There should be smiles and laughter all around. It seems unbelievable that our illustrious state leader is now boo-hooing on how hard our state will be hit. After all, he certainly showed no regrets or compassion in refusing to accept the federal funding to expand Medicaid under Obamacare.
As for the rest of us, those with some good common sense, we are about to pay the price in dire consequences. Listed below are just some of the results of the mighty sequester:
Unemployment checks cut 9.4 percent; longer $725 million cut for low-income and special-needs students by reducing or eliminating Title I grants; $1 billion cut from disaster relief; meat and chicken shortages because of fewer inspectors; prison lockdowns because of fewer prison personnel; slower gun background checks; longer waits for passports and visas;125,000 individuals and families could lose benefits from the Housing Choice Voucher program and become homeless; 600,000 women and children cut off from the low-income nutrition assistance program; 424,000 fewer AIDS tests; deferment of routine maintenance and capital repairs to public housing; much longer security lines at our airports; reduced Army readiness, 46,000 defense jobs lost; and reduced hours and services at 398 national parks.
Enjoy your champagne.
Carol Knupp
Piedmont
