011. The sequester was a compromise reached so budge the house Republicans who would not vote to raise the debt ceiling. The alternative was to default on our debts.
The defense cuts are just one side of the sequester. There are also looming cuts that will impact our daily lives.
A state by state report warns of the following if sequestration happens this Friday. According to the Washington Post:
In the Washington region, hub of the federal government, the upcoming automatic spending cuts the Obama administration detailed Sunday would strike a tough blow, with nearly 150,000 civilian Defense Department employees facing furloughs and an estimated average loss of $7,500 in pay.
Under sequestration, which is days away if a deal cannot be reached, funding for elementary and secondary education across the region would be slashed by $29 million, jeopardizing nearly 400 teacher and aide positions. Nearly 6,000 fewer children would be vaccinated for such diseases as measles, mumps and whooping cough. More than 31,000 fewer tests for HIV would be provided, and funds for local meals for seniors would be cut by nearly $2.3 million.
Scientific projects would be delayed at the National Institutes of Health, where research awards would be scaled back and several thousand people could lose their jobs. Across Maryland, Virginia and the District, job-search assistance would be cut, potentially leaving more than 33,000 people without such help.
The cuts in federal spending would affect the Washington economy in multiple ways, including potential job growth, said economist Anirban Basu of Sage Policy Group in Baltimore.
“If this is a big deal nationally, it’s a bigger deal in the Washington metropolitan area,” Basu said, noting that Virginia, Maryland and the District are “among the most reliant communities in the nation on federal spending.
None of the above sounds like anything we want for our region. In fact, it is down-right scary. How will the sequester affect parks and museums? will trash pick up cut back? How about museum guards? Park and Capitol police? What about food inspections? Will TSA and cargo inspection be reduced? What are some of the many things we take for granted that might be impacted?
We might very quickly learn what the rest of nation went through a few years ago during the crash. We might be getting our very own crash, just in case we in the DC area missed hardship.
I am tired of folks who really don’t have the background scoffing at our concerns. Next they will be telling us its all our imagination or that they feel our pain. It’s easy to sound bite “stop spending.” Its a great deal more difficult to start cutting programs and funding when it involves real people and real concerns. The sequester was never supposed to happen. It was a compromise that people thought would never happen.
The President is has told us that he will protect social security and not raise taxes on the middle class. Apparently the Republicans have other ideas.
Also hard hit will be the Norfolk area where most of our naval presence is located. Not only will people be furloughed but ship maintenance will be curtailed, which will affect readiness. Perhaps the only bright spot is that not all the cuts will happen immediately and maybe enough furor will be raised to get Congress’ attention.
It’s ultimately a leadership problem, isn’t it? Blame Reid and Boehner. And of course the buck stops with Obama, doesn’t it?
@Emma
Don’t forget…Obama threatened to veto any deal that did not have the sequester. Notice that neither side is trying to fix it this week.
@Emma
Only in your mind, Emma, only in your mind.
If he could stop it, he would.Ultimately, it’s a legislative issue they need to tend to. A compromise needs to be sent to the President.
@Cargosquid
When did you stop beating your wife? That is pure spin and reinvention of facts.
The truth is, it all started with your golden kids, the Norquist gang who were willing to take the country to default.
just had a social event this past weekend, where quite a few tea party types were lamenting that the sequester will affect their job – directly or indirectly. I find it very amusing that their job is always the important one that should not be affected – yet other jobs and spending is always at the tip of their tongue.
Obama and the Democratic leadership don’t want a compromise any more than the Republicans do. If any of them really cared about all of the pain and suffering that is supposedly about to be inflicted upon our nation, they would have given an inch. So instead the leader of the free world is willing to play chicken with America’s well-being, in the hopes that we’ll all get mad enough just at the Republicans. Unfortunately, too many Democrats think the buck stops with Obama only when good stuff happens.
You really have to be kidding me, Emma. There have been plenty of inches given. Lots and lots of them. The only inch that wasn’t given was on the 1% paying more in taxes that I can recall.
Just what is it that you would have Obama do? Roll over and play dead for the tea party types?
Spell out exactly what it is you want him to do. Playing chicken? I think you are basically just full of it at this point–as full of it as the tea party crew.
“If he could stop it, he would.Ultimately, it’s a legislative issue they need to tend to.”
Then someone should have briefed him about that during his first campaign, when he promised that “We will cut through the budget line by line and cut programs that don’t work and make others work better.”
Spell it out? We’ve been doing that. Cargo did it quite well this weekend. Work with his leadership to draft a budget. They so far have not made any effort to do that, and have tabled any Republican attempts. Their primary job is to fund the government, and they absolutely refuse to put their names to any budget or to work with the Republicans to make that happen. That’s ridiculous and, as Cargo points out, illegal. They are derelict in their duties, and would rather make the American taxpayers pay the price for their negligence.
We wouldn’t be having this conversation if Reid had gotten off his high horse and forced a budget compromise. Instead the Senate did absolutely nothing except to raise public anxiety and do a lot of finger-pointing. Where is their budget proposal? It’s been nonexistent since, what, 2008?
@Emma
Apparently the House has put forth a new bill to give more power to the agency heads for them to direct the cuts.
It’s being opposed by the White House.
Hmmmmm… I wonder what the reason for that is.
@Cargosquid Because they don’t think it would help ease some of the hysteria and finger pointing?
Nah, that couldn’t be it.
@Cargosquid
obviously because no matter what cuts Obama would put into place, the R’s in the house would complain about it. The R’s and D’s need to be on board with the cuts enough of the political blame game and brinksmanship. They are just kicking the can down the road by even suggesting this. They need to ManUp and be part of the process.
Standing ovation, Pat.
More Republican Denial
Does it matter who thought it up? No.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/02/19/who-s-to-blame-for-the-sequester.html
for discussion.
It doesn’t matter who thought up the sequester? Then why is the WH lying about it?
Republican Denial? I notice that Pat mentioned BOTH parties. Only one seems to not be trying to fix it or give more power to the agencies.
If it was the Tea Party..you would be blaming them left and right. It only doesn’t matter when a Democrat thought it up.
Now…Pat, you are right. BOTH sides need to fix this… perhaps by merely repealing it. I bet any repeal would be vetoed.
Then again…. the budget is being INCREASED. Why all the doom and gloom?
The R’s are not trying to repeal it – they are trying to make it into a political football. If Obama put in every cut that the R’s wanted, they would still make it a political football.
As Alan Simpson said – Obama did not go for Simpson-Bowles because the R’s would have eviscerated him for it.
You can look at the election cycle – Paul Ryan proposed the same Medicare cuts that Obama put into place. But when it came time for the election – it all became political, and even Ryan himself made an issue of the cuts – the SAME cuts that Ryan proposed – for political fodder.
The R’s want a political football – and they will reject any and all cuts that Obama proposes.
Greg Letiecq works in the defense industry. It would be freakin’ hilarious if he lost his job as a result of sequester.
@Starry
He does? He must have a new job then. I thought he was a videographer.
Illegal immigrants set free from detention centers as sequester approaches
By Stephen Dinan -The Washington Times Tuesday, February 26, 2013
The sequester is officially still three days away, but the Obama administration already is making the first cuts, with officials confirming that the Homeland Security Department has begun to release what it deems low-priority illegal immigrants from detention.
The move is proving controversial. Immigrant-rights groups say it shows the administration was detaining folks it never should have gone after in the first place, while Republicans questioned the decision-making.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the agency that runs the detention facilities, said in a statement that the “current fiscal climate” has forced it to do a review of spending, and part of that is taking a look at who is being detained.
http://m.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/feb/26/illegal-immigrants-released-detention-centers-sequ/
Hey tea party types, is this what you had in mind when you said you wanted spending cuts? Bwahaha!
@Starry
Shame on you.
Sure….its not our fault if the Democrats decide to make decisions that do harm to the nation in order to make it painful to cut. If that’s what they want to do…..have at it. Its on them.
Besides…the Dream Act executive decision will keep them here anyway.
The dream act will not keep people here who have been in trouble. Those people with criminal records have been excluded.
No, it isn’t on the Democrats. Where did that come? Spin spin spin.
@Moon-howler
Those released were not the “trouble ones.”
Spin? Who’s in charge? The President. Who is stating that “X” is going to happen, instead of prioritizing? The President.
After reviewing hundreds of cases, those released were considered low-risk and “noncriminal,” officials said.
http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-detained-immigrants-sequester-20130226,0,7739089.story