WTF? How am I agreeing with Jack Cafferty again?

GTaudiophile

Lifer
Oct 24, 2000
29,767
33
81
First of all, I would like to ask the Dems/Libs here in the forum: are you proud of how your party dealt with this "stimulus" bill? Are you proud of your President?

This is the second time this week that I am agreeing with Cafferty. WTF?

I would LOVE it if the Dem Congress somehow does a "vote of no confidence" in Pelosi and Reid. Wonder how things would CHANGE with some new leadership there?

Article:

NEW YORK (CNN) -- What a joke. Your Congress has voted to spend almost $790 billion of your money on a stimulus package that not a single member of either chamber has read.

The 1,073-page document wasn't posted on the government's Web site until after 10 p.m. the day before the vote to pass it was taken. I don't care if you're Evelyn Wood, you can't read almost 1,100 pages of the lawyer talk that makes up all legislation in eight or 10 hours.

The criminal part of this boondoggle is divided into two parts. The first is the Democrats promised to post the bill a full 48 hours before the vote was taken to allow members of the public to see what they were getting for their money. Both parties voted unanimously to do this ... and they lied.


It didn't happen. Why am I not surprised? Congress lying to the American people has become part of their job description. They can't be trusted on anything anymore.

I'm sure part of the reason there was no time for the public to read the bill was the 11th-hour internecine warfare between House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

When Reid first announced the compromise had been reached, Nancy Pelosi was nowhere to be seen. And it would take an act of God for this egotistical, arrogant woman to miss a photo op where she could take credit for anything. But she wasn't there.

She summoned Reid to her office, where unnamed sources said she blew her top over some provision for schools that she wasn't happy with. Pelosi's snit delayed everything.

It's really too bad President Obama couldn't figure out a way to jettison these two who are poster children for everything that is wrong in Washington. The Associated Press called the birth of the stimulus bill "sausage making" in the best tradition of Washington politics as usual.

The second part of the crime is the contents of the bill itself. Far from being only about jobs, infrastructure and tax cuts as promised, the stimulus bill stimulates a bunch of other stuff as well. Eight billion dollars for high-speed rail lines, including a proposed line between Las Vegas and Los Angeles. This little bit of second story work wasn't even in the House version of the bill.

It started in the Senate as a $2 billion project, and came out of the conference committee costing a whopping $8 billion. Gee, now who would that benefit? Oh yeah, the Senate majority leader is from Nevada.

Filipino veterans, most of whom don't live in the U.S., will get $200 million in compensation for World War II injuries. And: $2 billion in grants and loans for battery companies, $100 million for small shipyards and a rollback of the alternative minimum tax at a cost of some $70 billion.

The AMT provision is much-needed legislation, but it doesn't belong in the stimulus bill. It forced other things out so Congress could keep to its self-imposed $800 billion cap.

And when it comes to the tax cuts contained in the stimulus bill, experts have determined they will amount to about $13 per week after taxes for the average American. I'm not sure how much stimulation $13 a week buys. It depends on the neighborhood.

The biggest problem of all is the stimulus bill may not be nearly enough. And if the president has to come back asking for more, the next time might not be so easy.

So far, we have an anemic stimulus bill and some sort of vague proposal from the secretary of the Treasury to deal with the banking crisis -- a proposal that landed with a thud last week -- as the two first steps toward solving a financial crisis that is threatening to take down the country.

Obama better step up his game, or it's going to be a short four years in office.


Source
 

CLite

Golden Member
Dec 6, 2005
1,726
7
76
I agree with Jack's assessment of both of them, being a quasi-dem/ind (voted for Obama). They infuriarate me because I don't see them caring about America at all.

To go slightly off-topic, being in the Nuclear industry, Harry Reid to me is a fucking scumbag. My own personal tipping point is if Obama follow Reid's and Pelosi's lockstep hatred of the nuclear industry. There has been unprecendented (i.e. since 3 mile) recent interest and growth in the field and if they kill it they would be sacrificing any technilogical advantage the U.S.A. still retains.



 

StageLeft

No Lifer
Sep 29, 2000
70,150
5
0
The thing is a disgrace, of course the key an most indefensible part of it being that it was so long as to be completely unconsummated by most people who were voting on it.
 

ayabe

Diamond Member
Aug 10, 2005
7,449
0
0
Ok well at least we're going to be getting something for this $800 billion, that's more than you can say about Iraq or the TARP money.

I'd rather have a fucking new road.

 

Genx87

Lifer
Apr 8, 2002
41,091
513
126
Originally posted by: ayabe
Ok well at least we're going to be getting something for this $800 billion, that's more than you can say about Iraq or the TARP money.

I'd rather have a fucking new road.

30 billion for roads. The other 760 billion smells and looks like pork.
 

ayabe

Diamond Member
Aug 10, 2005
7,449
0
0
Originally posted by: Genx87
Originally posted by: ayabe
Ok well at least we're going to be getting something for this $800 billion, that's more than you can say about Iraq or the TARP money.

I'd rather have a fucking new road.

30 billion for roads. The other 760 billion smells and looks like pork.

Lots of tax cuts too, like cutting taxes on non-existant corporate profits or giving refunds to people who don't pay taxes.

Yeah actually I do have a problem with that. I also have a problem with a lot of the education spending that was stripped.

We can whine about the process all we want, we deserve what we're stuck with. Everyone knows that major bills aren't read in their entirety or even reviewed by the people voting on them, this has been going on for decades so why the outrage now?
 

CLite

Golden Member
Dec 6, 2005
1,726
7
76
Originally posted by: Genx87
Originally posted by: ayabe
Ok well at least we're going to be getting something for this $800 billion, that's more than you can say about Iraq or the TARP money.

I'd rather have a fucking new road.

30 billion for roads. The other 760 billion smells and looks like pork.

Well anything can be construed as pork, even the roads are pork in a sense for the states they are being built in. Similarly the high speed rail can be labeled as pork even though it technically is infrastructure. Personally I think if the infrastructure can be tangibly tied to helping promote economic growth (i.e. expanded airport in X-location promotes tourism), then its not too bad. However I question if congress really reviewed any of the projects with that thought in mind.
 

sciwizam

Golden Member
Oct 22, 2004
1,953
0
0
Maybe because they promised they would air out the bill for 48 hrs. I know right, what were we thinking?
 

Genx87

Lifer
Apr 8, 2002
41,091
513
126
Originally posted by: ayabe
Originally posted by: Genx87
Originally posted by: ayabe
Ok well at least we're going to be getting something for this $800 billion, that's more than you can say about Iraq or the TARP money.

I'd rather have a fucking new road.

30 billion for roads. The other 760 billion smells and looks like pork.

Lots of tax cuts too, like cutting taxes on non-existant corporate profits or giving refunds to people who don't pay taxes.

Yeah actually I do have a problem with that. I also have a problem with a lot of the education spending that was stripped.

We can whine about the process all we want, we deserve what we're stuck with. Everyone knows that major bills aren't read in their entirety or even reviewed by the people voting on them, this has been going on for decades so why the outrage now?


Because the bill is 800 billion dollars? Do you really need to ask that question?
 

blackangst1

Lifer
Feb 23, 2005
22,902
2,359
126
Originally posted by: ayabe
Ok well at least we're going to be getting something for this $800 billion, that's more than you can say about Iraq or the TARP money.

I'd rather have a fucking new road.

Yeah and less than 20% of it will be this year. Nice recovery....good thing they rushed this through to spend money 2-4 years from now huh?
 

boomerang

Lifer
Jun 19, 2000
18,883
641
126
The way to change the way Washington does business is not by phoning, emailing, or writing your representatives. The way to change the way Washington does business is not at the ballot box.

It's going to have to be physical, bloody and messy.

"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is it?s natural manure." Thomas Jefferson

I know this sounds like lunatic fringe rhetoric, but we're slowly slipping closer and closer to a point where the insanity of Washington will be irreversible.
 

blackangst1

Lifer
Feb 23, 2005
22,902
2,359
126
Originally posted by: ayabe
Originally posted by: Genx87
Originally posted by: ayabe
Ok well at least we're going to be getting something for this $800 billion, that's more than you can say about Iraq or the TARP money.

I'd rather have a fucking new road.

30 billion for roads. The other 760 billion smells and looks like pork.

Lots of tax cuts too, like cutting taxes on non-existant corporate profits or giving refunds to people who don't pay taxes.

Yeah actually I do have a problem with that. I also have a problem with a lot of the education spending that was stripped.

We can whine about the process all we want, we deserve what we're stuck with. Everyone knows that major bills aren't read in their entirety or even reviewed by the people voting on them, this has been going on for decades so why the outrage now?

A point to be made about this...I saw a story on this on one of the talking head shows and they had a couple of Dems and a couple of GOP's on to talk about it. They said normally when a bill this size is presented to congress it is given in electronic form (PDF). Typically staffers read the majority of it, while the senators search for keywords in the PDF. They said this bill was presented in paper form, and has been rushed through so quickly admittedly they havent even broken the binder to read the first page yet before voting.

Now thats change I can believe in!
 

MotF Bane

No Lifer
Dec 22, 2006
60,801
10
0
Originally posted by: boomerang
The way to change the way Washington does business is not by phoning, emailing, or writing your representatives. The way to change the way Washington does business is not at the ballot box.

It's going to have to be physical, bloody and messy.

"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is it?s natural manure." Thomas Jefferson

I know this sounds like lunatic fringe rhetoric, but we're slowly slipping closer and closer to a point where the insanity of Washington will be irreversible.

:thumbsup:
 

palehorse

Lifer
Dec 21, 2005
11,521
0
76
Originally posted by: blackangst1
Originally posted by: ayabe
Originally posted by: Genx87
Originally posted by: ayabe
Ok well at least we're going to be getting something for this $800 billion, that's more than you can say about Iraq or the TARP money.

I'd rather have a fucking new road.

30 billion for roads. The other 760 billion smells and looks like pork.

Lots of tax cuts too, like cutting taxes on non-existant corporate profits or giving refunds to people who don't pay taxes.

Yeah actually I do have a problem with that. I also have a problem with a lot of the education spending that was stripped.

We can whine about the process all we want, we deserve what we're stuck with. Everyone knows that major bills aren't read in their entirety or even reviewed by the people voting on them, this has been going on for decades so why the outrage now?

A point to be made about this...I saw a story on this on one of the talking head shows and they had a couple of Dems and a couple of GOP's on to talk about it. They said normally when a bill this size is presented to congress it is given in electronic form (PDF). Typically staffers read the majority of it, while the senators search for keywords in the PDF. They said this bill was presented in paper form, and has been rushed through so quickly admittedly they havent even broken the binder to read the first page yet before voting.

Now thats change I can believe in!
Have any idea which show or which Reps were involved?
 

blackangst1

Lifer
Feb 23, 2005
22,902
2,359
126
Originally posted by: palehorse
Originally posted by: blackangst1
Originally posted by: ayabe
Originally posted by: Genx87
Originally posted by: ayabe
Ok well at least we're going to be getting something for this $800 billion, that's more than you can say about Iraq or the TARP money.

I'd rather have a fucking new road.

30 billion for roads. The other 760 billion smells and looks like pork.

Lots of tax cuts too, like cutting taxes on non-existant corporate profits or giving refunds to people who don't pay taxes.

Yeah actually I do have a problem with that. I also have a problem with a lot of the education spending that was stripped.

We can whine about the process all we want, we deserve what we're stuck with. Everyone knows that major bills aren't read in their entirety or even reviewed by the people voting on them, this has been going on for decades so why the outrage now?

A point to be made about this...I saw a story on this on one of the talking head shows and they had a couple of Dems and a couple of GOP's on to talk about it. They said normally when a bill this size is presented to congress it is given in electronic form (PDF). Typically staffers read the majority of it, while the senators search for keywords in the PDF. They said this bill was presented in paper form, and has been rushed through so quickly admittedly they havent even broken the binder to read the first page yet before voting.

Now thats change I can believe in!
Have any idea which show or which Reps were involved?

I'll try and remember. I usually split my time between Fox and MSNBC.
 

mooseracing

Golden Member
Mar 9, 2006
1,711
0
0
Originally posted by: boomerang

I know this sounds like lunatic fringe rhetoric, but we're slowly slipping closer and closer to a point where the insanity of Washington will be irreversible.

We are slipping closer and closer to a full locked down state where it will be time to make a stand.

I don't understand how these morons get elected over and over.


I haven't figured out yet either how anyone thinks these bills are going to help the country. Lets throw a bandaid over a wound that needs surgery and staples. We need to keep jobs here not create a few while 1000's fail
 

ayabe

Diamond Member
Aug 10, 2005
7,449
0
0
Originally posted by: Genx87
Originally posted by: ayabe
Originally posted by: Genx87
Originally posted by: ayabe
Ok well at least we're going to be getting something for this $800 billion, that's more than you can say about Iraq or the TARP money.

I'd rather have a fucking new road.

30 billion for roads. The other 760 billion smells and looks like pork.

Lots of tax cuts too, like cutting taxes on non-existant corporate profits or giving refunds to people who don't pay taxes.

Yeah actually I do have a problem with that. I also have a problem with a lot of the education spending that was stripped.

We can whine about the process all we want, we deserve what we're stuck with. Everyone knows that major bills aren't read in their entirety or even reviewed by the people voting on them, this has been going on for decades so why the outrage now?


Because the bill is 800 billion dollars? Do you really need to ask that question?

This thread is more about the process, isn't it?

The money has to be spent, states are unable to make payroll(see Kansas). So unless all of the principled R congress people are going to reject the funds, then they need to just shut up about it.

Amazingly, you won't hear any hub-bub from the R governors of these states, they want their piece or their states will fall apart, and everyone knows it.

But hey, moral outrage is productive right?
 

Genx87

Lifer
Apr 8, 2002
41,091
513
126
Originally posted by: ayabe
Originally posted by: Genx87
Originally posted by: ayabe
Originally posted by: Genx87
Originally posted by: ayabe
Ok well at least we're going to be getting something for this $800 billion, that's more than you can say about Iraq or the TARP money.

I'd rather have a fucking new road.

30 billion for roads. The other 760 billion smells and looks like pork.

Lots of tax cuts too, like cutting taxes on non-existant corporate profits or giving refunds to people who don't pay taxes.

Yeah actually I do have a problem with that. I also have a problem with a lot of the education spending that was stripped.

We can whine about the process all we want, we deserve what we're stuck with. Everyone knows that major bills aren't read in their entirety or even reviewed by the people voting on them, this has been going on for decades so why the outrage now?


Because the bill is 800 billion dollars? Do you really need to ask that question?

This thread is more about the process, isn't it?

The money has to be spent, states are unable to make payroll(see Kansas). So unless all of the principled R congress people are going to reject the funds, then they need to just shut up about it.

Amazingly, you won't hear any hub-bub from the R governors of these states, they want their piece or their states will fall apart, and everyone knows it.

But hey, moral outrage is productive right?

Let the states cut their budgets imo. This type of sucking off the tit budget process fails miserably.
 

quest55720

Golden Member
Nov 3, 2004
1,339
0
0
Originally posted by: ayabe
Originally posted by: Genx87
Originally posted by: ayabe
Originally posted by: Genx87
Originally posted by: ayabe
Ok well at least we're going to be getting something for this $800 billion, that's more than you can say about Iraq or the TARP money.

I'd rather have a fucking new road.

30 billion for roads. The other 760 billion smells and looks like pork.

Lots of tax cuts too, like cutting taxes on non-existant corporate profits or giving refunds to people who don't pay taxes.

Yeah actually I do have a problem with that. I also have a problem with a lot of the education spending that was stripped.

We can whine about the process all we want, we deserve what we're stuck with. Everyone knows that major bills aren't read in their entirety or even reviewed by the people voting on them, this has been going on for decades so why the outrage now?


Because the bill is 800 billion dollars? Do you really need to ask that question?

This thread is more about the process, isn't it?

The money has to be spent, states are unable to make payroll(see Kansas). So unless all of the principled R congress people are going to reject the funds, then they need to just shut up about it.

Amazingly, you won't hear any hub-bub from the R governors of these states, they want their piece or their states will fall apart, and everyone knows it.

But hey, moral outrage is productive right?


Maybe if the states did not waste so much money they would not be in this position. I don't think giving states a slush fund is a very good return on our tax money. We have no idea were that money is going to go.
 

TallBill

Lifer
Apr 29, 2001
46,017
62
91
Originally posted by: Genx87

Let the states cut their budgets imo. This type of sucking off the tit budget process fails miserably.

I'd be curious to see a comparison of state balances/deficits.
 

CLite

Golden Member
Dec 6, 2005
1,726
7
76
Originally posted by: Genx87
Let the states cut their budgets imo. This type of sucking off the tit budget process fails miserably.

This is a good point and I'd like to expand on it. Basically imo our standard of living is going to reduce. Medicare/social security/tax credits on retirement plans have allowed people to live in a fantasy land of 0% savings, everything will be taken care of. Grandparents no longer live with their children, everyone has their own house which has a road that must be maintained, water/electrical services must be provided.

As our economic growth exploded since WW2 people started living in bigger houses, expecting more benefits from society which allowed them to enter an era of extremely high standard of living. Now we are facing a crisis as lack of new growth meets compiling costs as we begin to realize the expense of everyone even grandparents having their house on an acre of land miles away from the center of town.

I really don't think we are going to be anywhere near the depression, but people have to start realizing the current standard of living is clearly not working given the massive budgets deficits and lack of funds for things ranging from education to road salt for snow.

In a broad sense, I don't think it's unrealistic to expect families will start living together in slightly smaller places, slightly closer to the center of town and not expecting perfectly maintained roads. The older generation might not be able to depend on SS as much, younger families will have to assist their parents, and people will have to save more in expectation of these costs.