...Given that the money was going to be spent (and still is), I’m not sure how a Republican legislator could just sit back and let the Democrats scoop up every dime. No, the money isn’t likely to create a ton of jobs. No, the Stimulus Bill could not ever do what the President and the Democratic leadership claimed it could. However, millions of dollars isn’t exactly useless and if a Republican can get some of it and get it into the hands of entrepreneurs openly and transparently, then perhaps it could create a few jobs.Instinctively I would say that Republicans are better stewards of the public's money than Democrats. However, my state, Florida, is (loosely) run by a governor who I am told is a registered Republican yet his handling of the stimulus bootie has not been particularly noteworthy. Well, not noteworthy in a good way.
Two examples of idiocy leap to mind relative to Florida stimulus dollars. First, and every Floridian should be embarrassed to no end by this-the Turtle Tunnel. The three point four million dollar thirteen foot long turtle tunnel. The mere thought of it embarrasses me to the point of chest pains. All I can say to the taxpayers in the other 49 states who are footing the bill so that our turtles can cross the street safely is I am so very sorry.
Appropriately, "number two" is the bullet train to Hell that is going to cost taxpayers one point two five billion dollars. Choo choo Charlie wanted 2.5 billion but in what passes for fiscal responsibility these days Obama only gave him half, leaving Floridians to come up with the remaining 5.5 billion dollars for the bottomless money pit that nobody wants.
Who knows how many jobs either of these will create and any that are created will be temporary, the cost to the taxpayer per job will be enormous and neither of them make a lick of sense. Which brings me back to Jimmie:
The side benefit is that the Republicans can then come back in 2010 with a new line of attack. They will be able to show taxpayers that the very act of taking money from taxpayers in order to give it back to them in “stimulus” form is inherently wasteful and corrupt. More, they will have actual examples to show just how much money is frittered away no matter how carefully nor transparently Washington spends it.Amen. Read the rest of the post at The Sundries Shack.
7 comments:
This republican (note case of "r") would not spend it at all.
I don't mind folks that criticize stimulus projects based on accurate information. Unfortunately, the Republican smear campaign has released misinformation in order to garner public support. Case in point is the so-called turtle tunnel. The under-culverts that are part of the larger Lake Jackson Ecopassage span a 4-lane divided highway. How could a tunnel span that distance if it was only 13 feet long? A standard highway lane is 12 feet. The tunnels in question are actually 152 feet long (and there are 3 of them). The tunnels represent less than 13% of the project's overall costs. In fact, the bulk of the budget goes to the 2 miles of barrier walls that stop wildlife from entering the highway. The project is being completed to save motorists lives. The saving of turtles and other wildlife is just an incidental benefit. The 4-lane highway was constructed through the middle of a lake and as a result, 12 foot alligators and 40 pound turtles routinely enter the roadway and pose a severe danger to motorists. I should also add that the project went out to bid at $1 million below budget. So, if you are against keeping motorists safe, feel free to criticize the project. I for one think it's a great project - it kept 112 people employed for 9 months, it saves lives, and it helps the environment.
I'm almost positive that "anonymous" is a troll/plant. A wonderful leap to the defense, with copy-and-paste talking points, etc suggests such. And he manages to not address the core issue of spending $787 billion dollars for no appreciable reason or effect and doesn't address the central issue of the post. Hmmm.
Wow. First, Milton now this copy-and-paster... You sure are managing to attract 'em.
Whether Republican would've or should've is beside the point. No matter the party, this debt-spending nonsense has got to stop. And right now it is Dems who are doing it. So they have to stop. At this point and on this issue, supposition is just a partisan game.
It should also be noted that the Republican is against the bailouts, while the starry-eyed (at the time) Dem base was all for it.
I have not completed formulating Sheldon's First Law of Blog-Comment Relevance but the gist of it is, the relevant the blog-author's posting, the more likely that comments made about it will be pedantic troll-puke, and the more attention intelligent readers must give before attaching significance to those comments.
Left out a key word!
"the more relevant the blog-author's posting, the more likely that comments made about it will be pedantic troll-puke, and the more attention intelligent readers must give before attaching significance to those comments.
Let's look at the trolls argument. First, it isn't a tunnel it is an "ecopassage". Well, throw in "eco" and that changes everything. Heh.
I noticed a lack of citation so we must assume that without the "ecopassages" there was commonplace loss of life and limb due to unaware motorists routinely slamming in to turtles and gators. Methinks the troll has never driven through
"alligator alley" to my south. Or for that matter, rural Hillsborough County, where I live. My point is, we have survived just fine without million dollar "ecopassages" and will continue to do so.
Okay, some "temporary" jobs were created with "created" being the operative word. There is no long term benefit to the economy. Spending tax dollars for short term gains is a waste of money.
The overall criticism is that the Stimulus money was short sighted. I stand by it.
I'm not sure why I'm being labeled a troll. I was just correcting the misinformation included in your post. You used it as an example of "idiocy". I was countering your assertion. It wasn't $3.4 million and it wasn't constructed so that "turtles can cross the street safely". Again, if you don't think spending $2 million is worth it to save human lives then that is your opinion. This project was already in the pipeline. All that the stimulus did was move the project up a year so the folks that need the work now could get it.
Post a Comment