|
|
|
Jewish World Review Feb. 2, 2005 / 23 Shevat, 5765 Potpourri By Ed Koch
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
Events have proven that President Bush was right in his ongoing support of the January 30 elections in Iraq.
Against strong opposition from his critics, the president had and has faith in the willingness of Iraq's people to confound and confront the insurrectionists. The Iraqi people who voted this week deserve enormous credit for exercising their precious right to vote, notwithstanding the enormous physical danger they faced in simply going to the polls. In fact, there were 9 suicide bombers, 44 deaths and 100 wounded during the voting.
Now I hope the president announces that we will begin withdrawing on May 1 and be out of Iraq by August 31, leaving the Iraqi army and police to protect the state and its people. If we are asked to join a multinational force made up of all the members of the Security Council and the nations in the region, with them providing a majority of the boots on the ground and willing to share and bear the monies expended to date by the U.S. and Britain, as well as future costs incurred in the liberation of Iraq, we should then consider remaining for as long as the Iraqi government asks us to or we determine necessary to provide a permanent peaceful climate, whichever is the earlier exit date. The Iraqi military personnel, having seen the courage of their civilian fellow citizens, men and women at the polls, will hopefully rise to the occasion and protect their own country from those seeking to disrupt and terrorize the government and the people. President Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice should deliver that message during their upcoming trips to Europe and the Mideast.
The administration's effort to frighten the American public with respect to Social Security going "bankrupt" in 2042 will not succeed. If nothing is done to address the current financial situation which would mean insufficient Social Security revenues to pay beneficiaries, by 2042 continued payments would require a cut of 20 percent if the Social Security fund were to remain balanced. That is not "bankruptcy" and can be avoided by the U.S. Treasury making up the difference by honoring the legal commitment made by the U.S. government that it would redeem the Social Security surpluses invested in U.S. Treasury Bonds over many years. Far better for the country than increasing our national deficit by borrowing to repay those Social Security investments — they having been spent in the annual U.S. budgets to pay for other services — would be exercising a combination of options, including a reduction in benefits, increases in employees' salaries and employers' contributions subject to Social Security taxes (now capped at $90,000) and changes in age qualifications for beneficiaries.
The president's attempt to convince the public that providing the opportunity for individual investment accounts is a red herring, having absolutely nothing to do with stabilizing Social Security for the beneficiaries. It is an effort to deliver brokerage commissions that will provide Wall Street an annual bonanza of billions of dollars. Republican members of Congress know they will be in great danger of defeat in the next election if they support the President on this issue, and they won't in very large numbers do so. Democrats, on the other hand, know if they stick together on this issue and convey the facts to the public, and the President stays with his current position, they will take back both Houses of Congress in 2006.
Another great shame is the tax giveaways to the giant corporations having derived profits offshore which they do not repatriate to avoid taxes. The Congress passed legislation allowing corporations to bring those profits back to the U.S., this year, and instead of paying the regular corporate tax of 35 percent, to pay instead 5.25 percent, a loss to the U.S. Treasury of billions, providing a huge windfall in the billions for these bloodsuckers. That law was passed with the support of 207 Republicans and 73 Democrats.
One of the great challenges for every level of government is assisting the integration of immigrants into the U.S. In the last ten years, immigrants have poured into New York City. The number of all immigrants in the city with limited or no English speaking ability is estimated to be at least 1.5 million. Immigrants are vital to New York City's economy and growth. One limitation on an individual's personal growth is the inability to speak English. The city's existing programs annually provide English instruction for 35,000. I believe the city should begin a program using movie and legitimate theaters, including Lincoln Center facilities, every weekday and weekend morning when they are empty to teach English using master teachers capable of instructing large audiences, either live or on video, so that no one seeking instruction would have to wait for an available class. Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in in Washington and the media consider "must-reading." Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
© 2005, Ed Koch | ||||||||||
