Washington leaders bracing for drastic sequester cuts
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SEATTLE -- If politicians can't reach a deal on the sequester, Washington could see drastic cuts in healthcare, education and traffic control.
State Health Secretary Mary Selecky said if congress doesn't stop our fall over the fiscal cliff, she fears she'll lose $22 million in federal money.
Health programs for 16,000 pregnant women could go away, and a vaccine program for 4,000 children could be eliminated.
Schools across the state could also face devastating cuts of $11.5 million from the state budget. More than a million students would lose federal help, and 70,000 kids could lose access to Head Start.
"We're going to face those cuts in our classrooms, in our communities and we don't have any control over that," said Justin Fox-Bailey of the Snohomish Education Association.
Air traffic controllers could also be furloughed around the state, and towers at regional airports such as King County, Renton Municipal and Paine Field could close.
Any cuts to air traffic control could also mean delays at airports, which means longer lines for travelers.
It all begs the question: What are legislators from Washington doing about it?
Most, such as Rep. Denny Heck, met and called constituents all week to warn them to brace for the worst. But only one lawmaker introduced a bill to avoid the cliff.
Rep. Adam Smith said his Sequestration Relief Act would reduce spending, free up the economy and protect against defense cuts. But, with the clock ticking, it will most likely never make it to a vote before the March 1 deadline.
The union for air traffic controllers said even with the sequester, it will still be safe for travelers to fly, but it will take longer.
State Health Secretary Mary Selecky said if congress doesn't stop our fall over the fiscal cliff, she fears she'll lose $22 million in federal money.
Health programs for 16,000 pregnant women could go away, and a vaccine program for 4,000 children could be eliminated.
Schools across the state could also face devastating cuts of $11.5 million from the state budget. More than a million students would lose federal help, and 70,000 kids could lose access to Head Start.
"We're going to face those cuts in our classrooms, in our communities and we don't have any control over that," said Justin Fox-Bailey of the Snohomish Education Association.
Air traffic controllers could also be furloughed around the state, and towers at regional airports such as King County, Renton Municipal and Paine Field could close.
Any cuts to air traffic control could also mean delays at airports, which means longer lines for travelers.
It all begs the question: What are legislators from Washington doing about it?
Most, such as Rep. Denny Heck, met and called constituents all week to warn them to brace for the worst. But only one lawmaker introduced a bill to avoid the cliff.
Rep. Adam Smith said his Sequestration Relief Act would reduce spending, free up the economy and protect against defense cuts. But, with the clock ticking, it will most likely never make it to a vote before the March 1 deadline.
The union for air traffic controllers said even with the sequester, it will still be safe for travelers to fly, but it will take longer.
Why is it always about cuts to US citizens, and never cuts to politicians' own cushy benefits packages and perks? Why not cuts to foreign aide, putting America first? Lobbyists? Expense accounts? Size of government? And 'stupid thing government spends money on.'
Nothing but fear-mongering rhetoric.
Nothing will change, it's liberal fear mongering, we could in reality cut government in half and still keep essential services without no one noticing. Obama and his cronies refuse to cut spending because there addicted to our money/taxes , bring on sequestration it's only a start.
We spent $3.538 trillion in 2012. After sequestration, we will spend $3.553 trillion (according to the CBO). The world is coming to an end and we're all going to die. Oh wait - you mean that we'll spend more this year and have to severely cut support and services (and defense) to levels far below what we could afford just last year? The world is coming to an end and we're all going to die.
Let it happen. Run a Google search about "stupid things Government spends money on". It is a staggering list. Yet all we here from the politicians is Johnny won't get his lunch at school, seniors will not be taken care of, air traffic will be slowed, police and fire will be cut etc. Government at all levels has enough of our money, they just need to prioritize. Elected officials need to quit the scare tactics and whining and start managing our money efficiently.
@Alert Eagle UR taxes R what they buy votes with - UR money is like crack 2 them - never enough - not it their interests to stop
Dr. Peter Venkman: This city is headed for a disaster of biblical proportions.
Mayor: What do you mean, "biblical"?
Dr Ray Stantz: What he means is Old Testament, Mr. Mayor, real wrath of God type stuff.
Dr. Peter Venkman: Exactly.
Dr Ray Stantz: Fire and brimstone coming down from the skies! Rivers and seas boiling!
Dr. Egon Spengler: Forty years of darkness! Earthquakes, volcanoes...
Winston Zeddemore: The dead rising from the grave!
Dr. Peter Venkman: Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together... mass hysteria!
Mayor: All right, all right! I get the point!
This is the same lie as they tell when they say our Economy is Recovered!Â
Not one word by KOMO about the THOUSANDS that will be furloughed in the Puget Sound Area.
22 Million dollars will be pocket change compared to the tens of Millions of dollars Federal and contractor employees who will not be spending in our local economy.
I told you so! Â
@Tacobender50Â Â oh yeah.we heading for a very interesting weekend. Maybe some good sales
EEK! A 2.3 % spending reduction! How ever can we survive such drastic cuts? It's like a fiscal bloodbath!
@Mumblix Grumph That maybe right for the Country spending problem, but local families will be losing more than 2.3%.
Try 20% for most Federal workers.
@Mumblix Grumph   20% gonna hurt. gotta get a part time job at McDonalds, if they hiring
@hardtowatchitfade @Mumblix Grumph TheÂ
media is not telling the whole picture
@Mumblix Grumph  You got it right. How many of us out here in the real world have had more than a 2.3%% downturn in out financial lives in the last few years ? Many Many Many.
Gas has Doubled, Health insurace doubled. I got no raises for 3+ years now. I'm behind AT LEAST 6.5%%.
@hardtowatchitfade You see the BS about housing prices going up? "Sellers Market"? That's BS too, because I'm still upside down on my mortgage.Â
@PhunkyMunky ....yep. I also read that OBAMA's paycheck will still be coming, sequester or no sequester.
Let it all fail. It's gonna happen pretty soon anyhow. One big ponzi scheme if you ask me.
That's the problems with socialism; eventually you run out of other people's money !!
This whole dog and pony show is nothing but BS. See, Government already plans to completely destroy our Economy. See, you can't change from a Capitalist System without first destroying the system. Sort of like, you can't take away every single Right we have without first getting rid of the 2nd Amendment. When you bastardize every gun owner in America because a psycho shot up a school, that is exactly what you are doing, getting the Public to be OK with destroying a group of people. The same goes with this "Fiscal Cliff' BS. Fact of the matter is, we should have had an Economic Collapse long ago. But they keep "kicking the can down the road" and each time this comes up, they have drama about it, everyone to the edge of their seats waiting for this to be fixed, and then something gets done to patch it up until the next manufactured crisis.Â
The fact that nobody even cares anymore is a testament to what our Government has done. There is no real fight over budgets! Every last Politician in DC already knows what's going on, because they engineered it.Â
@PhunkyMunky Be careful now. You keep talking COMMON SENSE, and they will shut you down.
But yes. Let this country go into bankruptcy. You cant balance the budget by increasing spending more than you are raising taxes. The 1st round the Republicans wanted spending cuts, and Obummer wanted tax increases. Stalemate. Then Republicans promised SOME tax increases with PROMOSE of spending cuts by Obummer. Obummer did not do his part. And we are to trust he will do the right thing now? Hell No!! No deal. Shut the government down.
@PhunkyMunky  you on the right track
They never cut what we can do without. They always cut what matters first. Why do WE have to be making all the sacrifices for THEIR incompetence? Let's start seeing some sweeping cuts in the right places, not tearing apart our infrastructure piece by piece so they can maintain the Olympia status quo.
@jowsuf  You on the right track.
Lets roll!
@Grumpa I'm ready for just about anything at this point.
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@the unvarnished truth Hmm...life in a bubble.  Do you ever find yourself wondering, 'by golly, why is it that the rest of the country doesn't agree with my perception of reality'?  The majority of the American people see what you don't, that this isn't about Obama, it's about Republican's who are divided between two awful proposals: be rational and solve a problem with both hands (i.e. revenue and spending cuts, thus doing what the majority of Americans want) or be irrational and refuse to compromise (i.e. spending cuts only, thus doing what their radical base wants, otherwise known as people who won't demand a primary against them). Â
Hide your head in the sand unvarnished truth! Â It's easier that way I suppose. Â Your idea of liberal is spending increase and tax tax tax. Â The reality is the notion that is promoted, and needed, is spending cuts AND revenue. Â Not revenue from you or I. Â But revenue. Â Check out the latest reports of income disparity in the country. Â I'll give you a hint. Â Our Founding Fathers would be rolling in their graves if they knew of the plutocracy our political parties have created. Â
@seattleways  the govt could do what the rest of us have to do when $$ are tight.
1. find a way to spend a little less  =  cut it all by 1.5%
2. find a way to get a little more $$Â = raise taxes by 1.5 %
@seattleways @the unvarnished truth Why doesn't the rest of the country see it that way? Could it possibly be that the entire media establishment is fibbing to them to make Obama look good?Â
What a responsible way to go about reducing a deficit. Â Go leaders!