Saturday, December 15, 2007

To piggyback on my last post, just as Congress whines over not being able to find $50 billion to cut from the budget to allow for eliminating the AMT, I thought I'd include some examples of what they feel is necessary spending. As you read, remember that Congress would rather spend this money on these projects than provide middle class families protection from the heinous AMT. Click here for a full list, but here are a few examples:

$500 million in aid to the Palestinians (in addition to the $400 million already pledged)

$2 million for Charles B. Rangel Center for Public Service, City College of New York

$1million for Clinton School of Public Service, Little Rock, Arkansas

$3.76 million for LBJ Presidential Library

$2 million for Paul Simon Study Abroad Foundation

$4 million Fourteen-Mile CSX Bridge, Alabama

$1 million Irish Institute, Boston, Massachusetts

$9 million Fryingpan-Arkansas Project

$2.4 million Urban Collector Road, Mississippi

$10.6 million National Board for Professional Teaching Standards

$5 million Norfolk (Virginia) Light Rail Project

$2 million Cooling, Heating, and Power at Mississippi State University

$1 million Light Brown Apple Moth (whatever that is?)

These are just a few. As middle class Americans get stiffed with the AMT, YOUR tax dollars will be paying for heating, cooling and power at Mississippi State University!

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Disgusting. I remember from a book that when Reagan was in office he found out that they even spent money on informational booklets on how to prepare vegetables or somesuch. I'm pretty sure he got rid of that.

Kristina said...

I can actually see a need for a light rail system in Norfolk. My question is, will people be able to use it? You have to be able to get from the train station to work. Since there are huge bases in small spaces, there is also a huge traffic problem. But, to get from anything off base to anywhere on base (which are pretty big) in a reasonable amount of time, you need transportation. So, are there going to be shuttles.

However, I don't think the federal government needs to be involved. There are so many ways for businesses in the free market to get involved in this if it is viable. If it isn't viable NO ONE should be involved, let alone the government! I really wish they'd stop stealing our money!

Anonymous said...

Good grief, these projects are all penny ante, when you're talking about a $50B deficit. Do you really think these are the items that are responsible for excess government spending? How much do we spend daily in Iraq, for purpose of comparison?

John Washburn said...

Kristina, a light rail system in Norfolk may be needed, but it should come out of the DoD budget, no need for add'l gov't spending.

Anonymous, do all of you liberals adopt the same talking points and spit them out at predetermined times? "Bush lied"; "tax the rich"; "we spend too much in Iraq"; "what happens in the oval office is private"; "the so-called war on terror".

It gets a bit stale listening to the same lines everytime we engage in political debate. Since you obviously didn't read the posts, I'll inform you that I was talking about the AMT and Congress's failure to fix it because they can't find $50 billion to cut out of the budget. YOU may drink that kool aid, but not me. I don't believe it for a second and I named just a few examples of things they could be cutting. And yet you want to blame Congress's failure on Iraq.

Do you honestly believe that if we weren't in Iraq this would be different? Do you think Congress would wipe out the AMT if only we had never invaded Iraq? Wake up!

You should know that NOT ONE Senator or Rep has proposed pulling out of Iraq in order to eliminate the AMT.

DO you believe everything your politicians tell you, or just those that fit your own agenda?

Kristina said...

Not understanding penny ante is a problem. When you add them all up, they are NOT penny ante. Alone, each one may be, but together, they're big money.

John, I agree totally--I just didn't make that clear! However, I don't think DOD should pay for it either. I do think that if it is a viable project that someone will want to fund it because it will make them money. If it cannot make money, then it is not yet viable, although it may be at some future point.

Not all good ideas are good ideas at the time they are thought of.

Anonymous said...

I agree with anonymous that the war's a major source of unnecessary spending, but I object to liberals pointing that out when they support other forms of unnecessary spending. It's inconsistent and hypocritical.

Dan Trabue said...

Again, I would point out that most programs which so-called "liberals" support would be programs that can be shown to SAVE tax dollars ultimately.

Prisoners who have been educated or given drug treatment, for instance, tend to go straight when they leave prison SAVING more money than the programs cost.

Certainly, not every little programs is a good one, but I'd point out that the rate of gov't growth GREW under Reagan/Bush/Bush and only declined under Clinton (and, to a lesser degree, Carter).

Speaking of recent history.