Posted on 12/10/2002 5:53:59 AM PST by TaRaRaBoomDeAyGoreLostToday!
In a shocking reversal of sensible priorities, President Bush is using federal funds to pay bonuses to his political appointees while forcing career federal employees -- those on the front lines in the war on terrorism -- to pay for that very war.
The New York Times revealed that back in March, the White House quietly restarted a program to award cash bonuses to political appointees throughout the federal government. This practice was discontinued during the Clinton Administration because of the obvious potential for a conflict of interest. Such bonuses are just as likely to reward political loyalty as they are to reward genuine merit.
For example, President Bush could use them to reward the political activities of the more than 300 administration appointees who took leave during the elections to help Republican campaigns, while claiming that the bonuses were for meritorious service.
These bonuses can range as high as $15,000.
While ensuring that political appointees are well-compensated, President Bush cut a pay raise to federal employees previously passed by both Houses of Congress. This cut affects all federal employees, including those working for agencies that will become part of the new Department of Homeland Security, the very workers protecting Americans from terrorist threats.
Even more shocking, Bush -- who has repeatedly refused to reconsider a tax giveaway that spends hundreds of billions of dollars on the very wealthiest Americans -- said the government couldn't afford a billion dollars of the pay raise because it "would interfere with our nation's ability to pursue the war on terrorism." Essentially, Bush is saying that the federal workers who are fighting on the front lines against terrorism must bear some of the cost for the war on terrorism itself.
Bush's latest actions are just the latest in a pattern of directing federal dollars away from working families and toward special interests and the wealthiest Americans. Bush recently refused to support an extension to unemployment benefits, meaning more than 800,000 American families will be without any income three days after Christmas.
NO MORE LIES, HATRED, CORRUPTION AND EMBARRASMENT!!!
LOOK AT THE DIFFERENCE IN THE TWO PARTIES AND IT IS A NO-BRAINER AS TO WHY THE DNC LOST!
THE DIFFERENCE IS APPARENT...THE RNC HAS CLASS AND MORALS AND AN AGENDA THE MAJORITY OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WANT. THE DNC ARE A BUNCH OF CHILDISH, WHINY LOSERS, THAT DO NOTHING BUT BASH OTHERS ON THEIR WEB PAGE!
So WHAT if CIA/FBI get bonuses? It is only feasible to pay them well, just like our military. But it is OK if Mary Landrieu buys a mansion in DC BEFORE she wins an election thanks to Carvelle's dirty lies.
Hmmmm....
03/09/02 - President Bush signed the Recession Relief package which includes an extension of unemployment benefits during the broadcast of his weekly radio address. The President said "The bill I sign this morning will allow the extension of jobless benefits by another 13 weeks, and even longer in states with high unemployment rates. This will allow those who lost their jobs in the recession, or in the aftermath of the September the 11th attacks more time to pay their bills and support their families while they look for work."
October 19, 2002 - Republicans argue Bush has already done everything Democrats have demanded. He has given $11 billion in extended unemployment benefits to 2.8 million jobless in 11 states hit hardest by the recession that he inherited in 2001.
Jobless employees in Alaska, Arkansas, California, Idaho, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Washington and Wisconsin have up to one year of benefits under the Bush plan.
Republicans also point out that unemployment is now far smaller than it has been in previous recessions. According to the Labor Department, the Reagan recession of 1983 left 11.5 million unemployed and a jobless rate of 10.4 percent. The Bush "41" recession of 1992 saw peak unemployment of 10 million and a jobless rate of 7.8 percent. Last month, 8 million were jobless and the unemployment rate was 5.6 percent.
"In historical terms, the increase in the unemployment is a little lower than it was in the previous recession," said Christian Weller, an economist at the Economic Policy Institute in Washington.
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