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Desperation: Aid To States and Unions For Votes?
Liberty Juice ^ | 08/09/2010 | Chris Bounds

Posted on 08/09/2010 12:11:31 PM PDT by ChrisBoundsTX

The $26 billion aid package has cleared the Senate. It is up to the House to give their approval. This bill is packaged as an aid program to prevent states from laying off teachers. Where have we heard that before? Ah yes, the stimulus package was supposed to do that!

Video

It had to be passed “immediately” to prevent local teachers, firefighters, and police officers from being laid off. President Obama claimed it was “under budget” and working “exactly as we had anticipated.” That is the $862 billion stimulus bill alright. How’s it working for you? But this time Democrats are positive it will work! Really? Why not use the billions in unspent stimulus funds instead of passing a whole new bill? Republican Illinois Senator Chuck Grassley suggested just that:

To offset this new spending, Democratic leaders could have started with unspent stimulus funds. About $35 billion of the $100 billion in education aid to states from the stimulus was not spent as of a July 9 report from the Department of Education. Also, let’s be clear that today’s legislation is nothing more than a bailout to state governments so they don’t have to make tough decisions. Federal dollars don’t grow on trees. Like the state legislatures, Congress is facing difficult decisions regarding existing federal spending programs to address a large budget deficit and growing debt, much less taking on new federal spending to offset cuts in state spending made by state legislatures and governors.

Of course, that was not in the cards for liberals in Congress. Grassley’s words fell on deaf ears and the Senate passed the bill 61-38. Only two Republicans voted for the bill, Democrat favorites Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe. A joyful Harry Reid commented after the vote, saying “The bill keeps hundreds of thousands of teachers, firefighters, policemen and other civil employees from being fired or laid off.” I just have one simple question to Mr. Reid about his statement. If an $862 billion stimulus package could not save teachers jobs, why do you expect another $26 billion package do the trick?

Last Tuesday Nancy Pelosi followed the Senate’s action and her duty to pursue policy in keeping with the values of “The Word” by cutting the House recess short and calling everyone back to Washington via Twitter:

I will be calling the House back into session early next week to save teachers’ jobs and help seniors & children

Those are very motivating words, Mrs. Pelosi. Git-R-Done!

Forgetting that there are billions of dollars left in the stimulus bill that could be used for this measure (and whether or not it is ever appropriate) one must question the timing of this bill. The November elections only 84 days and teachers unions are very loyal to the Democrat Party. What better way to buy a few votes than to head back to Washington to pass this state aid bill and send money back to your union constituents. Republican Senator Judd Gregg made that very claim, saying “It’s to pay off education unions.” Perhaps that is over thinking this situation though. I am sure that any excuse on the table to escape from being hammered by constituents in town hall meetings during the recess would likely have been considered.

Expect a slightly more liberalized version of the bill to fly through the House. House Democrats are not fond of the Senate’s version which used funds from the food stamp program to help make it deficit neutral. Democrat Congresswoman from Connecticut, Rosa DeLauro commented on the food stamp cuts, saying “Yes, absolutely, I will be fighting for these funds.” I’m sure DeLauro and her fellow Democrats will not stop there. Why should they? The lame duck session has commenced.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Education; Government; Politics
KEYWORDS: stateaid; teachers; unions

1 posted on 08/09/2010 12:11:34 PM PDT by ChrisBoundsTX
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To: ChrisBoundsTX

The people in Washington are buffoons. Despite all the rallys, polls and so forth, they cannot seem to get that the majority of Americans want them to do one simple thing - STOP SPENDING!


2 posted on 08/09/2010 12:22:17 PM PDT by MEGoody (Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.)
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To: ChrisBoundsTX

Thousands May Lose Rental Vouchers
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/07/nyregion/07voucher.html?_r=3


3 posted on 08/09/2010 12:24:00 PM PDT by goldendays (that)
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To: ChrisBoundsTX

I think their attitude is that it is either this or rioting. I think more and more that is their thinking on spending bills.


4 posted on 08/09/2010 12:27:03 PM PDT by RobRoy (The US Today: Revelation 18:4)
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To: ChrisBoundsTX

Here’s the clean link to the video, without the blog:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2MjQ17kDng&feature=player_embedded


5 posted on 08/09/2010 12:27:28 PM PDT by humblegunner (Pablo is very wily)
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To: ChrisBoundsTX
I have not yet heard an explanation from them, serious, flippant or otherwise as to why the Democrats REFUSE to spend the unspent TARP funds on these urgent programs. Instead, they constantly increase their deficit spending each time. Can anyone help me here with an explanation that I can believe in?
6 posted on 08/09/2010 12:35:47 PM PDT by I am Richard Brandon
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To: ChrisBoundsTX

Makes me sick. More taxpayer money to support union benefits and salaries. Just like the GM bailout. Makes me sick.


7 posted on 08/09/2010 12:38:16 PM PDT by Opinionated Blowhard
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To: I am Richard Brandon

The best explanation I have read (and I use “best” very loosely”) is a small piece on The Huffington Post trying to explain the stimulus bill was not to create jobs. Maybe they just meant to say it didn’t create any jobs, hmm?

Pelosi surely isn’t going to answer that question though.


8 posted on 08/09/2010 12:41:00 PM PDT by ChrisBoundsTX
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To: Opinionated Blowhard

I hope the pubs ask them when they are planning the next bailout or payoff when this money runs out.


9 posted on 08/09/2010 12:41:37 PM PDT by Always Independent
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To: humblegunner

Does he even know the difference between truth and fabrication?
Now Barack’s father served in WW ll
He said so in a speech.
Is he a compulsive liar?
Were there no reporters who double checked these statements and called the party on this?

They did for everyone else. Why not him?
Barack Hussein Obama Sr. (Obama’s father)
Born 4/4/36
Died 11/24/82 at the age of 46
He was 5 years old when WW 2 started, and less than 9.5 years old when it ended.
Lolo Soetoro (Obama’s step father)
Born 1935
Died 3/2/87 at the age of 52
He was 6 years old when WW 2 started, and 10 years old when it ended.
One of these guys must have been the youngest Veteran in the war.
Watch the video.
WHAT A LIAR!!!! And the media doesn’t say anything.
If you doubt it, Google both of these guys.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fv4jnlkxOaw


10 posted on 08/09/2010 12:44:10 PM PDT by goldendays (that)
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To: ChrisBoundsTX

If it weren’t for the fact that federal taxes are so high the states would be able to raise taxes to pay there own teachers.


11 posted on 08/09/2010 12:46:24 PM PDT by Brilliant
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To: goldendays
If you doubt it, Google both of these guys

Why would you assume I doubt it?

12 posted on 08/09/2010 12:53:12 PM PDT by humblegunner (Pablo is very wily)
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To: Brilliant

Or perhaps they can make their own sacrifices, like cutting runaway pensions, recreation expenditures, and stop their sanctuary city policies.


13 posted on 08/09/2010 12:56:19 PM PDT by ChrisBoundsTX
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To: MEGoody

The rank and file see what this is doing to their neighbors and friends, they see the destruction, they see the horror of not being able to provide for their families..It is pure unadulterated evil, criminal and will be subject to the wrath of GOD.


14 posted on 08/09/2010 6:53:23 PM PDT by Shady (No more laws based on LIES!)
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To: humblegunner

He has lied about everything else.


15 posted on 08/09/2010 6:55:10 PM PDT by Shady (No more laws based on LIES!)
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