By Barbara Jezioro
Buffalo, NY – Throughout these last two years, just when I think our government can't get any worse, or more arrogant, it does, and I have to ask myself: WHERE'S THE OUTRAGE?
Since George Bush took office, 2.4 million jobs have been lost and the official unemployment rate has climbed to 6%. Currently, 8.6 million Americans are looking for work and homelessness has risen by 19%. WHERE'S THE OUTRAGE?
President Bush's plan for economic recovery is based on large tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans. Under his proposal to eliminate the tax on dividends, the wealthiest 1% of the nation would enjoy an average tax cut of $30,000, while it is estimated that at least 30% of Americans would receive no tax cut at all. This deal, if adopted, would cost over 670 billion dollars over the next ten years, would result in an even larger budget deficit for the next generation and would only benefit those who speculate in stocks and bonds. WHERE'S THE OUTRAGE?
In the last two years, bankruptcy cases rose by 23% while automobile repossession and mortgage foreclosure all reached record levels. In 2001, real median income fell for the first time 10 years in all households except those earning more than 150,000. Today, almost every state in the Union is facing a record budget deficit. Social and educational programs are being cut. Tuition in public colleges is expected to rise by an average of 10%. WHERE'S THE OUTRAGE?
The stock market keeps falling, and criminal CEO's like Ken Lay remain unpunished. Could this have something to do with Enron's close connections to the Bush White House? WHERE'S THE OUTRAGE?
After dropping in 1999 and 2000, the number of Americans without health care insurance rose by 1.4 million in 2001. Currently, 41 million Americans, including 9.2 million children, lack health coverage. We need a universal single payer system now. WHERE'S THE OUTRAGE?
Americans pay some 64% more than Canadians for the same prescription drugs. Why doesn't the Bush administration impose Canadian style price controls on pharmaceutical companies, which by the way, are members of one of the most profitable industries in the United States? WHERE'S THE OUTRAGE?
On September 11th, 2001, the Pentagon was attacked and the twin towers fell, yet a year and a half later, al Qeada is as strong as ever and Osama bin Laden's whereabouts are unknown. No one has taken any responsibility for the biggest failure of intelligence in American history and, in fact, the Bush administration blocked efforts to form an early official inquiry into the attacks, making it almost impossible for any findings to be released before the 2004 election. WHERE'S THE OUTRAGE?
The Patriot Act has already curtailed civil rights, but the Justice Department's proposed Domestic Security Enhancement Act of 2003, will go even further with wire tapping, secret searches and secret detentions. Remember Iran/Contra? Well, apparently a lot of the folks involved in this scandal have been rehabilitated. In fact, retired Admiral John Poindexter, a man who admitted to destroying government documents and misleading official investigators, has been hired by the Pentagon to head an agency called The Information Awareness Office. This means that Poindexter will be, of all things, in charge of the development and implementation of high tech snooping technology. WHERE'S THE OUTRAGE?
Since the September 11th attacks, State and Local have yet to get the federal aid they were promised to purchase needed anti-terrorism equipment. The Department of Homeland Security has been busy though. They're busy undermining the rights of unionized public employees and they're busy urging the public to prepare for attack by purchasing duct tape. WHERE'S THE OUTRAGE?
There is no step more serious for this country than war, yet in October of 2002, Congress gave President Bush the power to wage war at will. The President is now planning a pre-emptive attack on Iraq even though UN inspectors have yet to find any evidence of weapons of mass destruction and there is no evidence linking Iraq with the attacks on America. War should be the last recourse of self defense, yet instead of pushing for renewable energy sources, Bush and company would sacrifice American servicemen and women and innocent Iraqi citizens in a drive to fuel an oil driven American economy and I've read they're even considering the use of nuclear weapons. Before it's too late America, WHERE'S YOUR OUTRAGE?.
Listener-Commentator Barbara Jezioro is an environmental engineering technician who lives in Buffalo.