No sensible conclusion concerning the man's capability, integrity, contribution to country, or loyalty can be ascertained from this release. It just makes for political sniping.
Its fun to read many of these "informed" opinions though.
Posted on 03/06/2002 2:20:12 PM PST by Willie Green
Edited on 09/03/2002 4:50:01 AM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]
WASHINGTON -- The assistant secretary of the Army, former Mississippi Rep. Mike Parker, was fired Wednesday after he criticized the Bush administration's proposed spending cuts for Army Corps of Engineers' water projects, members of Congress said.
The Defense Department issued a brief statement saying Parker had resigned.
"The department appreciates Mr. Parker's contributions and wishes him the best in his future endeavors," it said. The statement made no mention of the reason for Parker's departure.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsday.com ...
Granted, but what is it doing in the Army? The Army's job is to kill people, break things and otherwise defend the US from threats from abroad.
In his budget submission last month, Bush proposed cutting the Corps of Engineers' budget by 10 percent to $4.175 billion, excluding federal retirees' pensions and benefits. The Corps had requested more than $6 billion.
B-b-b-billion?
With a 'B'?
Per stinking year???
Every year?
What, exactly, do these people do?
Gotta be able to move men and material to do that. Years ago, that meant building roads, railroads, forts, etc. etc. in addition to making our inland waterways navigable. The rivers are still a major part of our transportation infrastructure, and as such, are considered vital to our national security. The Army retains their historical jurisdiction.
A drop in the bucket.
What, exactly, do these people do?
They make our inland waterways navigable (see reply #53) in addition to building flood conrol projects. They also build/operate locks on the Great Lakes and build artificial harbors, etc. etc.
Years ago, Congress directed them to drain the Everglades, now Congress wants them to restore the Everglades. The Corps gets a bum rap for doing what Congress directs them to do.
I'm sure. So either he's lying about the 4,500 jobs lost in his $190M project or we're really getting nothing but salaried gov't headcount for the money, with no deliverables other than 2000 headcount collecting salary one year later.
Or both. When Steve Largent first got to D.C. he took a cab in from the airport, passing all the gov't buildings near the capital. He asked the cabby: "How many people work in the buildings, do you think?"
The cabby said: "About 1/2".
I was wondering why they keep drowning out all that pavement equipment in our rivers. You'd think they'd manufacture equipment that could run underwater.
So, since when are you such a supporter of pork-barrel spending? I thought you were some kind of Libertarian or something.
There is much that the Corps does that is valuable, but the wetlands program is out of control. They could probably make up the cuts in the budget by getting rid of wetlands bureaucracy.
So don't act like the Corps is sacrosanct. It isn't.
No sensible conclusion concerning the man's capability, integrity, contribution to country, or loyalty can be ascertained from this release. It just makes for political sniping.
Its fun to read many of these "informed" opinions though.
You're letting your petty, emotional biases shine through again, Marple.
But I must be having a positive effect on you since I actually argree with the gist of what you're saying!
Bwahahahahaha!!!
Transportation Infrastructure is vital to our economic health and national security.
Painting it with the broad-brush label of "pork-barrel spending" is shallow & myopic rhetoric.
I thought you were some kind of Libertarian or something.
BAH!!!
Go Pat Go!!!
Just because something is vital doesn't mean we have to spend a lot more than we need to on it. So are you predicting that our nations waterways will deteriorate to a point of being unusable in a few years by this 10% cut?
Painting it with the broad-brush label of "pork-barrel spending" is shallow & myopic rhetoric.
So are you saying there's no pork involved with this spending?
Go Pat Go!!!
Yeah, I thought it was something like that. LOL
Seems to me that I've stated repeatedly on this thread that there are areas where the Corps has overstepped its bounds. And that my preference is that funding should be shifted to more worthwhile projects rather than simply being cut.
Why is it so difficult to take an open-minded and objective perspective without being accused of some extreme position?
Open-minded and objective? You?
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