REAL NIGHTMARE

REAL NIGHTMARE

This is really scary beats most Halloween nightmares now I know the system is far form perfect is this really the way to solve the deficit?

I agree as a government its stupid to spend money it doesn’t have how bout calling in a few IOU’s or cutting hummmmm lets see spending on a WAR IN IRAQ brought about by suspicious non existent Intel!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/food_farm_programs
House Panel OKs School Lunch Funding CutBy LIBBY QUAID, Associated Press Writer Fri Oct 28, 8:22 PM ETWASHINGTON - The House Agriculture Committee approved budget cuts Fridaythat would take food stamps away from an estimated 300,000 people and couldcut off school lunches and breakfasts for 40,000 children.The action came as the government reported that the number of people who arehungry because they can't afford to buy enough food rose to 38.2 million in2004, an increase of 7 million in five years. The number represents nearly12 percent of U.S. households."If there are cuts to be made, why should we make them on food stamps?" saidRep. David Scott (news, bio, voting record), D-Ga. "This is the meanest cutof all." The cuts, approved by the Republican-controlled committee on aparty-line vote, are part of an effort by the House GOP to curb federalspending by $50 billion. The food and agriculture cuts would reduce spendingby $3.7 billion, including $844 million on nutrition, $760 million onconservation and $212 million on payments to farmers."The fact is, our country is going broke," said Rep. John Boehner (news,bio, voting record), R-Ohio. "We're spending money we don't have and passingit onto our kids, and at some point, somebody's got to say, `Enough'senough.' " The $574 million reduction in food stamp spending would affectfamilies who receive food stamps because they receive other non-cashgovernment assistance. The change is estimated to shut up to 300,000 peopleout of the program. The restriction also could take free meals away from anestimated 40,000 school children, because children in many states areautomatically eligible for school meals when they get food stamps, accordingto the Congressional Budget Office. The White House proposed the restrictionearlier this year.The bill would also raise the waiting period for food stamps for legalimmigrants from five to seven years.
Senate GOP leaders are seeking to curb spending by $39 billion, and havebeen more reluctant to cut government benefit programs. The SenateAgriculture Committee spared food stamps in approving a similar budget billlast week and voted for greater reductions in farm payments andconservation.The House committee voted to shave $212 million from direct payments tofarmers, a 1 percent reduction over the next four years. Cuts to commodityprograms totaled $1 billion and include repeal of a federal cotton subsidyto comply with a  World Trade Organization ruling against the program.In a separate action Friday, the House voted 318-63 to approve the finalversion of a $100 billion spending bill for food and farm programs for thebudget year that began Oct. 1. The Senate must approve the measure before itcan go to President Bush for his signature.The bill delays until 2008 a meat labeling law that was to have gone intoeffect last year. Pressure from meatpackers and supermarkets has blocked thelabels, which would tell shoppers what country their meat comes from.The measure also overrides a court ruling on whether products with theround, green "USDA Organic" seal can contain small amounts of non-organicingredients. An appeals court decided earlier this year that non-organicsubstances - things like vitamins or baking powder - are not allowed in foodbearing the seal. But more than 200 companies and trade groups said theycan't make organic yogurt and many other products without the ingredients inquestion, and congressional negotiators agreed. An industry group, theOrganic Trade Association, said the ruling could cost manufacturers $758million annually. Organic food has grown rapidly, from a $1 billion industryin 1990 to an estimated $14.5 billion this year.