Ryan budget short on compassion

Today I attended a rally in Fox Lake to stand in solidarity with Sister Simone Campbell’s “Nuns on a Bus” tour, protesting their opposition to Republican Paul Ryan’s budget cuts, supported by Republicans including Mitt Romney. Sister Simone and I believe the Ryan budget would figuratively throw disadvantaged American families, children, the elderly and those with disabilities “under the bus” by cutting valuable social safety net programs like Medicare, food stamps and Medicaid that lend a “hand up” to those in need.

Mr. Ryan says these cuts are motivated by his faith and are needed for deficit reduction. However, Sister Simone and I believe Paul Ryan’s budget shows a deficit of compassion for the poor. His budget clearly reveals just who and what Republicans value — the wealthy — while blaming the poor as the reason for the deficit. The federal deficit was not caused by poor recipients of these programs, who are too often unfairly labeled by many as “lazy.” The deficit was largely caused by two unpaid wars and tax cuts for the wealthy nearly 11 years, with few jobs to show from the “job creators.”

Sister Simone and I agree that in addition to teaching citizen responsibility and showing compassion for our fellow American family members, the gospel also calls the government community to assist those most vulnerable in society. Conversely, the Ryan budget gives the wealthy tax cuts and to pay for them throws disadvantaged Americans under the bus.

Christine Johanson Ross

Buffalo Grove