GOP Guvs’ Love/Hate Relationship W/Stimulus $$’s
Cutting through the BS, El Somnambulo has detected the common thread in the ‘fiscal conservatives’ agita about receiving stimulus aid.
It’s not that they don’t want the money. It’s that they want it with no strings attached. Presumably b/c (a) their states, including Louisiana, Texas and Alaska, have pristine records when it comes to the disbursement of funds, and (b) the ‘no-strings’ policy worked so well during Phase I of the bank bailouts.
I have honestly reached the point where I have no idea what Republicans want – other than to be contrary. Let’s face it, if the money had no strings attached they’d be pitching a fit and screaming responsibility.
All of this is political posturing – nothing more.
Chris Matthews asked panelists yesterday ‘who is the intellectual leader of the GOP today.
The liberal said Newt. The rethug said Rush.
Look a very easy solution to this latest screw-up. If the governors don’t want the money, call their bluff, don’t give them any. Then find mayors throughout their states who do and give it to them with the condition that say none of it can be used for state projects only for their cities and towns. That should frost some balls.
The Governors are wary for many reasons. The ‘bailout’ is also a buyout of state budgets for years to come.
Think about Joe Biden’s biggest lie of 100,ooo Cops which never happened but he repeats like a prayer every day. Local officials realized more COPS might be helpful but the upfront money was pretty meager and in the long run it created a growth program the locals could not keep up.
For those who think government can provide all remember there is not one single issue which has been solved by the ingenuity or actions of the government-none.
The budget challenges across the nation will be punted to next year when the money runs out.
“The funds will certainly help, but this stimulus package will not be a panacea” . Not my words but those of Dem Governor Patrick.
To coin a phrase TT: ditto 🙂
El Somnambulo will once again try to translate Rebuild’s statement into something intelligible, if not intelligent.
Most governors have enthusiastically embraced the stimulus. Just the ideologues, Sanford, Barbour, Perry, Palin, Jindal, are singing from the Rethug Hymnal. Dyed-in-the-wool R’s like Criss, Douglas and Perdue have endorsed the package.
Nobody has said that ‘government can (or will) provide all’. Government is trying to help states and individuals survive the mess that Dubya and his Mindless Minions have left us.
Across the nation, governors, both D and R, are trying to tackle this disaster. In California, for lack of one R Senate vote, the State faces devastating consequences. Not my words, but the Terminator’s.
Finally, El Somnambulo misses whatever point Rebuild was trying to make in his last paragraph. El Somnambulo’s grasp of the English language is admittedly limited, but doesn’t ‘panacea’ mean a cure-all? Rebuild has thus simultaneously argued that government can’t cure all, and quoted a D governor as saying the package is a failure b/c it won’t cure all. Your point is?
These are governors of oil producing states. I think they are counting on a new surge in oil price which will pump up their state revenues and make them outperform other non-oil states. This will make them look like geniuses to the uninformed and will bolster their national aspirations. And it will give endless ammunition to the “no stimulus, do nothing” base.
From what I’m hearing the Republican Congresspeople are out taking credit for the money going to their district. The talking point seems to be the money for our projects is great, the whole thing costs too much. So what they’re really saying is that the money for their constituents is just hunky dory, it’s the money for other people’s constituents that they object to.
I see these Govs are holding on to the GOP mantra – “Onward to the 19th Century!”
Sad though, they are just playing politics – just posturing for their hardcore, blind base.
They’ll take the money.