Entries from February 2009 ↓

FDR’s Treasury secretary, Henry Morgenthau, stated in 1939

“We have tried spending money. We are spending more than we have ever spent before and it does not work. I want to see this country prosperous. I want to see people get a job. I want to see people get enough to eat. We have never made good on our promises. I say after eight years of this Administration we have just as much unemployment as when we started and an enormous debt to boot!”

Need more be said

Nobama promised to post final bills on the Internet 5 days before signing, for the public comment. Whether our comments would cause a veto is another matter and I wouldn’t hold my breath on that score. That promise was broken right off when he signed the SCHIP legislation.

More importantly congress promised to post legislation on the Internet 48 hours before VOTING on it, before it’s sent to the president. There might be a chance to expose socialism, hypocrisy and pork there, but not only are they not keeping that promise to the public they aren’t planning to give the Republicans a chance to study it before forcing a vote either. How’s that for HR 1 transparency? It’s transparent they want to vote up this porkfest before it’s known what’s in it. We already know it’s full of pork, will usher in socialized medicine, expand government while throwing a few crumbs at temporary infrastructure jobs. Actually, only a pitiful 4% will be spent immediately, (the rest being spent in 2010 and 2012 – election years for buying votes) how is that going to jump start the economy?

When someone tells me I have to do it now or there will be dire consequences I KNOW there is something to hide, it won’t be good and when we find it out it’s way too late. So what else is in there?

Governor Rell’s promise to trim the State budget rather than raise taxes was a long overdue and I applaud her new found fiscal conservatism.
However, from her response regarding UCONN’s plan to discuss a tuition increase, one cannot help but speculate whether she is actually prepared to fight for her proposed budget. Rell told UCONN officials that the budget hasn’t been approved and the legislature will likely make changes to her proposal, plus she is unsure of how much money the State will receive from the so called “federal stimulus package” and it is premature to consider a tuition increase. Fair enough, however the tone of her reply also suggests she doesn’t expect UCONN will actually experience any cuts nor does she expect the legislature to adopt much of her budget proposal or will she use her position and veto power to press them for fiscal responsibility, should they choose to continue taxing and spending. What she could and should have said was, the time for fiscal responsibility has arrived and that she would use every method in her power to rein in past spending excesses. Instead she is looking to institute more “stealth” taxes and raise the fee for every license and permit the state grants. According to Kiplinger Magazine, of the top 100 state colleges 81 have a lower tuition cost than UCONN and 49 of those have the same or lower student to teacher ratio, Rell spokesman Richard Harris said “There is room in UCONN’s budget to absorb the (proposed) cuts.” Is Governor Rell actually planning on cutting spending or just posturing? Time will tell but don’t hold your breath.

One of the first things I learned when something is being “sold” to me is if you must do it immediately there is something to hide, it won’t be good and you won’t find that out until it’s too late.

So it goes for Obama’s demand to hurry up and pass the “stimulus” package, setting a deadline, telling our legislators to do it now, before we really understand what’s in it. Sure it’s full of the kind of pork the exalted one promised was a thing of the past and is opposed by the majority of Americans for that good reason, but the porkfest is just one aspect of the proposed legislation. Why the rush and why does he need Republicans to back the bill when he has way more than enough votes to pass it without them? He could have his wish today but he doesn’t want the blame for the failure to fall on the Democrats. If he truly believed this legislation was exactly what the country needs and would actually “fix” the economy he would most surely shut out the opposition and garner all the kudos for himself. He speaks of reaching across the aisle, but is simply asking Republicans to support this Democratic party porkfest reaching out or just posturing? Make no mistake, if the Republicans get behind this bill, when the proverbial substance hits the fan you can bet the spin doctors will place the blame squarely on their shoulders.