White House Grinch steals Christmas

Scan page 2

Children sent hundreds of letters to Santa Claus at Christmas that revealed desperate loneliness and poverty. "We are still getting the perennial toyrequest lists, but so many of the letters this season show need-real hardship"' said Millie Lee, a spokeswoman for New York's General Post Office.

One child-Angel in Manhattan—wrote, "I got nothing last Christmas. I asked my grandmother, the only person who worried about me, what happened. Why didn't Santa come? She said, 'Santa is with Reaganomics? "

President Reagan's budget plan came just in time for Christmas. In keeping with his kindly Christian nature, nearly one-fifth of his proposed $34 billion cut in next year's domestic budget was to be taken from the dinner table of the poor.

Studies from the December 1984 Scientific American report that children make up the largest portion of the poor in this country. In 1970, 16 percent of those under 14 lived in poverty. By 1982, 23 percent of our children were living below the poverty line.

President Reagan's inauguration on Jan. 21 will surpass even the Super Bowl in lavishness. The solemnities of office will be preceded by a cheerleading extravaganza lasting four days. Non-stop parades, fireworks, rallies, concerts, and white-tie balls (by invitation only) will carry the theme: "We the People-An American Celebration."

Unfortunately, most of the American people will be unable to join the merriment. Reagan's second term has presented them with an unpredictable economy and a governmental assault on their standard of living that is unprecedented since Nixon's 1971 wage freeze.

Immediately after Reagan's election victory, Budget Director David Stockman reported that the budget deficit for 1986 would approximate $206 billion, instead of the $174 billion his office had forecast several weeks earlier. The difference between the two sums is close to the $34 billion that the administration is trying to slice out of its domestic funding programs for next year.

"I am willing to lead the charge-to go to the American people" Reagan proclaimed, as he resolved to do without a tenth of his $200,000 annual salary. In the same breath, the millionaire president asked 2.1 million government workers to follow his example and accept a 5 percent cut in their wages. An alternative plan would eliminate 125,000 government jobs.

Probable tax hikes Reagan swore that taxes would be increased "over his dead body.

But his administration has raised the specter of a plan that would begin to tax unemployment and veteran benefits and company-financed pensions, meals, day care, education, and health benefits.

This ploy will make inroads into recently negotiated union contracts in which workers were forced to give up wages in favor of fringe packages. In addition, working people may expect to pay higher local taxes, fees, tolls, and bus fares to make up for proposed cuts in federal grants to cities and states and in expenditures for mass transportation and other public works.

Reagan affirmed that the only major budget items off-limits to this year's Well, the Grinch in the White House brought a special surprise for children! Child nutrition programs, Aid to Families with Dependent Children, food stamps, aid for handicapped and disadvantaged education, parts of the school lunch program, funds to elementary and secondary schools and libraries-and much, much more will be taken away from them.

We all laughed when we heard Reagan urge a 10 percent cut in the high salaries of congressmen and cabinet members. He even hinted that he himself might take a cut—to show how democratic he is about the budget. But 10 percent from a millionaire still leaves a few dollars to play with. Nancy could still afford Gucci bags.

Ten percent, or 5 percent, or 3 percent from a single parent who receives perhaps $450 per month for herself and her children cuts very close to the bone. It means less food, clothing, and necessities. Imposing "workfare" rules on a mother living on welfare will leave her children unattended at home. But those are the plans for the future of the poor that the real-life Grinch is hatching up.

Parents will go deep into debt at Christmastime to provide the toys, trees, and presents that mean so much to their children. And these things mean even more to parents who want to give their children a better life than they had. The dream of all parents is that their children will grow up in a happier, safer world. There's no better reason to fight for a socialist future-for our children. Editor: ALAN BENJAMIN Assistant Editors: NANCY GRUBER MICHAEL SCHREIBER Business Manager: GEORGE McCAR IREI Circulation Manager: RALPH FORS' YTH Editorial Board: Alan Benjamin, Les Evans, Dianne Feeley, Jeff Mackler, Nat Weinstein Staff: Paul Colvin, Larry Cooperman, May May Gong, Millie Gonzalez, Mark Harris, David Kirschner, Hayden Perry, Linda Ray, Joe Ryan, Kwame M.A. Somburu, Marion Syrek, Sylvia Weinstein Socialist Action (ISSN 0747-4237) is published monthly for $6 per year by Socialist Action Publishing Association, 3435 Army St., No. 308, San Francisco, CA 94110. Second-class postage is paid at San Francisco, Calif. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Socialist Action, 3435 Army St., No. 308, San Francisco, CA 94110. Rates: 3 issues for $1.00; 12 issues for $6.00; Canada and Mexico $12.50; $30.00 airmail for all other countries; $14.00 surface mail for all other countries.

Signed articles by contributors do not necessarily represent the views of Socialist Action. These are expressed in editorials.

Coming in next Issue:

Labor theory of value. by Ralph Forsyth Women in Nicaragua. .by Margaret Mora Coors boycott ... .....An interview Brazil elections ......On the scene report Brazil elections ......On the scene report The Fortune 500 ...by Ralph Schoenman Dutch peace movement . .by Thomas Van Duin