Posted on 11/20/2025 11:12:36 AM PST by bitt
Gov. Kathy Hochul has spent $66 million of taxpayer money on grants to radical left-wing groups that conduct overt political operations to defund the police, close prisons, abolish ICE, decriminalize prostitution, promote open borders, target minors with transgender ideology, promote anti-Israel extremism, impose crippling climate mandates on new housing — and increase taxation to pay for it all.
An examination of 13,000 grants since Hochul took office in 2021 shows a massive investment in far-left causes, with $66 million paid so far and almost $50 million promised for a total contract value of $113 million.
“Our tax dollars should go towards fighting criminals, not helping them,” says Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), the leading GOP candidate in the 2026 gubernatorial race, who has been steadily gaining ground on the unpopular Hochul in recent polls.
“Kathy Hochul is just another Defund the Police Democrat like her puppet master [New York City Mayor-elect Zohran] Mamdani.
“Hochul will have plenty more time on her hands to support radical nonprofits after we defeat her next year to save New York.”
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
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300 million guns and we are helpless against the rat infestation devastating our cities and destroying lives. Just sayin….
Ben Franklin said: — “When the people find that they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic.”
He was very wise, of course, but if he were alive in 21st century woke America he would say: “When politicians and socialists find they they can vote more printed money and debt for their supporters and agitators, that will herald the end of the republic.”
While not quite Devine, she’s still very, very good.
Should we make that $113 million minus the usual 10% or so?
[Miranda, that is...]
Decriminalize prostitution? Heck, what would politicians do? And, say Ahhhh, Kathy.
“Reward your friends, deny your enemies.” The Rat Mantra
SEE: Lois Lerner, IRS, ret. on full pension
Franklin’s actual words: Franklin is well‑documented for sayings like “A republic, if you can keep it” (1787), but the “vote themselves money” line does not appear in his papers, letters, or speeches.
Likely origin: Historians trace the sentiment to Alexander Fraser Tytler, an 18th‑century Scottish historian, who wrote about democracies collapsing once voters realize they can vote themselves benefits. Over time, this idea was misattributed to Franklin.
Modern usage: The phrase began appearing in American political discourse in the 20th century, often cited in debates about government spending, entitlements, or fiat currency. The Library of Congress even has modern prints that attribute it to Franklin, but these are artistic works, not historical documentsLibrary of Congress.
This is a perfect example of quote drift — how a phrase migrates across centuries, gets attached to a famous name, and gains credibility through repetition.
Franklin’s reputation as a witty sage made him a convenient “host” for unattributed warnings.
The quote’s survival reflects anxieties about democracy and money — themes that resurface in every era.
It’s a cousin to the “A republic, if you can keep it” line, which is authentic and often paired with this misquote to reinforce a narrative.
So the short answer: Franklin never said it. It’s a misattribution of a broader idea about democracy’s fragility, probably rooted in Tytler’s writings.
Copilot: Yes — Davy Crockett expressed a very similar sentiment, but in his own frontier‑politician style. He didn’t use the exact “vote themselves money” phrasing, but he did argue strongly against Congress appropriating public funds for charity or personal purposes.
In The Life of Colonel David Crockett (1884, by Edward Sylvester Ellis), Crockett is quoted as saying: “We have the right as individuals, to give away as much of our own money as we please in charity; but as members of Congress we have no right to appropriate a dollar of the public money.”
He also warned that money in politics corrupts honor and integrity, writing: “Money with them is nothing but trash when it is to come out of the people. But it is the one great thing for which most of them are striving, and many of them sacrifice honor, integrity, and justice to obtain it.”
Franklin (misattributed): “When the people find that they can vote themselves money…” — never actually said by Franklin, but reflects fears about democratic self‑interest.
Crockett (authentic): He did argue that Congress had no right to spend taxpayer money for charity or favors, emphasizing personal responsibility versus public appropriation.
Overlap: Both ideas warn about the dangers of voters or politicians using government funds for private gain, but Crockett’s version is grounded in his own legislative experience.
This is a great example of quote migration: Franklin gets saddled with a line he never said, while Crockett’s authentic words carry the same theme. It shows how anxieties about democracy and money recur across centuries, whether in the 1830s frontier Congress or in modern debates
Doesn’t make it any less true!
While you are right about the content, placing quotes around some words almost calls for them to then be placed into the correct mouth.
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