October 10, 2012 by David K. Sutton

Eliot Spitzer – Number of the Day: The Children Are Our Future

Eliot Spitzer explains why our priorities are out of alignment if we hope for a healthy future for this country:

There’s a reason Mitt Romney says anyone over 55 will keep the same Medicare — Seniors vote. It’s a different story for those not yet old enough to express their fury in the ballot box, which brings us to our number of the day: $8 billion — That’s how much the federal government trimmed from child health services last year as fiscal stimulus programs were phased out. In fact, despite election talk about saving young generations from the federal debt, government has been neglecting children more and more. State and municipal spending for them has fallen every year for the last three years, according to the Urban Institute. Plus, outlays for children are expected to drop from ten percent of the federal budget to eight percent. These kinds spending cuts have disastrous consequences. The New York Times points out, that among thirty industrialized countries, we have the third worst rate of infant mortality, and the second highest teenage pregnancy rate. We’re also in the bottom quarter for literacy. We have set the wrong priorities. We are under-funding our future. – Eliot Spitzer

While politicians like Mitt Romney promise no changes to Medicare and tax cuts for all, we are neglecting millions of children in need, children who are the future of this country. It doesn’t have to be this way. We can afford to not only offer a safety net for senior citizens, but we can also provide one for all Americans, and we can make sure that every child has access to a good education. And we can do all of this because we are still the richest country on the planet. So ask yourself, does it sound like a good time for a tax cut?