BY KENNY BELFORD
While Republicans complain about a “redistribution of wealth” they do it in full awareness that what they’re complaining about is exactly what they’re working to achieve. Republican leadership knows their base is intellectually lazy and won’t notice what they’re actually doing, and will actually support them, even though in doing so works against their own self interests.
Never before in our nation’s history have we seen such a redistribution of wealth going to the top 1%. We have tax codes that grant them special status, we have government handouts going to Fortune 100 corporations, and the poor are getting poorer, and the middle class is dwindling in numbers along with stagnant wages. From 1980-2006, according to both the IRS and CBO figures, the wealthiest 1% tripled their share of income, and that’s after-tax income.
Even conservative publications like Bloomberg News have commented on the topic of redistribution of wealth, stating the fact that, “The top 1% of families garnered 93% of the income gains in 2009 and 2010, according to an analysis of Internal Revenue Service data.”
In recent days the Farm Bill was passed by both houses of Congress. We should all be outraged at this shameful piece of “redistribution of wealth.”
The bill primarily benefits millionaire agri-business corporations, for profit insurance corporations and millionaire farmers. It also cut $8 billion from food stamps for the poorest Americans. Last year the Republican controlled Congress passed a bill that also cut another $5 billion from the food stamps program.
That meant the loss of 21 meals a month for a family of four, and affected 47 million needy Americans.
In Deuteronomy 15:11 Jesus spoke about the poor and said, “For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, you shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor in your land.”
The actions of our elected officials seem in conflict with that message. How would you compare the actions of the Republican controlled Congress with the message from Jesus?
The list of Republican members of Congress that will directly benefit from the farm bill is long. One of those members is the Republican Congressman from California, Doug LaMalfa. He’s said that food stamp recipients need to tighten their belts in the name of governmental economizing. What he didn’t say is the fact that his farming family has collect $5.1 million in federal crop subsidies between 1995 and 2012.
Does that seem even a tiny bit hypocritical to you?
– Kenny Belford lives in Tulsa, OK and is a frequent contributor to The Oklahoma Observer
