DES MOINES – AFSCME Iowa Council 61 President Danny Homan released the following statement regarding the “sequestration” cuts that went into effect Friday:
“The massive and arbitrary budget cuts known as sequestration will seriously hurt Iowa. People will lose jobs, vital services will be cut and our state economy will slow – all because Representatives Tom Latham and Steve King decided to put politics before the people of Iowa.
“Thanks to sequestration, 500 Iowa children will be kicked out of Head Start, 300 Iowa children will lose child care, there will be fewer first responders to answer 911 calls, lines at Iowa’s airports will be longer, 1,320 children will not receive vaccines, food will go uninspected, teacher and teacher aide jobs will be at risk, and our communities will suffer. Job search assistance, which has already been slashed in Iowa over the past few years, will receive a further cut of $376,000. This will leave unemployed Iowans with even less assistance as they work to get back on their feet.
“Representatives King and Latham threw Iowa under the bus. They should have gone to Washington to create jobs – instead they are gutting the services that make our communities run and killing thousands of good, middle-class jobs.
“Representatives Latham and King would rather make the people of Iowa feel the pain of these cuts instead of closing one single tax loophole or ending any of the special tax breaks that let millionaires and billionaires pay lower income taxes than working families.
“There is too much at stake for vicious political games that leave Iowa in the dust – we deserve real solutions that will strengthen our middle class and move our country forward.”
Rome fell because too many were living off of taxes of too few. It sounds like you guys want to go down that road.
Homan is full of it.
Sequester was the administration’s idea approved by Congress. The administration is adamant that taxes go up while the other side wants spending cuts.
Sequester is no more than a cut in the “increase” in spending.
Just take a look at the problems reported today for Italy – the voters there are mad and will not settle for austerity so they are bringing their overspending politicians back – this is true madness.
Until Obama gets real with the spending problem and real cuts are affected we will continue on the course towards financial meltdown. Hopefully American voters are smart enough to see this coming before it’s too late.
It is time for Obama to quit campaigning, drop his Chicago style thug politics and threats and actually become a leader – something that has eluded him up to now.
Water will be turned off. Toliets wont flush. Global warming will be rampent… A few he forgot
I agree with Mr. Homan these politicians failed the people of Iowa.
I wonder why Mr. Homan is expressing all of this concern now. As I have stated in other posts, sequester was formulated in 2011. If Mr. Homan was this worried about how sequester would affect the economy, why did he wait until now to address it? And he specifically pinpoints Mr. Latham and Mr. King. What about all the politicians who failed to act to prevent it (sequester) since its inception? And in this regard, I am non-partisan. It is both parties, democratic and republican, who have to share the blame and the shame of failing to address it.
I agree, this is not a cut in spending at all,it is a 2% decrease in increased spending, they are still going to spend more than they did last year, just 2% less than they expected to get this year.
As a homeowner, I have managed to cut my total expenses by more than 2% due to the cost of living, rising fuel and grocery prices alone. These departments can do that as well, I don’t feel sorry for them.
For Danny to Single out King and Latham on this is beyond the pail. Anyone can look back at the record on this bill to see who voted for it, this bill came right out of the White House and Obama.
Good god, John. Even the republicans are mad about this! It’s not an effective way to cut spending, it’s clumsy and too extreme in some departments.
John McCain and Lindsey Graham both said so this morning on one of the Sunday talk shows!
Clearly, you do NOT understand how government finances work. I suggest you take some time and really learn how this complicated process works before you comment.
And it’s pale.
Ok, Sicasupd,
I spelled a word wrong, I bow in front of you for you to forgive me.
Of course the republicans are mad about this, that was not my point.
You didn’t address any of my points and that is the reason I addressed you on this. Please don’t under estimate my ability to comprehend the Federal spending and if I am smart enough to debate you on it face to face any day.
I understand everything about Government spending. If you have no other response than to call other people stupid because they don’t agree with you, I am done with the discussion.
If you want to blow this right open instead of telling me that I know nothing about how the process works like you stated, bring it on Sica, I will defend my position in a respectful way, unlike you.
He’s the Iowa President of AFSCME and these are the two Iowans who are failing to act. They are more concerned with partisan politics than working together – give and take.
@sick – You still haven’t answered my ques. Why has Mr. Homan waited all this time to address sequester? It’s been around since 2011. Why did he wait until now to get so concerned about it? And as for cutting spending, look at the State and USAID FY 2013 budget, and see how much money this country is giving away in aid. We are borrowing money from other countries to give it away as foreign aid. That is wrong. The adage, don’t spend it if you don’t have it applies to countries as well as people.
Why on earth would a union president address the approaching sequester when the congress didn’t? What did you want him to say? “I sure hope they don’t let that sequester take place here in a year or so”?
looks like you are losing ground here, you excuses are very creative though!
@sick – Because if he really cared about the people in the union, he would have tried to do something to head off problem. Inform them, motivate them. Explain how the sequester would affect them, and have them bombard the govternment to fix it. The adage, “the squeaky wheel gets the grease”, eventually, they would have been heard. Regardless, if he would have mentioned something earlier, it would have lent more credibility to what he is saying now. And you didn’t address my comments about cutting spending. About how this country is borrowing money just to give it away as foreign aid. Why would we have to increase taxes so much if we would just keep our money here in the USA?
@sick, you have not answered a direct question that has been put in front of you. You stated to me,
“Clearly, you do NOT understand how government finances work. I suggest you take some time and really learn how this complicated process works before you comment.”
I will state to you again that I do understand it and will debate you on it any way you would like. You continue to try to degrade people that you think don’t have any brains, it won’t work with me Sick, let’s stick with the facts and have a good talk.
@John-Excellent Response.
I answered you, John. I’m sorry you didn’t like the answer. Perhaps a reading comprehension course would help.
@sick – But you still haven’t answered my ques. This country is borrowing money just to give it away as foreign aid. Why would we have to borrow so much money or keep raising taxes if we would just keep our money here in the USA?
Citizen, on that issue, you and I agree. I do not agree with foreign aid unless it’s crucial to our safety, and believe there are certain funds that must be put on hold at the very least, even at the expense of people in other countries. Our people come first.
On the issue of Homan, however, I’ve answered that one as many ways as possible but it’s still not good enough for John.
@sick – Thank you.