Budget Programs Facing Cuts, Elimination

The Associated Press, Friday, February 11, 2005

Here are the 154 programs that President Bush wants to eliminate or cut in his 2006 budget proposal. Bush would terminate 99 programs and make major spending reductions in 55. Separately, the administration listed eight major reforms Bush proposed that also would produce spending cuts.

Of the terminations, Bush has recommended 59 of them before. Twenty-seven of the 55 programs targeted for spending reductions have been previously submitted to Congress.

TERMINATED:

· _Agriculture Department

· AMS Biotechnology Program

· Forest Service Economic Action Program

· High Cost Energy Grants

· NRCS Watershed and Flood Prevention Operations

· Research and Extension Grant Earmarks and Low Priority Programs

· _Commerce Department

· Advanced Technology Program

· Emergency Steel Guarantee Loan Program

· Public Telecommunications Facilities, Planning and Construction Program

· _Education Department

· Comprehensive School Reform

· Educational Technology State Grants

· Even Start

· (High School Program Terminations:)

· Vocational Education State Grants

· Vocational Education National Activities

· Tech Prep State Grants

· Upward Bound

· Talent Search

· GEAR UP

· Smaller Learning Communities

· Perkins Loans: Capital Contributions and Loan Cancellations

· Regional Education Laboratories

· Safe and Drug Free Schools State Grants

· (Small Elementary and Secondary Education Programs:)

· Javits Gifted and Talented Education

· National Writing Project

· School Leadership

· Dropout Prevention Program

· Close Up Fellowships

· Ready to Teach

· Parental Information and Resource Centers

· Alcohol Abuse Reduction

· Foundations for Learning

· Mental Health Integration in Schools

· Community Technology Centers

· Exchanges with Historic Whaling and Trading Partners

· Foreign Language Assistance

· Excellence in Economic Education

· Arts in Education

· Women's Educational Equity

· Elementary and Secondary School Counseling

· Civic Education

· Star Schools

· (Smaller Higher Education Programs:)

· Higher Education Demos for Students w/Disabilities

· Underground Railroad Program

· Interest Subsidy Grants

· (Small Job Training and Adult Education Programs:)

· Occupational and Employment Information

· Tech-prep Demonstration

· Literacy Programs for Prisoners

· State Grants for Incarcerated Youth

· (Small Postsecondary Student Financial Assistance Programs:)

· LEAP

· Byrd Scholarships

· B.J. Stupak Olympic Scholarships

· Thurgood Marshall Legal Opportunity

· (Small Vocational Rehabilitation Programs:)

· Vocational Rehabilitation Recreational Programs

· Vocational Rehab (VR) Migrant and Seasonal Workers

· Projects with Industry

· Supported Employment

· Teacher Quality Enhancement Program

· _Energy Department

· Hydropower Program

· Nuclear Energy Plant Optimization

· Nuclear Energy Research Initiative

· Oil and Gas Programs

· _Health and Human Services Department

· ACF Community Service Programs

· ACF Early Learning Opportunities Fund

· CDC Congressional Earmarks

· CDC Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant

· CDC Youth Media Campaign

· Direct Service Worker Delivery Grants

· HRSA Emergency Medical Services for Children

· HRSA Health Facilities Construction Congressional Earmarks

· HRSA Healthy Community Access Program

· HRSA State Planning Grant Program

· HRSA Trauma Care

· HRSA Traumatic Brain Injury

· HRSA Universal Newborn Hearing Screening

· Real Choice Systems Change Grants

· _Housing and Urban Development Department

· HOPE VI

· _Interior Department

· BLM Jobs-in-the-Woods Program

· LWCF State Recreation Grants (NPS)

· National Park Service Statutory Aid

· Rural Fire Assistance (BLM, NPS, FWS, BIA)

· _Justice Department

· Byrne Discretionary Grants

· Byrne Justice Assistance Grants

· COPS Hiring Grants

· COPS Interoperable Communications Technology Grants

· COPS Law Enforcement Technology Grants

· Juvenile Accountability Block Grants

· National Drug Intelligence Center

· Other State/Local Law Enforcement Assistance Program Terminations

· State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP)

· _Labor Department

· Migrant and Seasonal Farm Worker Training Program

· Reintegration of Youthful Offenders

· _Transportation Department

· National Defense Tank Vessel Construction Program

· Railroad Rehabilitation Infrastructure Financing Loan Program

· _Enviromental Protection Agency

· Unrequested Projects

· Water Quality Cooperative Agreements

· _National Aeronautics and Space Administration

· Hubble Space Telescope Robotic Servicing Mission

· _Other Agencies

· National Veterans Business Development Corporation

· Postal Service: Revenue Forgone Appropriation

· SBA: Microloan Program

· SBA: Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) Participating Securities Program

· MAJOR REDUCTIONS:

· _Agriculture Department

· Federal (In-House) Research

· Forest Service Capital Improve and Maintenance

· Forest Service Wildland Fire Management (incl. supp. and emergency funding)

· Biomass Research and Development

· Broadband

· CCC - Bioenergy

· CCC - Market Access Program

· Farm Bill Programs (EQIP

· Farm Bill Programs (CSP)

· Farm Bill Programs (WHIP)

· Farm Bill Program (Farm and Ranchland Protection)

· Farm Bill Programs (Ag. Management Assistance)

· IFAS

· Renewable Energy

· Rural Firefighter Grants

· Rural Strategic Investment Program

· Rural Business Investment Program

· Value-added Grants

· Watershed Rehabilitation

· NRCS Conservation Operations

· NRCS Resource Conservation and Development Program

· Water and Wastewater Grants and Loans

· _Commerce Department

· Manufacturing Extension Partnership

· _Education Department

· Adult Education State Grants

· State Grants for Innovation

· _Energy Department

· Environmental Management

· _Health and Human Services Department

· HRSA Children's Hospitals GME Payment Program

· HRSA Health Professions

· HRSA Rural Health

· SAMHSA Programs of Regional and National Significance

· State, Local & Hospital Bioterrorism Preparedness Grants

· _Housing and Urban Development Department

· Housing for Persons with Disabilities

· Native American Housing Block Grant

· Public Housing Capital Fund

· -Interior Department

· Bureau of Indian Affairs School Construction

· National Heritage Area Grants

· Payments in Lieu of Taxes

· USGS, Mineral Resources Program

· _Justice Department

· Federal Bureau of Prisons Construction Program

· High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Program

· Juvenile Justice Law Enforcement Assistance Programs

· _Labor Department

· International Labor Affairs Bureau

· Office of Disability Employment Policy

· Workforce Investment Act Pilots and Demonstrations

· _State Department

· Assistance for the Independent States of the Former Soviet Union

· _Transportation Department

· FAA - Facilities and Equipment

· FAA - Airport Improvement Program (Oblim)

· FRA - Next Generation High Speed Rail

· _Treasury Department

· Internal Revenue Service - Taxpayer Service

· _Environmental Protection Agency

· Alaska Native Villages

· Clean Water State Revolving Fund

· -National Aeronautics and Space Administration

· Aeronautics: Vehicle Systems Program

· Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter

· _Other Agencies

· Archives: National Historical Publications & Records Commission

· U.S. Institute of Peace, Construction of New Building

· MAJOR REFORMS

· Agriculture: Rural Telephone Bank

· Commerce: Economic and Community Development Programs

· Homeland Security: State and Local Homeland Security Grants

· Homeland Security: Transportation Security Administration, Recover Aviation Security Screening Costs Through Fees

· Labor: Job Training Reform, Consolidate Grants Program

· Transportation: Amtrak

· Army Corps of Engineers (Civil Works): Performance Guidelines for Funding Construction Projects

· U.S. Agency for International Development and Department of Agriculture: International Food Aid

URL: http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2005/02/11/national/w163008S18.DTL

National Conference of Organized Resistance

I was rather disappointed with NCOR, to tell you the truth. Many of the seminars/workshops that my friends and I attended seemed to contain great potential, in terms of education, information, and engagement, but there was a distinct lack of enthusiasm or professionalism or dynamics of any kind in the speakers I encountered. There was also a dearth of practical application, which was equally disappointing.

On Saturday I attended Beyond the Gender Binary, which was a discussion, essentially, on what the gender binary is (male and female in both gender and sex) and its implications. The two discussion leaders, while obviously possessing strong knowledge and experience, were very lackluster speakers and leaders. I really enjoyed discussing with my small group, and hearing some ideas about gender and sexuality, especially in terms of consumerism, but felt disappointed nonetheless. I did have a personal epiphany, however, in that I realized when talking to Emily that I never discuss my bisexuality/bicuriousity with my female friends-- only my male friends. Another aspect of the discussion I enjoyed was the examination of language. I felt pretty good about leaving that one and and moving on to....

The intriguingly-dubbed Beyond a Culture of Oblivion. Again this workshop suffered the same setbacks. I loved listening to talk about the community-wide effects of substance use, radical sobriety and why SXE (straight edge) kids do what they do, but left feeling unsatisfied. The four leaders seemed unprepared and unenthusiastic, and that put a damper on audience participation.

After a vegan lunch, Poe and I proceeded onto Youth Liberation, discussing youth rights and specifically, ways that youths' rights are denied and abused. (Behavioral modification programs were a big attention draw.) I was thrilled to hear from current and future educators discussing how to mix anarchist or anti-authoritarian or democratic or youth-respectful values into their classes.

Last of all was Protecting Health as a Human Right, hosted by Ipas and discussing reproductive rights. We went over a timeline of how r.r. have progressed and regressed in America, and the implications of various legislation, etc. The information presented was very good, but the two girls leading the workshop read to us for an hour and a half, essentially. There was little engagement, and discussion only began ten minutes before the session drew to a close, when most of us had to begin leaving. Very disappointing.

After a lackluster day all around, the four of us -- Dan, Emily, Poe and myself-- decided we would only attend "Staying Healthy and Safe in the Streets" on Sunday, but we ended up sleeping through that anyhow. I am not sure if I will attend NCOR next year.

Prophetic Words

"I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me and causes me to tremble for the safety of my country. As a result of the war, corporations have been enthroned, and an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until all wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the Republic is destroyed. I feel at this moment more anxiety for the safety of my country than ever before, even in the midst of war."

United States President Abraham Lincoln,
in an Nov. 21, 1864 letter to Colonel William F. Elkins.

Teaching For Change

For those interested, there will be a Teaching for Change meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 8th at 7:30 p.m. in the Addlestone library. (For more information, email me!) Please bring ideas, comments and suggestions as we discuss our Jan. 20th inauguration protest and our future projects.

Some intriguing flyers around campus that I saw tonight hint of an organization forming with similar intentions. I hope to make contact with these wonderful people and form a coalition. (If you know anything about that, let me know, please!)

I will be in Washington, D.C. this weekend at the NCOR conference: National Conference of Organized Resistance. Sounds awesome and should be. Check out their website, http://organizedresistance.org/ for more info. I'll be sure to report back with all the lovely brain-stuffing goodies I will obtain there. [Plus I've never been to DC before, so I'll be sure to take tons and tons of photos.]

Humorous (And Frightening!) Quotes

Lighthearted amusement. We all need a laugh sometimes! Sorry for the lack of updates recently. Getting back to the old school grind has been insane. Lots of thoughts floating around though, and once I get a handle on my time management skills, I hope to be contributing more to my little online oasis of political musings.

When I was a boy I was told that anybody could become President. Now I'm beginning to believe it.
-- Clarence Darrow (1857 - 1938)

I have been thinking that I would make a proposition to my Republican friends... that if they will stop telling lies about the Democrats, we will stop telling the truth about them.
--Adlai E. Stevenson Jr. (1900 - 1965), Speech during 1952 Presidential Campaign

Democracy means that anyone can grow up to be president, and anyone who doesn't grow up can be vice president.
--Johnny Carson (1925 - 2005)

We need a president who's fluent in at least one language.
--Buck Henry

Half of the American people have never read a newspaper. Half never voted for President. One hopes it is the same half.
--Gore Vidal (1925 - )

All the President is, is a glorified public relations man who spends his time flattering, kissing and kicking people to get them to do what they are supposed to do anyway.
--Harry S Truman (1884 - 1972), Letter to his sister, Nov. 14, 1947

A bureaucrat is a Democrat who holds some office that a Republican wants.
--Alben W. Barkley, U.S Vice President (1949-1953)


And now...quotes from Bush! Everybody's favorite....


Obviously no country can claim a special place in God's heart, yet we are better as a people because He has a special place in ours...I want to thank you for helping America, as Christ ordained, to be a light unto the world...
--President George Bush, commending the National Religious Broadcasters for their support in the war to drive Iraq from Kuwait

I believe with all my heart that one cannot be America's president without a belief in God, without the strength that your faith gives you.
--George Bush (1924 - ), to convention of National Religious Broadcasters

No, I don't know that atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered patriots. This is one nation under God.
--President George Bush, to Robert Sherman of American Atheist Press, at the Chicago airport while announcing federal disaster relief for Illinois