The major religions of the world pretty much agree that it's important to help those who are in need. In fact, this is the basis of true Christianity. According to the Gospel of Matthew 25:31-46, Jesus challenges his followers to help others: "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. . .Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me."
I can't help wondering , then, why many of our elected lawmakers, who profess to be devout Christians and even want the US to be officially identified as a Christian country, are targeting programs who help the poor, the working class, the young, the old, and the sick in order to reduce the deficit? These lawmakers are considering cutting healthcare, welfare and food stamp programs, tuition assistance, affordable mortgage programs, social security, Medicare, Medicaid, and pension plans for state and federal workers, and charging interest on student loans for graduate students. Yet they refuse to consider cutting programs and legislation that bring more money into the coffers of the wealthy and wealthy corporations. Oil subsidies paid to big oil companies, tax loopholes that allow profitable corporations to avoid paying US taxes, programs that give corporations tax breaks to help them pay taxes to foreign nations where they are building factories and outsourcing jobs, and doing away with tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans are all off the table. These lawmakers allege that to touch the programs and the tax cuts that keep money flowing to the rich will impact new job creation in the US. This hasn't worked well, so far. Instead of creating new jobs at home, these wealthy individuals and corporations continue to hold on to their money, or use it to create new jobs in foreign countries.
On the other hand, putting money into the wallets of those who need it most - the poor, the working class, the young, the old, and the sick - injects money immediately back into the economy. These people, unlike the wealthy, can't afford to save their money; they will spend it locally, therefore supporting local businesses, and creating additional local jobs. In addition, the products these consumers choose to buy will create a demand for those products. At present, the options in the US marketplace, thanks to many big corporations, are mostly limited to food, clothing, and other items produced overseas. Promoting and buying "Made in USA" items will create a demand for "Made in USA" products, thereby creating more jobs here at home. This isn't rocket science.
In order to reduce the deficit and cut spending, eliminating or reducing programs and tax cuts for the wealthiest corporations and individuals, instead of targeting those programs who help the neediest Americans, makes more sense for the US economy. It is also the right and Christian thing to do. ****************************
Do you love to snack as much as I do? Here are two tasty, low-fat snack foods "Made in USA."
This week's recommendations:
· Goldfish - Baked in USA by Pepperidge Farm, Inc., Norwalk, CT
(http://www.pepperidgefarm.com/)
· popchips - Product of USA by popchips, Inc., San Francisco, CA
(http://www.popchips.com/)
Sources:
http://www.patheos.com/community/holywrit/2011/02/04/matthew-25-helping-the-least-of-these/
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+25%3A31-46&version=NIV
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-02-02/ryan-s-deficit-cutting-proposals-too-ambitious-even-for-fellow-republicans.html
http://chronicle.com/article/House-Republicans-Spending/126356/
"Democrats target big oil companies," Rucker & Montgomery, The Washington Post, 5/11/11
No comments:
Post a Comment