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Owens Concerned Republicans Opposing President's Budget On Ideological Grounds

By Michael Benjamin

http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wrvo/local-wrvo-952483.mp3

WRVO – President Obama's 2012 budget calls for steep cuts in spending on social programs, but Republicans - including Central New York congresswoman Ann Marie Buerkle - say it does not go far enough. They say there should be $100 billion in spending cuts this year alone.

23rd District Democrat Bill Owens questions the motives of Republicans who want deeper cuts.

"One of my great concerns," he says, "is that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle are not looking at this in a bipartisan way, but are imposing ideology on it."

Owens says the 3% spending cut for which Republicans are asking is manageable, but says the pain should be shared across all aspects of the budget, instead of focusing more on some programs at the expense of others.

For example, he says, scaling back cuts to a heating oil grant could provide relief to Central and Northern New Yorkers who use heating oil to heat their homes.