The Arkansas coalition of the Americans for Tax Fairness plans a prayer vigil in North Little Rock tonight. It's not described as a pray-for-Tom-Cotton event, but it might as well be. Because he's distinguished himself as the most heartless of Arkansas's Republicans in Congress when it comes to slashing the social safety net, from Social Security to Medicare and Medicaid, with food stamps in between.
Local pastors and concerned citizens will gather Tuesday evening at 7:00 PM at the Gazebo on Washington Avenue (near the Wyndham) in North Little Rock to pray for a just federal budget. The event will take place on the eve of Social Security’s 78th anniversary.
In addition to the sequester cuts, members of Congress have proposed significant cuts in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid, turning Medicare into a voucher system and cuts to Social Security by raising the eligibility age and reducing the Cost of Living Adjustment. More than 600,000 Arkansans receive Social Security benefits and more than 500,000 receive SNAP. These programs provide a lifeline to a significant number of people in our state.
These cuts come at a time when corporate profits are at a 60 year high yet the corporate share of tax revenue is at a 60 year low. Many corporations are allowed to defer paying taxes indefinitely if they claim their profits overseas.