1. United States
2. Wisc.
3. Letter

I am a mother of two school-age children, a teacher, and a proud member of my community in Waukesha, Wisconsin. I am writing about the budget currently being debated and reviewed in the Senate and am firmly opposed to it in its current state. A budget should be about managing our nation's money well and responsibly, using tax dollars for the benefit of the most people and not overspending into deep debt. The current budget package does not do any of these things; in fact most of its initiatives do the opposite. It gives primary benefits to the wealthy and to big business by expanding tax cuts for them -- reducing the amount of tax revenue coming in. It also benefits big business and the wealthy by decimating our lands, air, and water, giving them more room for profit while reducing quality of life for the majority of Americans. It adds millions in spending on a wall across the U.S. border and harsh immigration enforcement as well as increased military spending, which does not benefit the majority of Americans and only adds to our national debt. The places where it cuts, to make room for all these expenditures, are targeted only at the most vulnerable among us, such as Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act programs, education programs for homeless children, food assistance, and monies that help uplift our communities as a whole. These programs are needed, and the burden of filling in the gaps will simply shift to the states, not creating any gains for the average citizen in Wisconsin. My husband and I have simple jobs in teaching and industry, and we save, clip coupons, and make hard decisions about money in order to live as debt-free as we can. We are proud to pay our taxes each year when we know they go to improve our communities and help those who are going through harder times than we are. We do not wish our tax money to go to pay for breaks for the wealthy or large businesses. We do not wish our tax money to be used to tear down our public lands and parks or to erase quality standards that keep our family healthy and safe. We do not wish our tax money to be used to chase down, lock up, and deport immigrants instead of looking for ways to help them become integrated citizens. This is not the president's budget. This is not even Congress' budget. This is the budget of every American person, and our taxes pay for these decisions you are making. Please make responsible decisions with the money we are giving you, for the benefit of all American people.