NY Times columnist Maureen Dowd is not one of my favorites, but every once in awhile she comes out with something I like. Such was the case with her March 3rd Op/Ed piece titled “Stage of Fools”. Ms. Dowd addresses the pork-filled congressional Omnibus spending bill with these words:
“In one of his disturbing spells of passivity, President Obama decided not to fight Congress and live up to his own no-earmark pledge from the campaign…Team Obama sounds hollow, chanting that “the status quo is not acceptable”, even while conceding that the presidnet is accepting the status quo by signing a budget festooned with pork.”
Ms. Dowd goes on to bullet point many of the outlandish earmarks in the bill. Your can read her column here: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/04/opinion/04dowd.html?em
Now how can you call the stimulus bill a failure or filled with pork? Why Mr. President himself said just the other day that “because of the stimulus bill, 25 people got jobs”. Think of that success, umpty trillion dollars spent and 25 jobs were created. And right here in our fair city, $750,000. of stimulus money will be spent deciding on where to put a bus depot. Or the study on why pig elimination creates an odor. (I kid you not). Frankly Mr. President, you have done more damage in a month than most do in a full term. And there are 3 years and 11 months to go. Good luck America and just how are your 401K’s doing?
Comment by Faringdon — March 8, 2009 @ 12:48 pm
Addendum: Regarding that $750,000. being spent on a bus depot decision. This, after school budgets have been cut by one million. $750,000. is three quarters of a million last I heard. Wouldn’t common sense dictate that putting that to the school budget would make a great deal more sense that the bus depot study and possibly new busses? Not in this town apparently. But all is not lost, Hazel Bauman, who is the second highest paid Supt. in the state (in spite of the fact that her academic CV doesn’t rise to that salary point) is taking a volundary cut in pay. A mind boggling $500.00 per month/$6000./year. That leaves poor Hazel to subsist on only $124,000. plus per year. What an act of generosity! In spite of this magnanimity, teachers will be cut, non-voluntarily, leaving them to subsist on 0. Genius..pure genius.
Comment by Faringdon — March 9, 2009 @ 8:54 am
Faringdon, there are so many things that don’t make sense right now. We are not in control of our own ship of state; the federal government is getting their tentacles into all aspects of state governance so the independence of state decisions will soon be a thing of the past. State’s rights?–not now, all that money comes with lots of hooks and strings.
Comment by mary — March 9, 2009 @ 9:59 am
Too true Mary. Although I doubt that the Federal Govt. has mandated that the money be spent for bus research. So many things bring to mind quotations. Now I am reminded of (slightly paraphrased) those who do not learn from the past, are bound to repeat it. Meaning, of course, all the mistakes. One cannot help but remember what happened the last time the federal govt. interfered with states rights…a little thing remembered as the Civil War.
Now, before I find the FBI at my door, I am not fomenting war. Although a noted Russian scholar has stated that America will fall into civil unrest this year which will result in martial law being delcared and dissolution of our union. He claims that the U.S will break into four separate nations. Do you think we will need passports to go east? The world is full of crazies!
Comment by Faringdon — March 9, 2009 @ 10:57 am
the last time the federal govt. interfered with states rights…a little thing remembered as the Civil War.
wow. just wow.
Comment by reagan — March 9, 2009 @ 1:46 pm
Liberals = no sense of humor and a lack of recognizing cynicism and the theater of the absurd.
Comment by Faringdon — March 9, 2009 @ 4:07 pm
a. i am not liberal, just reasonable.
b. i recognize the absurd. all too frequently.
Comment by reagan — March 9, 2009 @ 9:24 pm
Faringdon, I missed the information about the bus depot study. Please tell me the details. Thank you.
Comment by Susie Snedaker — March 9, 2009 @ 10:21 pm
Susie, I believe it was in the Press last weekend. For 2 or 3 days they did a breakdown on the stimulus bill and it was a part of that. I just remember the $750,000. for, possibly, new city link busses and some sort of bus depot that would be “ideally” located near Riverstone, (what a surprise). High on my priority list is school funding and it just stuck in my craw.
Comment by Faringdon — March 10, 2009 @ 10:24 am
Faringdon, Thanks for the information. I will look at the paper. The temporary bus stop/park and ride lot is located in Riverstone. I was told that it would be permanently located at the Salvation Army center.
Comment by Susie Snedaker — March 10, 2009 @ 4:08 pm