Down the Rabbit Hole

I am disappointed with the “current resolution” to fund the federal government for the remainder of fiscal year 2011 (through September), particularly the spending cuts which will reduce or eliminate federal funding for:

1. Government offices and programs that fund energy innovation projects.
2. National Public Radio and public television.
3. Education, resulting in a loss of jobs for teachers, larger class sizes for students, and less federal financial aid for college students.
4. Planned Parenthood, which supports cancer screenings and other women’s health care.

Not only do I believe these are valuable services, but I don’t remember them being exactly pivotal sectors for reducing the deficit when I went through the New York Times Budget Puzzle. Yes, I learned about this through arguably liberal media sources, and I don’t claim any particular understanding of how to design a good government budget. If you’re interested, here’s a summary of H.R.1, the proposed “continuing resolution.”