Bush's Budget Disaster in Ohio

From: "DNC Grassroots Action Team" Subject: Bush's budget disaster in Ohio Date: Thu, 3 Mar 2005 Greetings to All, Stop the devastating cuts in Bush's budget from hurting Ohio. Congress is debating this plan right now, so make your voice heard! Write a letter to the editor of your local paper today. www.democrats.org/action Ohio residents are facing severe cuts if George Bush's new budget becomes law -- but you can help stop it in its tracks. Bush recently unveiled his reckless plan to privatize Social Security, and now he's touting a budget that slashes key programs that help Ohio's working families. Bush plans devastating cuts to America's top priorities, from homeland security to health care to education to benefits for veterans and much more. Despite these cuts, this budget is a fiscal disaster, with Bush's trademark irresponsibility pushing America deeper into the red with another record deficit. And this budget is a huge disaster for Ohio. Here are just a few of the cuts Ohio faces under Bush's 2006 budget: Homeland Security The Bush 2006 budget cuts $420 million to state and local funding for homeland security, including a $32.7 million cut for Ohio. These cuts will take police and firefighters off your streets. The Bush budget cuts the COPS program, which has put 3,757 officers on Ohio streets, by 96 percent. Health Care The Bush budget cuts $45 billion from Medicaid, enough to provide health care to 1.8 million children. Ohio's share of these cuts is $1.9 billion. Bush's budget cuts the very same community and rural health care programs he touted during the campaign, even though more than 114,000 Ohio residents have lost their health care coverage since Bush took office due to his failures. Education Bush underfunds his own No Child Left Behind Act by $13.1 billion in his budget. In Ohio, that means a shortfall of $354.6 million, leaving behind 82,594 Ohio children. Bush promised to fund Pell Grants in his State of the Union address, but his budget is $6.6 billion short. That's $233.6 million less than what's needed in Ohio, a real burden for the 177,447 students in Ohio who receive the grants. Other Priorities Bush cuts $24.7 million from Ohio job training programs in his 2006 budget. The Bush budget would require many veterans to pay a new $250 annual "user fee" to use the Veterans Administration health care system, and would double the prescription drug co-payment for the 1,144,007 Ohio veterans. Bush cuts Ohio clean water programs by $21.8 million. Bush's 2006 budget also cuts the Low Income Heating Energy Assistance Program -- which helps low-income families afford heating fuel in the winter -- by $234.4 million, including $11.8 million cut for Ohio residents. And Bush's irresponsible budget is a record $427 billion in the red, increasing each Ohio family's share of the federal debt by $38,563. Take Action Take action today to help stop Bush's disastrous budget in its tracks. Write a letter to the editor of your local paper explaining why Bush's budget is such a disaster for America. Be sure to include some of the facts about Ohio above, or download our full report here for even more useful information. Write your letter here: http://www.democrats.org/action And be sure to tell your friends to join in. Forward this email to all your friends in Ohio, or tell them to find the report for their own state here: http://www.democrats.org/bushbudget Sincerely, The DNC Grassroots Action Team