White House Frightens Californians About Sequester

The White House, in its continuing efforts to use scare tactics vis-à-vis the sequester, has announced that if the sequester’s cuts are implemented, California would lose 64,000 civilian defense jobs. The White House went further, stating that a total of $150 million would be cut from education in California, more than $87 million for primary and secondary education, and roughly $63 million for children with disabilities.

There was more supposed bad news for children: approximately $15 million would be cut from public health funding, meaning less vaccines. In its appeal to the environmentalist fringe, the White House claimed funding for environmental purposes would be cut by $12 million, and $2 billion would be cut for protection of fish and wildlife.  Seniors? $5 million cut from meals they depend upon.

So the White House made its scare-tactic appeal by exploiting people’s most basic fears: the fear of not having money (jobs lost), the fear of disease (no vaccines), the fear that their children will always be dependent (no education for children), the fear of dying alone, and the fear of starving (no meals for seniors.)

One last cut the White House pronounced: a cut in law enforcement. (Fear of criminals.)

When it comes to the morality of frightening citizens with their worst fears, it is the White House that has no defense.