2009.07.30
Business as usual, alas
The U.S. House of Representatives is working on a Defense appropriations bill expected to contain about $6.9 billion worth of equipment the Pentagon says it neither wants nor needs. It is, however, equipment made by influential donors to representatives, including representatives on the House Ethics Committee - who are currently investigating shady earmarks to Defense contractors.
If House leadership won't rein in the madness, President Obama must take a firm stand and promise a veto if the pork remains in the final bill - or so we'll argue in an editorial we're working on for next week.
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Speaking of pork:
Stimumlus money being used to stimulate at a porn theater
" A few of their more risque choices have some taxpayer advocates hot under the collar, including a $50,000 infusion for the Frameline film house, which recently screened Thundercrack"
http://yidwithlid.blogspot.com/2009/07/porkulus-funds-used-to-create.html
Comment by Henry — July 30, 2009 @ 2:38 pm
yes I saw that Henry, real nice Obama..typical
Comment by pammala — July 30, 2009 @ 2:56 pm
Does it pay for flights to Argentina?
Comment by Art Hill — July 30, 2009 @ 4:41 pm
And if the government tried to control the money via "strings attached" telling the NEA how to spend the endowment, someone would be screaming about censorship. One man's art is another man's porn and one man's porn is pretty much just porn, but that does not mean it cannot also be art. Obama is in a no win situation with some people in this country, nothing new there.
Comment by Sandi Saunders — July 30, 2009 @ 7:47 pm
"The U.S. House of Representatives is working on a Defense appropriations bill expected to contain about $6.9 billion worth of equipment the Pentagon says it neither wants nor needs."
Gee, maybe they should put that money towards the F-22's the Pentagon says it does need - and that Congress decided cost too much.
I guess it's asking too much for politicians to listen to the people who actually know what they're doing.
Comment by Jake — July 30, 2009 @ 9:31 pm
Except, the Pentagon says it does not need the F-22 beyond the 187 on order.
Comment by KevinL — July 30, 2009 @ 10:32 pm
Hasn't this guy done enough damage to our country already. This has gone beyond absurd!!
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D99O9AG01&show_article=1
Comment by Jim W. — July 31, 2009 @ 1:16 am
"Except, the Pentagon says it does not need the F-22 beyond the 187 on order."
And a little light research supports that. I stand corrected, at least on that point. I based my comment on the editorial (or one of the comments to it) that ran here a couple of weeks ago, which I did not see refuted.
I do have to wonder what the Pentagon asked for that didn't get funded, though. That would still be a better way to spend that money.
I do stand by my comment about politicians, though.
Comment by Jake — July 31, 2009 @ 1:40 am
Sandi...as usual, people who scream the loudest about government control are just disappointed that it's not being exercised on something THEY want to see controlled.
Comment by Kristen — July 31, 2009 @ 7:05 am
"Sandi...as usual, people who scream the loudest about government control are just disappointed that it's not being exercised on something THEY want to see controlled."
You're absolutely correct, Kristen. I'd like to see more control on welfare recipients, which this administration will never do.
Comment by Patrick — July 31, 2009 @ 8:55 am
"You're absolutely correct, Kristen. I'd like to see more control on welfare recipients, which this administration will never do." Why do you think welfare reform will not come from this administration? This is not a new subject. Why couldn't that have at least been started in the last eight years?
Comment by allen bunch — July 31, 2009 @ 9:58 am
Allen - I don't think welfare reform will come from this administration because they can't take the chance of ticking off future voters. As far as it not happening in the last eight years, your guess is as good as mine.
Comment by Patrick — July 31, 2009 @ 10:38 am
Patrick,
Bush had 8 years to push for welfare reform. He didn't. It's not a guess..it already happened. So what future voters was Bush not willing to risk "ticking off"?
Comment by Kristen — July 31, 2009 @ 10:43 am
Kristen, maybe he didn't do it because the Dems scream bloody murder when welfare reform is brought up.
It really doesn't matter why it wasn't done. What matters is that it NEEDS to be done by someone...welfare is sucking the life out of us.
Comment by Patrick — July 31, 2009 @ 10:55 am
For one thing, we already had welfare reform in 1996.
Comment by KevinL — July 31, 2009 @ 10:56 am
Sorry Patrick but I think Bush had a GOP majority for several years. If he had been interested, he could have gotten it done.
But you're right...it doesn't matter why it wasn't done. What matters is that it's just one more phantom "issue" to try to use against Obama.
I haven't felt welfare sucking the life out of me lately. Something like less than 1% of the budget is used for AFDC. Maybe that's why.
Comment by Kristen — July 31, 2009 @ 11:23 am
Kristen, so I guess it doesn't bother you to see people use their food stamps to buy food, then pay cash to buy DVD's and other non-essential items at Walmart. I gotta tell ya, it irritates the living crap outta me.
If you have cash for stuff you don't need to survive, then you have cash for food.
Sorry, I don't see it as a "phantom" issue. In this day and age of excessive gov't spending and cutbacks, why do we continue to support social leeches?
Comment by Patrick — July 31, 2009 @ 11:56 am
Patrick, if you go back several hundred posts over the last few months on here, you will discover a thread where most liberally minded people on this site agree that buying DVDs, stereos, tvs, are all examples of people 'just wanting to have a little something'....LOL
Comment by Marked Man (Mark) — July 31, 2009 @ 12:41 pm
Patrick maybe you just need to spend less time worrying about what other people are spending their money on. Or you could be grateful that you have enough money to put food on the table for your family without needing help.
I'm happy every day that I have a job that allows me to keep my family in food and shoes...I wouldn't trade places with the "leeches" for the world.
Comment by Kristen — July 31, 2009 @ 4:25 pm
One more time Mark, how about reminding me, I do not remember a discussion about buying DVDs, stereos, tvs, etc., and I definitely do not remember any one saying anything akin to just wanting to have a little something. Where was that?
Comment by allen bunch — July 31, 2009 @ 4:57 pm