Getting an earful from faith leaders

Rep. Rick Stream (R-Kirkwood) got an earful from faith leaders and advocates last week about the budget put forward by the House GOP.  Stream is the vice chairman of the House Budget Committee, and worked directly with Chairman Allen Icet to craft the GOP budget bills.

Surprising no one, constituents and community leaders were not happy  with the ideology guiding the House GOP budget process.

Rev. Dr. Scott Stearman, Kirkwood Baptist Church: "If any good can come out of this recession, it is undermining the myth that business is always right and government can only destruct people."

Rev. Dr. David Greenhaw, president of Eden Theological Seminary: "These are really remarkable times and things are squishy...Shame on us if we do not do everything we possibly can. We have to do all that is in our power and then do more."

Rev. Steve Albers, Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church: "You are not governed by faith issues, you are governed by politics and policies. It's about priorities and people. Think about those in our society who have needs beyond our resources."

Rabbi Susan Talve, Central Reform Congregation and Missouri Health Care for All: "The notion of the stimulus not only helps people physically with needs, but also lets people know someone cares. Cuts to health care are especially cruel. As different as we might be, we agree on these basic things."

Barbara Rickter of Women's Voices Raised for Social Justice: "The proposed cuts are unnecessary and cruel given the times we are in. Services need to be provided in this time of crisis. Government should step in and provide a safety net."

Jackie Lukitsch of the Alliance on Mental Illness-NAMI St. Louis: "Rethinking these budget cuts is not only the most humane thing to do, but it is also the most cost effective."

Read the full article in the Webster-Kirkwood Times here.

UPDATE: Hotflash at ShowMeProgress has a first-hand account of the meeting with Rep. Stream that I missed before -- it's definitely worth a read.

This video of Stream explaining why Republicans wouldn't/couldn't/shouldn't support the hospitals' health care proposal was especially poignant: