April 8th and The Collective Sacrifice

April 8th is rapidly approaching which marks the deadline for a budget to be reached. Without an agreement or extension of the deadline, the United States Government will shut down putting thousands of government employees out of work and bring operations in Washington to a standstill.

So how did we get here?... Well there’s a number of factors. We can look back to the trickle down Reaganomics, to the Home Ownership Society and dramatic increase in War spending while still cutting taxes under George W. Bush’s eight year tenure. Starting there would be a good bet.

Since then, we’ve seen spending continue to increase under the Obama administration. And war spending is now at an all time high. Even with combat operations technically over in Iraq, the United States has persisted on committing resources to Afghanistan and now Libya. On March 15 the House of Representatives approved yet another short term spending bill, one that would make $6 billion worth of cuts but otherwise keep the federal government funded through April 8. This continuing resolution appears to be the last line in the sand before a full government shutdown on the 8th if no agreement is come to by both parties.

The federal government posted its largest ever monthly deficit in February with preliminary estimates put it at a whopping $223 billion. February’s monthly deficit is larger than the entire 2007 deficit. When funding provided by the stimulus is taken into account, spending increased by an eye-popping 84 percent since January 2009!

The President ran on a plethora of agendas. Peace was one of them. Remember, this is a man who was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize. And yet, the military industrial complex in Washington continues to wage war around the globe at a mighty expense to the American Tax Payer.

To be fair (before all my progressive followers jump all over me), lets take a look at the amount of money that has been spent on the Iraq War alone from the first moment of our glorious Shock & Awe Campaign in Iraq through November of 2010. About $900 billion of US taxpayers' funds were spent. Of that money more than $9 billion dollars has gone Lost & Unaccounted for! With Dick Cheney’s New Year’s baby; Halliburton overcharging the Pentagon as much as $1.4 billion.

After the Bush administration made their exit from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and The Obama Administration stepped in, the massive spending at the Pentagon continued. For the Fiscal Year of 2012 the Pentagon will have to struggle along with just $719 billion dollars. And while the Tea Party and members of the GOP call for drastic cuts in “wasteful spending”. The White House along with the support of the GOP will be handing over another $719 billion dollars to the Pentagon.

The military industrial complex in Washington won’t stand to lose anything in the budget cuts that must happen in order to prevent a shutdown on Thursday of the Federal Government, but let me tell you what will be cut, what will be affected, what will feel the pinch. Programs for the poor and working class (BIG SURPRISE!). Assistance with home heating, community services, student loans, Head Start Programs (which shouldn’t be a problem since we’re already leading the globe in educaton, RIGHT???), reduced funding for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (otherwise known as WIC) by $752 million, literally taking food from low-income women and children, benefits for our veterans, benefits for seniors, new social security claims won’t be processed, food and job safety inspections will be put on hold, government infrastructure cuts, and by the way; if you have yet to file your taxes buckle up because those may be delayed as well.

Nearly half of all federal funds on the table to help the working poor, single parents and low income families will most likely be cut! A government shutdown or a passage of the proposed budget cuts will hurt the Latino community especially hard!

Currently, the unemployment rate among Latinos sits at 11.3%. A shut down would kill those benefits. And the Head Start programs service 400,000 Latino Children. In regards to the WIC program; 59% of Hispanic families with children under the age of five participate in the program. The proposed cuts also endanger Hispanic Health Services. Hispanics are still the largest group among the uninsured in America, with 38.9% going without coverage in 2010.

Finally, let’s talk about the group of Latinos that are talked about the least when they should be celebrated most of all. I’m talking about our brave Latinos who served this country honorably. Proposed cuts and/or a Government shutdown would cut benefits to 1.14 million Latino Veterans. The Proposed cuts target homeless veterans by eliminating funding for new HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing program.

A Government Shutdown guarantees an immediate yet temporary disruption of these services. And if the proposed cuts are approved and the budget is passed the way it stands now then these disruptions become permanent changes. Now I understand cuts need to be made and everyone needs to sacrifice.... We’ve heard it all before.

"But most of the time, the people who make statements like these are the ones who stand to lose the least."

The United States of America has been and always will be a nation built on the backs of the working poor and minorities. History shows it to be true. Oftentimes we stand up and vilify immigrants, minorities, the poor and yet at the same time turn a blind eye to them when its time to make these so-called “sacrifices” for the betterment of the cause.

Have you ever asked yourself, why does the "betterment of the cause argument" only apply in America when its time for these groups to sacrifice? Doesn’t it seem a little upside down to you, that we continue to fund wars in the trillions of dollars and yet are willing to let some of our own starve at home under the shroud of collective patriotism and sacrifice?

I’m not going to pontificate like so many other talking heads and tell you that writing your congressman or senator will make a difference at this late hour. It may or it may not. What I will tell you is that real change in America starts in your communities. Real Change in America starts when Latinos organize and say with one voice, We are 50 million strong, We are American, and we’ve sacrificed enough!

This message applies to more than just my friends in the Hispanic Community. If you are a single mother of any race, color or creed working several jobs to put your child through school, if you a veteran who served this country honorably and now find your benefits being held in limbo like poker chips in the great casino on the Hill, if you are senior living on a fixed income wondering how you will pay for your medication in April, then please understand that the anger you feel is shared by others just like you.

Focus that energy in the direction of change. If the Tea Party has shown America anything, its that much can be gained from organizing and refusing to take no for an answer. Now imagine what could be done if a group of informed Americans organized and did the same? Progress.