At his State of the Union speech, George W. Bush formally introduced his
budget-busting tax cuts for the rich and his promised budget cuts to fund
his ambitious tax plan. But Bush's misplaced priorities could mean cuts to
many vital programs for families in Michigan.
Here's a look at how Michigan could suffer as a result of Bush's budget
cuts and risky policies.
- Will Bush Break His Promise to Michigan's Nearly 1.2 Million Seniors or
7.8 Million Citizens Under 55? In Michigan, there are 1,153,949 seniors
who receive Social Security benefits. There are also 7,798,911 people below
the age of 55. Bush has promised both groups the same trillion dollars
under his Social Security Privatization plan. Obviously, he cannot keep
both promises, so who gets the cut? The 1,153,949 seniors currently
receiving Social Security, or the 7,798,911 younger workers promised
private accounts?
- Michigan Received Nearly $105 Million for Hundreds of New Teachers Under
the 100,000 Teachers Program, Which Bush Would End. Under the Clinton
Administration, Michigan received $50.3 million in 1999 to hire about 1,293
teachers and received $54.5 million in 2000. George W. Bush opposes this
important program to reduce class size. In fact, according to the
Washington Post "Bush's plan would also obliterate President Clinton's
initiative to hire 100,000 teachers to reduce class sizes in the earliest
grades."
- Bush Fails Michigan's Children on School Construction. According to the
National Education Association, Michigan faces a $9.9 billion cost for
school modernization. During the presidential campaign, Bush said the
federal government should not be responsible for "bricks and mortar" - his
term for school construction.
- Bush Could Cut Program to Fund Cops in Michigan. Under the COPS program
implemented by President Clinton, 3,460 new police officers have been
funded in Michigan. Bush proposed cutting Justice Department funding by $1
billion to fund his massive tax cuts that benefits mainly the wealthy.
These cuts could apply to COPS program funding.
- Bush Fails to Support a Real Patients' Bill of Rights. 5,320,000 people
in Michigan cannot be assured they have comprehensive patient medical
protections because Bush only wants to give those protections to people in
federally-regulated health plans.
2,560,000 women in Michigan would not have patient protections, since they
are not in federally-governed health plans.
- Bush's Opposition to a Real Minimum Wage Increase May Keep Nearly 359,000
Michigan Workers from Getting a Pay Raise. While Michigan legislators
elected themselves a healthy 30% pay increase this year, Michigan had
358,982 workers who would benefit from a $1 increase in the federal minimum
wage from $5.15 an hour to $6.15 an hour, spread out over two years.
A $1 increase in the minimum wage would increase a full-time minimum wage
earner's annual income by about $2,000 - just about enough to cover
projected home heating & gasoline increases that elected officials have
allowed major oil & utility corporations to pass along to consumers.
Bush said he supported raising the federal minimum wage by $1 an hour, but
only if states could "opt out" - a condition the Associated Press said
"could render a proposed increase meaningless."
Information compiled by Dennis Denno. Additional reporting by Robert Martin.
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