Let's take a look at George's accomplishments since assuming the throne. We'll take a look at want he has done in the last 2.5 years. He has been at least prolific without a doubt. And he's very decisive. I question his ability to make good decisions, but at least he doesn't back down when he makes a decision. Unfortunately, that may not be a good thing.
Listed below are several of his accomplishments. The statistics come directly from "Stupid White Men" by Michael Moore. This is a book I recommend highly. Thank you Michael for you humor and innate wisdom. All commentaries on said accomplishments are my own. Feel free to make your own judgements on the sanity of these decisions.
In the past 2.5 years George W. Bush:
* Cut $39 million from federal spending on libraries - Now some libraries are being forced to close due to lack of funding. Most of these are in the inner cities where illiteracy is at it's highest.
* Cut $35 million in funding for advanced pediatric training for doctors - That's right. Your child could die because his/her doctor couldn't get the training he/she needed to make a clear diagnosis. Apparently, your President doesn't think your children are important. Maybe that's because he knows he's going to have us all blown up.
*Cut funding for research into renewable energy sources by 50% - That means we're half as likely to find an energy source to replace oil before it runs out (oil is not a renewable energy source by the way). That shouldn't surprise you if you know that he and half his cabinet are oil men.
* Delayed rules that would reduce "acceptable" levels of arsenic in drinking water - Isn't it comforting to know there's actually an "acceptable" level of a DEADLY POISON in the water you drink every day. Yeah, drink more water every day, it's good for you. NO! DRINK BEER! IT'S SAFER!
* Slashed funding for research into more fuel efficient , cleaner burning cars and trucks by 28% - So, we're a quarter less likely to get cars that get 50 miles to the gallon or trucks that get 20.
* He has revoked rules strengthening the power of government to deny contracts to companies violating federal laws, environmental laws, and OSHA regulations. - Not for nothin', but, WHAT THE HELL! He's worried about Homeland Security? We're already not safe here, and it's his fault!!
* He has allowed Secretary of the Interior, Gale Norton, to request suggestions for opening up National Monuments for foresting, coal mining, and oil and gas drilling. - I don't know how I feel about Mount Rushmore as a strip mine? Or Yosemite over run with crazed Lumberjacks? Yes I do know. Not even over my rotting corpse! We already have a pipeline in the tundra - let's not screw anything else up!
* Broke his campaign promise to invest $100 million per year in rain forest conservation. - Or was that his idea when he proposed development of a hydrogen powered car, to put moisture back into the atmosphere?
* Reduced the Community Access Program by 86%. This program coordinates care for people with no health insurance among public hospitals, clinics and other healthcare providers. - George W. "Scrooge"? - If they're going to die, let them be about it and decrease the surplus population." -- Charles Dickins - "A Christmas Carol"
* Voided the proposal to increase the publics' access to information about what could happen in a chemical plant accident. - Keep in mind this was before September 11, 2001. Apparently, we don't need to know if that gasious cloud hanging over us is going to kill us. I love a good surprise, don't you?
* Cut funding for the Girls and Boys Clubs of America programs in public housing by $60 million. - What's a few more gang members, drug addicts or dealers to him? It's not his neighborhood.
* Pulled out of the 1997 Kyoto Protocol agreement on global warming, signed by 178 other countries. - Not surprising for a man who refuses to believe there is a hole in the ozone layer bigger than the one in his head. Maybe he'll see the light when they have to pick him up in a boat off the roof of the White House.
* Rejected the international accord to enforce the 1972 treaty banning germ warfare. - Isn't this the exact thing he "claims" to be going to war with Iraq over? OOPS!! We can have our war toys, but nobody else is allowed to. Where does the UN stand on that! Why aren't they demanding we get rid of our biological and chemical weapons. If you think we don't have them, you need to take the blinders off.
* Cut $200 million from workforce training programs for dislocated workers. - If you lose your job, there's no money to retrain you to get another job! And we wonder why the jobless rate is so high? Do the math Mr. Bush.
* Cut $200 million from the Childcare and Development grant, the program that allocates childcare to low-income families when they are forced from welfare to work. - They change welfare so you have to get a job after a certain period of time and get off welfare. That's a good thing, don't get me wrong. These jobs are notoriously entry level jobs, which translates to minimum wage pay. Then they tell you they're not going to subsidize your childcare so you can go to work and you can't afford to pay for it on your own. So, you either have latch-key children or you go back on welfare. That makes sense, doesn't it?
* Eliminated prescription contraceptive coverage for federal imployees (but Viagra is still covered). - So government employees (I'm assuming that includes the military) and their dependants aren't allowed to protect themselves from pregnancy. But, the "men" in their lives have free reign over "getting it up". There's always "rubbers". They even have ones with "spermicide". That's supposed to kill the sperm in case the rubber leaks or breaks. I have a 12 year old that's living proof of how well that doesn't work! Are we sure he's not Catholic? Maybe he should be.
* Cut $700 million in funds for public housing repairs. - That's great. Cut the budget by depriving an already dignity deprived population of the most basic of sub-standard decent living conditions. Take funding away from some of the most delapidated dwellings in America. There's the American Dream in action. Or, should I say the American Nightmare.
* Cut half a billion dollars from the Environmental Protection Agency's budget. - "I'm sorry we can't afford clean air and water for the next 4 years -- I need it ALL so I can blow up the world." Thank you. Thank you very much!
* Overturned workplace ergonomics rules designed for the protection of workers' safety and health. - So go ahead, don't bend your knees and lift heavy objects, it's okay, the government says so. And use that computer all day without a break. All that repetative hand motion won't give you carpal tunnel, which is caused by all that repetative hand motion. Besides, even if you do get carpal tunnel syndrome, your company's workmans' compensation insurance doesn't have to pay for it, because the government says it's not a work related illness. Every doctor you talk to tells you that it is. But, hey, what do they know. Ther're only MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS! They can't possibly know more than the government about a MEDICAL condition.
* Abandoned his campaign pledge to regulate carbon dioxide emmissions, the major contributor to global warming. - A.) Now we know how good his word is. B.) As we've already, proved he doesn't believe there is global warming, he obviously sees no use in lowering the amount of carbon dioxide we spew out. Come on, you know that's his line of thinking. "If I say I don't believe in global warming, then I can get away without making good on my promises over carbon dioxide."
* Prohibited federal aid to international family planning organizations providing abortion counseling, referrals or services with their own funds. You can't use your own money to promote abortions for people the world over who need them or you don't get any of our money. Maybe I wanted my tax dollars to go there! I'm sure it says somewhere in the Constitution that the government isn't supposed to tell the private sector what to do. Yet it does that very thing every day. Not only within our country, but, it tries to do the same thing to other countries. As if we have any authority beyoud our borders!
* Nominated a former mining company executive, Dan Lauriski as Assistant Secretary of Labor for Mine Safety and Health. - Okay, he's an executive. You think he's ever been down a mine shaft? And he's management. You think he's going to care about the safety of the people who do go down there if it's going to cost something? Take the tour buddy, then make your decisions.
* Appointed Lynn Scarlett, and skeptic of global warming and opposed to stricter air pollution standards, as Undersecretary of the Interior. - Thank God she's not the top dog! We'd all need gas masks and not because of chemical or biological warfare either.
* Approved controversial plan of the Interior Secretary to auction off areas close to Florida's eastern shore for oil and gas development. - Giving a whole new meaning to "Shell" oil. Oil rigs on the horizon. What a great tourist attraction. Not to mention it will do wonders for the sea creatures. And black sand looks great, but not when it sticks to everything in sight, especially the aquatic birds.
* Plans to allow oil drilling in Montana's Lewis and Clark National Forest. - Is nothing sacred to this man? Not even our History?
* Threatened to shut down the White House AIDS office. - Great! If I ignore it, it must not exist! This sounds very much like an ostrich.
* Decided he no longer needed guidance from the American Bar Association for federal judicial appointments. - God knows he knows more about the law than the Bar. After all, he was in jail for drunk driving. Hey, wait a minute. That would make him more knowledgable about the law AND the bar.
* Denied college financial aid to students convicted of misdemeaner drug charges (though convicted murderers are still eligable). - Don't smoke pot and get caught or you won't be able to further your education. But, hey, if you kill your parents, that's all right by us, come on in.
* Allocated only 3% of the amount requested by the Justice Department in the ongoing battle against "Big Tobacco". - That's the big bucks there. You think they'll get any concessions from the industry with that kind of money?
* Pushed through his tax cut, of which 43% goes to the wealthiest 1% of Americans. - His friends and relatives got most of the tax cut. We go diddly!
* Signed a bill to make it harder for poor and middle-class Americans to file for bankruptcy, even when it's because of overwhelming medical bills. - He gives a big tax break to the rich, while allowing the poor to drown in debt, because they don't have enough money to pay their bills. Ah, the Republican party line. Robin Hood in reverse!
* Appointed to the office of Personnel Management an affirmative action opponent. - He already has his Token "Niggas" after all. Nice job, "Whitey".
* Cut $15.7 million from programs for child abuse and neglect. - Well, I guess if it's good enough for his girls, it's good enough for the rest of us. I guess that's why they drink. If that's not abuse and neglect, I don't know what is.
* Proposed ending the "Reading is Fundamental" program, which gives free books to poor children. Why should poor children be able to read better than him? Good thing it was only a proposal.
* Wants to develope "mini-nukes", designed to attack targets that are deeply buried, a violation of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. - He must want to get at Saddam really bad. He thinks we should be allowed to do anything we wish to militarily and the rest of the world should shut up and obey. George - it's a global community - everybody has a say.
* Tried to reverse regulation protecting 60 million acres of national forest from logging and road building. Okay, George, quick science lesson. We breathe out what trees need and they give off what we need to breathe. No trees = no breathable air = no people ... including you. It's a simple concept. And God did it that way for a reason!
* Appointed John Bolton, an opponent of nonproliferation treaties AND the United Nations, as Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security. - He's supposed to control everything he doesn't believe in. So that's why we're out of control. And who could possibly be against the United Nations. Eleanor's coming back to haunt you, buddy.
* Made Monsanto executive, Linda Fisher, deputy administrator of the E.P.A. - Monsanto is one of the biggest polluters in the country. 'Nough said about that.
* Nominated Michael McConnell, a leading critic of the separation of church and state, to a federal judgeship. - Yet, we still have people trying to take the "Pledge of Allegence" out of our schools. Our children don't get any moral training in school now. To these people I say: Remember Madaline Marie O'Hare. She had prayer removed from our schools, and she died of her convictions.
* Nominated civil rights opponent Terrence Boyle to a federal judgeship. - George seems to be taking us on a nostalgic walk back to the civil war days. Did all those battles mean nothing? Don't go there George.
* Canceled 2004 deadline for auto makers to develop prototype high mileage cars. - And then gas prices went through the roof. If you think it's about saving the Iraqi citizens from the mass murderer that is their leader, think again. That is only how George and Co. are trying to justify it to the American community. A war contrived by Big Oil and the Imposter to the Throne on the verge of an ELECTION YEAR when our economy is crumbling. Smoke and Mirrors! There's a lot more going on here folks, and it ain't got diddly to do with FREEDOM! "Wag the Dog"!
* Named John Walters, and ardent apponent of prison drug treatment programs, as drug czar. - Lock 'em up, but don't treat the problem that put them there. Most inmates are jailed for crimes they committed while on drugs or while trying to appropriate money to get drugs. This genious wants to put them back on the street without fixing the problem that caused them to be there in the first place. Most of them will get out at some point. If you're that far gone that you are committing crimes to support the habit, it ain't that easy to "Just Say No"!
* Appointed oil and coal lobbyist J. Steven Giles as Deputy Secretary of the Interior. - Someone who lobbied to strip the environment of all its assets put in charge of that very same Environment. That doesn't sound too good for the trees and oceans.
* Named Bennett Raley, who has called for the repeal of the Endangered Species Act, as Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Water and Science --- Aargh! Help! What was the man thinking? My Bad.
* Proposed to ease the permit process for constructing refineries and nuclear and hydroelectric dams, including lowering environmental standards. - It's conceivable that we could all be glowing in the dark, courtesy of George W. Bush.
* Proposed the selling of oil and gas tracts in the Alaska Wildlife Preserve. - And this isn't going to mess with the Wildlife?
* Missed all the signs that pointed to catastrophe concerning September 11, 2001. They had the information. They either chose to ignore it or couldn't figure out what the hell it was they were looking at. That makes our leader either incredibly stupid, incredibly niave or incredibly arogent! Either way, it ain't good for us.
* He is forcing us into a war nobody in the world wants over imaginary weapons nobody seems to be able to find. Show us your proof! Where are the documents? Let the American public see the pictures. In spite of what you believe, We the People are compassionate, articulate, and intellegent. If we are presented with the facts and not lied to in any way, we can come to the right conclusion all by ourselves. If you have irrefutable proof in black and white, show us and we'll be behind you. In other words, sir, put up or shut up!
* Took a $50 billion budget surplus and created a $287 billion defecit in 2.5 years, heading for a 1.8 trillion defecit within 10 years. Zigfried and Roy ain't got nothin' on him. The magical disappearing budget surplus!
These last three are all mine as they are post 9-11-01.
Posted by cdedwards at March 7, 2003 06:32 PM