Monday 12/12/2005 DAILY NEWS DIGEST
http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051212/NEWS/512120325/1001 - AG Troy King declines to join other attorneys general in requesting movies to include anti-tobacco ads.
http://www.al.com/opinion/mobileregister/index.ssf?/base/opinion/113438270858690.xml&coll=3 – Editorial calls for overhaul of state’s open records law.
http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/news/113438295858701.xml&coll=2 – Federal Court monitor says health care services improving at Tutwiler Prison.
http://www.al.com/opinion/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/opinion/113438276258701.xml&coll=2 – Editorial on ethics charges pending against Sen. Hank Sanders.
http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051212/NEWS/512120321/1007/NEWS02 - State prisoners overcrowd county jails.
FROM TODAY’S ANNISTON STAR:
EDITORIALS
Irresponsible cuts in the House
In our opinion
12-12-2005
In recent days, the U.S. House has had more of the feel of a funny farm than a place where legislation is molded.
Here we are in the middle of a war, with a ballooning budget deficit, with a massive clean-up of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast ahead of us, and what do our lawmakers in the House of Representatives do? They take up tax cuts.
Oh yes, the members did agree on one bipartisan piece of legislation that adjusted the alternative minimum tax (AMT), that provision in the tax code that prevents the wealthy from sheltering their income from Uncle Sam. The House properly corrected the AMT to exclude millions of middle-income taxpayers.
Unfortunately, the rest of the tax-cutting package is downright irresponsible.
Almost $60 billion in additional cuts were passed with the help of only nine Democrats. The rest of the “yeas” came from Republicans, including our own Mike Rogers. Democrats, one by one, made their way to the floor of the chamber to speak against the tax cuts, pointing out that the nation was at war and that we all need to make sacrifices. Republicans, one by one, accused the other side of the aisle of fomenting class warfare.
What a despicable accusation to make.
Has it been lost on the supporters of these bills that Congress is moving at the same time to slice more than $40 billion in social welfare programs including food stamps? If they want to accuse someone of sparking class warfare, perhaps they should look at themselves.
We can only hope that saner minds from the Senate will prevail during conference committee and weaken these bills. In the Senate, a few courageous Republicans are more willing to buck the president and the party leadership.
It’s a lesson Rep. Rogers and his colleagues should learn.
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