Reagan budget strikes raw deal

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Women's Day 1985. See FORUM pp. 7.9 Ronald Reagan has faith that the Lord and his Scriptures are the moving spirit behind his efforts to exorcise New Deal demons and Vietnam ghosts from both the public's treasury and its conscience.

While austerity may be heavenly, the more earthly reality is that Reagan's INTERNA budget will mark mean times ahead for all but a chosen few. The rosy right-winger in the White House bubbles with enthusiasm for a Raw-Deal budget that will slash some $51 billion from social programs.

The Pentagon, however, is going upscale in a big way. The military machinery will be gassed up with WOMENS DAY Dame another $30 billion to a record $277.5 billion. By 1990, if Reagan gets his way, military spending will top $400 billion.

Brutality will get a boost with Reagan's request to jack up military aid to Guatemala from $300,000 to $35.3 million. And $10.2 billion for 48 MX missiles and 48 B-1 bombers is sure to inspire a lot of happy hawks fluttering around the Pentagon.

Veterans, however, will not be so pleased. A "means test" will be imposed to screen out those considered "too wealthy" to receive treatment for noncombat-related ailments.

Those who rely on Aid to Families with Dependent Children will not find life so cheerful, either, when assistance is cut off after the youngest child reaches age 16, instead of the current age of 18. Welfare programs, including child nutrition programs, stand to lose $1.3 billion.

Medicare recipients will find they are paying more for less—$4.2 billion less than would have been spent under existing law. The Medicaid program, too, is targeted for sharp reductions. School lunch subsidies would be trimmed by $200 million.

Two million federal employees can look forward to a 5-percent pay cut. Cost-of-living pension increases will be frozen for one year for 3.5 million civilian and military retirees.

More than half of the Education Department's programs face a funding (continued on page 10)