King George to Farmers & Poor:
“F___ You!”


Furthering his long time policy of throwing certain substances against the wall in hopes that some will stick in the panic and confusion, the President, according to the Los Angeles Times, will propose billions of dollars in cuts affecting millions of Americans including loyal supporters in a budget to be presented to Congress Monday.
The President will seek, according to a Bush-slanted New York Times article, $5.7 billion in cuts over 10 years to farm subsidy programs including a $250,000 overall limit on individual crop subsidy payments.
According to the Los Angeles Times and Tim Johnson, chief executive of the California Rice Commission whose farmers produce 1.5 metric tons of rice per year, the farm subsidy cuts, in addition to being a major slap at rural Bush supporters, could also further strain America’s already strained international posture:

“Rice plays an important role in the economy of California. We are an important export crop — about 40% of what's produced in the state is exported to Japan, Korea, Taiwan and other countries."

In addition to asking Congress to approve further billions in additional and unspecified cuts, the President is proposing:

- $1 Billion in cuts to the Food Stamp Program.

- Deep cuts in Medicaid, community health clinics and aid to schools in low-income neighborhoods.

- Eliminating the $6 billion Perkins student loan program to low and middle income college students.

- Consolidations and cuts to 18 housing and community development programs.

- Eliminating all $1.8 billion federal subsidies for Amtrak.

We are sure to hear the pet corporate media describe this budget proposal as bold as rural and lower-income America reels from the President’s foolish and shortsighted plan.

Dean Update

As the Dean DNC steamroller chugs along, the New York Times offers a quote that explains the Vermont’s Governor’s resurrection:

"If you could boil it down, Dean is seen as a soldier's general," said Representative Jim McDermott of Washington, one of the comparatively few Congressional Democrats who supported Dr. Dean's presidential bid. "He's a guy who sleeps in the trenches with the troops."

More Mars

Spirit, the other and first Mars rover, has, like the Opportunity rover, also tranmitted images taken between November 24 and December 2, 2004 (sols 318 to 325) that NASA/JPL scientists have assembled into a color mosaic panorama.
The Spirit robotic explorer is 2.25 miles from its original landing site on a plain inside the Gusev Crater at the northern end of the equatorial Ma'adim Vallis.
Rover tracks are visible on the right side of the image and Spirit is currently driving up the slope of Husband Hill (the peak just to the left of the panorama's center).

Modified Images: Reuters, blogforamerica.com, NASA/JPL

- posted by Sean @ 8:16 AM