The Christmas Season is supposed to be one of compassion and generosity, but you'd have a hard time trying to convince Congressman Steve LaTourette (R-Concord) of that.
Stephen Koff of The Plain Dealer explains:
[LaTourette] voted early Friday for a budget bill he calls "lousy." It was so lousy that when he walked into the chamber from the pre-dawn darkness, he said he was going to vote against it. [...]
In the early morning, LaTourette told a public radio reporter that he was voting "no" because people in his district "don't understand why, when we achieve savings, it comes from programs that help people that are disadvantaged."
It came as a surprise, then, that LaTourette voted the opposite way. He soon acknowledged that Republican leaders convinced him that they needed his support.
How does LaTourette think his constituents will react?
"Well, Chardon's under 12 inches of snow, so they're really not worried about what happened here tonight," LaTourette replied.
"Pooh-pooh to the Whos!"
Congressman LaTourette thinks we're not paying attention. He thinks he can get away with this vote, a vote that cuts programs for the disadvantaged while giving tax breaks to millionaires. What do these program cuts mean for Ohio? This bill:
-Cuts heating bill assistance for 35,700 poor Ohioans
-Cuts food stamps for 5,500 Ohio mothers and children
-Cuts housing assistance vouchers for 2,500 Ohioans
-Cuts $458 million dollars for Child Support Collection in Ohio over the next five years
Mr. LaTourette, to the people in your district under a foot of snow, it matters if the heat is on, it matters if there is enough food on the table, and it matters if there is enough money to pay the rent.
Why is Mr. LaTourette stealing Christmas from Ohio's poor?
"It could be that his head wasn't screwed on quite right.
It could be, perhaps, that his shoes were too tight.
But I think that the most likely reason of all
May have been that his heart was two sizes too small."
If you're interested in saving Christmas for Ohio's least fortunate, we recommend donating to the News-Herald's Clothe-A-Child charity. Every penny donated goes to children in the area. Checks can be written to The News-Herald and sent to 7085 Mentor Ave., Willoughby, OH 44094.
