John Cavanagh

John Cavanagh wrote this article for YES! Magazine, a national, nonprofit media organization that fuses powerful ideas and practical actions. John is director of the Washington-based Institute for Policy Studies, co-chair of the New Economy Working Group, and a co-author of IPS’s study: America Is Not Broke

Seven humane ways to end the deficit

Sep 242012

Features

Social and environmental deficits more to erode our society than the fiscal deficit does - David Korten

We don't have to throw Grandma under the bus to balance the budget.

by John Cavanagh

[Editor’s note: although this article refers to the US budget, the Harper government also plans an austerity budget along with major military spending.]

This fall, the US Congress is going to wage a pitched, dragged-out battle over cutting roughly $120 billion a year to solve the so-called deficit crisis. Vital things like teachers’ jobs and Medicare could well get cut.