Lynch at Large

In scanning many newspapers online, there is much concern about proposed federal cuts in most cities and states. New York City faces a drastic cut in heath care, Medicaid has already been savaged, and farm programs will suffer. While proposing energy independence, he slashes $100 million from conservation programs. Anti-meth enforcement in Arkansas will stop under terms of this budget. About the only good news I have seen is the $700 million grant to Dallas Area Rapid Transit. The poor and vulnerable, the old, and working people are paying for an endless "war on terror" and tax breaks for the wealthiest few Americans.

There is a new outrage and I do appreciate our Senior Senator, who has taken a much more independent and respectable stance than Senator Proyr has expressed so far. Here is the Senator's release on the latest Bush scheme to fatten up his Wall Street buddies.

Washington - In light of recent reports that President Bush has slipped a plan to privatize Social Security into his Fiscal Year 2007 budget, U.S. Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) today issued the following statement:

"At first glance, we knew this budget was bad for the country. We just didn't know how bad.

"I'm appalled that the President would again try to privatize Social Security by inserting a line item into his 2007 budget. It's outrageous that he would include this provision after his privatization schemes were rejected last year by an overwhelming majority of Americans, not to mention by members of his own party. His attempt to slip Social Security privatization into this year's budget is frankly un-American."

God bless Blanche.