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May 25, 2012
Mark Clayton: Is Hillary's State Dept. hacking Al Qaeda? Not quite
Erika Bolstad: Temple cancels Wasserman Schultz speech
The Kosher Gourmet by Ethel G. Hofman: The former president of the International Association of Culinary Professionals, whose members included the likes of Julia Child, is back with contemporary Shavous cuisine: Ruby Fruit Soup, Sweet Noodle Kugel with Cheese, Key Lime Curd, Calsone Casserole Frittata with Wild Mushrooms, Sun-dried tomatoes and Olives, Baked Tilapia with Pepper Cheese Cream and Brown Sugar Shortbread
May 24, 2012
Jeff Jacoby: The peace process battered Israel's reputation
Michael Muskal: 'Pro-choice' position hits record low, according to poll
Chris Farrell: Are We in a Tech Bubble?
The Kosher Gourmet by Penelope Wall: PHILLY CHEESE STEAKS --- hold the steak!
May 23, 2012
Tony Pugh: More private colleges offering tuition discounts
Mary Beth Franklin: How to Choose the Right Annuity for You
Tina Susman: The wig wasn't enough: Man gets 13 years for posing as his dead mom
The Kosher Gourmet by Emma Christensen:A simple way to do fish right
May 22, 2012
Warren Richey: Can US group challenge overseas surveillance act? Supreme Court to decide
Thomas M. Anderson: Walking Away From a Mortgage
The Kosher Gourmet by Megan Gordon: Enjoy a celebration of the most rich and layered flavors: Black bean, sweet potato and quinoa chili
May 21, 2012
Mark Clayton: Cybersecurity: How US utilities passed up chance to protect their networks
Howard LaFranchi: NATO summit: Who will foot the bill for long-term Afghanistan security?
Chris Farrell : Earn Dividends in Emerging Markets with This WisdomTree ETF
Stephen Whiteside, Ph.D. : Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: Social anxiety disorder --- or just shy?
Guy Jackson : Victim's father regrets death of Lockerbie bomber
The Kosher Gourmet by Mario Batali: Famed chef's veal shoulder farsumagru: A festive meat course for late spring
May 18, 2012
Rabbi Berel Wein: Striving: The People of the Book's Book for (All of) the People
Steven Goldberg: 5 Great Stock Picks and the Exchange-Traded Fund that Owns Them
Mary Pickett, M.D.: Ask the Harvard Experts: Don't be forced into gluten-free lifestyle based merely on a doctor's false-positive test
The Kosher Gourmet by Carolyn Malcoun: DIY healthy lunchbox treats: HOMEMADE FRUIT BARS for kids and brown-bagging adults alike
May 17, 2012
Warren Richey: Teacher fired for being unwed and pregnant can sue religious school, court rules
Josh Mitnick: Netanyahu's 'centrist' coalition is already proving it's anything but
Steven Goldberg: Earn Dividends in Emerging Markets with This WisdomTree ETF
Amina Khan: Research links coffee to lower death rates
The Kosher Gourmet by Faith Duran : Cheesy Potato Breakfast Casserole with Cheddar and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
May 16, 2012
Carmen Terzic, M.D., Ph.D. : Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: A variety of exercises can help improve balance
Melissa Healy: National strategy on Alzheimer's disease aims to halt it by 2025
The Kosher Gourmet by Joyce White : GOODNESS GRACIOUS: GREENS! 4 winning recipes that are no longer just for down-home folks (Includes expert tips & techniques)
May 15, 2012
Kristen Chick: Obama administration resumes arms sales to Bahrain despite serious unresolved human rights issues. Activists feel abandoned
Pat Mertz Esswein: Homes are now affordable again and mortgage rates are low. What you need to know before you buy
Kathy Kristof: Our Practical Investor Fights Inflation with These 6 Investments
Sue Hubbard, M.D.: The Kid's Doctor: Lactose intolerant young child? Check again
The Kosher Gourmet by Kathy Hunt: Spread a Little Excitement with EXOTIC CONDIMENTS (4 RECIPES)
May 14, 2012
Lisa Gerstner: How to Protect Your Identity, Finances If You Lose Your Phone
Harvard Health Letters: Heart disease and dementia
The Kosher Gourmet by Megan Gordon: MANGO COCONUT OAT MORNING MUFFINS are a bright but hearty delight
May 11, 2012
Jessica L. Anderson: Get the Best Deal on a Used Car
Jett Stone: Forget face-lifts and fake knees. Scientists have seen the fountain of youth --- and it's broccoli
The Kosher Gourmet by Chef Mario Batali: The famed chef's vegetable dish that tastes true to the season: FAVAS AND SUGAR SNAP PEAS WITH POTATOES AND TARRAGON
May 10, 2012
Sergei L. Loiko: Putin sends warning to U.S., NATO in Victory Day speech at Red Square
Mary Rourke: How being a 'mentch' got Vidal Sasoon his start and fighting in Israel's War of Independence provided him with confidence and a strong sense of his own identity
Jeff Bertolucci: Get Home Phone Service for Less Than $10 a Month
The Kosher Gourmet by Betty Rosbottom: Gleaming with its golden, crimson, and snowy white hues, this silken smooth and creamy STRAWBERRY ORANGE TRIFLE looks impressive, but is easy to prepare
May 9, 2012
Sharon Palmer, R.D. How you can reduce your risk -- or delay -- chronic diseases associated with aging
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Jewish World Review
Feb. 11, 2011
/ 7 Adar I, 5771
Slaying Sacred Cows
By
Linda Chavez
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
House Democrats have been taunting Republicans to come up with concrete budget cuts ever since the GOP rode to victory last November on a platform of reducing spending. Now, the GOP leadership has proposed an impressive $35 billion down payment on reducing spending for the remaining eight months of the current fiscal year. But don't expect any applause from the Democratic side of the aisle.
House Appropriations Chairman Harold Rogers, R-Ky., offered the cuts from non-Defense discretionary programs. They include hefty slices out of the budgets for education, environmental programs, food for poor women and children — all sacred cows for Democrats. The cuts add up to more than $43 billion in fiscal year 2011 spending, though the net savings is only $35 billion after proposed increases in some areas, such as Defense and Homeland Security.
As the budget debate unfolds, we can expect Democrats to try to paint the GOP as heartless cheapskates who would take food from the mouths of babes in order not to raise taxes on their rich buddies. But the fact is, many of the programs that have traditionally been off-limits for cutting deserve a hard look.
Take Head Start, a preschool program for poor kids aimed at improving their chances to succeed through early intervention. Since its inception in the 1960s, this program has been praised by both Democrats and Republicans and has seen steady growth over the years. President Obama requested $8.2 billion in funding for the program in his 2011 budget — an increase of $1 billion over the previous fiscal year. But Head Start has never lived up to its hype and political support.
A study conceived during the Clinton administration and completed in the Bush years has largely languished in the bureaucracy. Brookings Institution scholar Grover J. Whitehurst described the major findings from the first round of the study: "The study demonstrated that children's attendance in Head Start has no demonstrable impact on their academic, socio-emotional, or health status at the end of first grade."
Yet Head Start's funding continues to grow — and it isn't alone. Government work-training programs continue to be touted as necessary, but they are largely ineffective in helping participants get jobs and reducing unemployment. Government subsidies for pet projects like ethanol promise to reduce auto emissions and help the environment. But the environmental impact has been minimal. Worse, they have diverted farmers from producing food to producing fuel, which has led to higher food prices for Americans and less generous food aid abroad.
The same kind of unintended consequences result from another sacred cow: extending unemployment benefits. The federal subsidy, which allows the unemployed to collect checks for longer periods, has actually prolonged unemployment for some workers. It discourages recipients from taking jobs they might have accepted if they had no alternative source of income. And the list goes on.
The House GOP spending cuts aren't the last word on reducing the deficit. They're a good first start, but the real challenge remains tackling the entitlement programs: Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid in particular. As the American population ages, these programs will bankrupt us unless major overhauls are undertaken.
According to a recent study by the Urban Institute, a single man who turned 65 in 2010 and earned average wages would receive $417,000 in benefits over his lifetime but would have paid in only $345,000 in Social Security and Medicaid taxes. A couple, in which one earner was in a high-income bracket and one was in the average bracket, would receive $988,000 in benefits, but would only have paid in $881,000.
Who pays the difference? Current workers, that's who.
Their taxes pay for current recipients' benefits; and those workers have to hope there will be a supply of even more highly taxed workers in the future to pay for theirs once they retire. It's really a giant Ponzi scheme — the kind of racket that would send someone to jail if they tried it in the private sector.
The Republicans have started a conversation on debt reduction by taking on some liberal programs that, in the past, would have been safe from the knife. Now it's time for Republicans to initiate an even more difficult conversation by figuring out how to cut middle-class entitlements. But don't count on Democrats to make it easy.
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
JWR contributor Linda Chavez is President of the Center for Equal Opportunity. Her latest book is "Betrayal: How Union Bosses Shake Down Their Members and Corrupt American Politics". (Click HERE to purchase. Sales help fund JWR.)
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© 2006, Creators Syndicate
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