On Saturday, July 14, Congressman Jared Polis sponsored an exercise in balancing the Federal Budget for people in his district. A representative of the Concord Coalition conducted the exercise. This caused the discussion to be crammed into the framework that Polis and the Concord Coalition predetermined.
It seems like a good idea until the Concord Coalition is unveiled. In The Nation, Nov 21, 2011, an article by Ari Berman paints them as "penny pinching, anti-government and pro-corporate ideologues with board filled with K street lobbyists and corporate executives." Robert Kuttner in the Boston Globe wrote, "As for Social Security and Medicare, the Concord Coalition is an ideological attack on social insurance masquerading as concern for the common good."
Before the exercise began there was hoopla in the room from people who saw only miniscule cuts to the war machine and no opportunity to discuss the Progressive Caucus' budget. That progressive budget could balance the federal budget in 10 years, and it would preserve almost all the social safety net, Social Security and Medicare/Medicaid. The Congressional Budget Office, as unbiased as Washington gets, says that this is very likely the case.
People wanted to discuss issues rather than go through a pre-boxed exercise prepared by an anti-Social Security outfit that limited general discussion with our congressman.
When the Progressive Caucus' budget was brought up by two table leaders at the end of the event, Polis brushed it off as "just one of many."
Polis is a member of the Progressive Caucus, but apparently doesn't take their work very seriously.
TOM MOORE
Boulder
