The very idea that we would be facing cuts to our Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, during a "crisis" that is not really a crisis for our social safety net, is profoundly undemocratic. Pushing these massive cuts through without the benefit of adequate time for debate goes against the very foundational principles of our democracy. It doesn't have to be this way. I call on you, Mr. President, to withdraw the proposal to cut our social safety net. We demand a clean vote on the debt ceiling, and we're prepared to wait it out for this clean vote.
Please don't use the threat of social security checks not going out as part of this manufactured "crisis". If this a ploy to up the ante for our acceptance of massive cuts to our social safety net, our entitlements, we demand that you stop using it as such. If indeed entitlement checks are at risk to not go out on time, we ask that you, Mr. President, take responsibility for this, in a way that doesn't manipulate the issue to accomplish drastic cuts to our social safety net.
Regarding proposed cuts to our entitlements, we have payed for those entitlements, straight up and clean payments, not any sort of bailout or TARP or TALF due to negligent mismanagement and outright fraud. Our entitlements are cleanly ours, and frankly, you have no right to cut them, and particularly, not without adequate time for debate. This pushing through of cuts in this short amount of time, frankly Mr. President, looks like you are gaming the system to work against us. We've had enough of this. You do this at your own political risk, and I think people will not willingly accept this kind of treatment from a sitting, Democratic president.
In no way is this a "fair and balanced" proposal, and in no way is this "shared sacrifice". We have sacrificed enough, as others have said, in this Great Recession that is not of our doing. In fact, we have a few demands of our own:
1. Immediately withdraw the proposal for any deficit reduction during this debt ceiling debate. Any deficit reduction must be debated with ample time for citizen input, as behooves the nature of our democracy.
2. Immediately withdraw any proposed cuts to our entitlements and social safety net, such as Medicaid. The stakes are high for the low income folks of our country, and any proposed changes to Medicaid must be debated openly and transparently, with plenty of time for the debate. Many of our states are close to bankruptcy as it is, Mr. President, and changes to Medicaid at this time could have an adverse effect on state budgets that would be difficult to implement.
3. Demand a clean debt ceiling vote. This is fair and balanced. Use your bully pulpit to that end. I repeat. This is a "fair and balanced" approach.
4. We want a real debate on "shared sacrifice", because this is kicked around right now as though ordinary Americans have not already sacrificed heavily for the Great Recession. In fact, we have paid the price for the criminal gaming of the system by certain financial institutions that have enjoyed virtual immunity from prosecution. We want to reverse this, and we want immediate criminal investigations of all financial institutions involved in the economic meltdown. We want the perpetrators of this meltdown to come under the kind of scrutiny that the crimes demand.
5. We want an end to the secret Federal Reserve loans, TARP, TALF, and a public, open and transparent review of all such practices that have treated our national treasury as a private bank loaning system for large financial institutions and corporations.
6. It is apparent the private sector will not create the jobs needed to end this recession. We call on massive public sector job creation to rebuild our crumbling infrastructure, and develop clean energy production and technology. The environmental disasters of late we have had to endure are sounding the alarm that our planet, our ecosystems, cannot sustain disaster after disaster.
Finally, we name this "crisis" for what it really is, a crisis of democratic principles. It is apparent that the system is being used to limit debate, to the detriment of the working class. Any proposals to cut our social safety net, to cut the deficit, must take place in a framework that allows for debate to take place without the pressure of a "crisis" that is not directly connected to the issues. Ample time must be given for all citizens to not only participate in this debate, but feel confident that their views are being heard.