House GOP lists waste in Senate Stimulus Bill

[Bubba X]

Hard to argue with anything on their list though it could be said, I suppose, that $125 Million for the Washington, DC sewer system is not nearly enough to build the capacity needed. I rememmber when a billion dollars was a lot of money.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/02/02/gop.stimulus.worries/index.html

[nomadpat]

If you add up the $ that the GOP is deeming inefficient in that article, it comes up to 19.14 billion. Out of 900 billion being proposed, that is a shade over 2%. I'm surprised there wouldn't be more objections/inefficiencies in that 900. :confused:

[ArlJim78]

McConnell has already said that the goal is not to kill the bill, so this is all fiscal conservatives are going to get, a few embarrassing lists like this. I think some of the outrageous items are put in there intentionally, as bargaining chips. So that when Republicans get some of these programs stricken they can crow about how they really improved the bill and cut out the pork..

we need every one of these turkeys tossed out, and start over. i'd rather have a congress made up of 535 randomly selected people from across the country. that way you would have a much lower rate of tax cheats, sexual predators, felons and opportunists than what we have in there now.

[prospector]

i like the paid volunteers

[Bubba X]

To be honest, the only voices of necessary, important dissent worthy of being heard during Obama's first term will be some GOP House members. With a dwindling base, the Senate Republicans are pretty worthless to everyone now as they have no choice but to move left. Otherwise, they are doomed and non-re-electable. At least in the House, there are some Repubs that are safe and they're the only ones who can make any sense.

[ddog]

the whole bill, just as the previous stimulus bill is a waste!!!

the actions needed are structural, throwing more money/debt at it without attempting to overhaul the system itself is not going to work.


The "all service - total consumption at all costs theory" is a failed model.

more stimulus won't do a thing to help that.

[Tom]

This is the trouble with most republicans - too worried about getting re-elected and not worried enough about doing their jobs. Look, if I want to vote for someone who is to the left, I will vote for a dem - at least they are experienced at being a liberal. The message we need to send the republicans is that they are NOT too big to fail. I bview any form of bi-partisanship as reason to dump them and look for new blood. I do not need sniveling cowards looking to "blend in" with anyone, I want leaders. Republican party is merely a medium for convervatism and not an end. I will dump any repub as fast or faster than I wil attack any dem.

Any republican who votes yes on this porkapolossa is a dead man walking.

[Rookies]

McConnell has already said that the goal is not to kill the bill, so this is all fiscal conservatives are going to get, a few embarrassing lists like this. I think some of the outrageous items are put in there intentionally, as bargaining chips. So that when Republicans get some of these programs stricken they can crow about how they really improved the bill and cut out the pork..

we need every one of these turkeys tossed out, and start over. i'd rather have a congress made up of 535 randomly selected people from across the country. that way you would have a much lower rate of tax cheats, sexual predators, felons and opportunists than what we have in there now.

Sadly, very sadly imho, Arlington Jim is very close to the truth about the state of not only the U.S., but many of the western democracies. Simply put, there has been a seismic change in entitlement for those elected by the people. They easily segue from being "for the people " to "for myself", as these jobs are so laden with all manner of bonuses, add ons of health/ dental insurance, that the simple compensation package is tough to eschew.

You add in the perks, the Gulfstream flights, the paid dinners, sports events, vacations by all manner of outside, dispassionate :lol: :lol: :lol: interest groups and you get exactly what you get. People that believe that we live back 1200 years in the " Divine Right of Kings " era, where anything and everything goes.

If I'm caught, then I'll likely and shamelessly tough it out by going on the attack against the perps who've divulged my crime or misdemeanour and/ or I'll plead ignorance and ask for forgiveness. Granted, hands washed, absolved of all guilt and away we go. There does not appear to be much divergence of accountability regardless of the side of the spectrum you are on.

Part of the transition or morphing of this attitude relates to the fact that it would appear that formerly, there were men and women of honour. If disgraced in carrying out the will of the people, they resigned- immediately.

This is not the total picture though. In former eras, certainly up to the 1990s, a lot of nodding and winking went on in western society- especially if the politician, sports athlete, movie star or CEO was one of your own, that is on your side.

Now, ANY action you have taken during one day inappropriately, will likely be on the Internet in 6 hours ! There is nowhere to run and nowhere to hide, so unless you're 75 years old or over, you better think real carefully about trying to hide anything at all BEFORE you do it. It's perhaps, only this constant threat of public outing that will even keep these people slightly in check.

I believe one of the principle pillars of Obama's presidency is to begin to change this entire rotten culture of take, take, take, but as we have seen, he can't even find 100% of his appointments that haven't decided to take the low road. I fear that he will have very, very few supporters to assist him on both sides, due to this disgusting culture of entitlement.