Democrat Governors Want $1T (yes, TRILLION)

[secret-steve-crumbles]

Governors of five U.S. states urged the federal government to provide $1 trillion in aid to the country's 50 states to help pay for education, welfare and infrastructure as states struggle with steep budget deficits amid a deepening recession.

The governors of New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Ohio and Wisconsin -- all Democrats -- said the initiative for the two-year aid package was backed by other governors and follows a meeting in December where governors called on President-elect Barack Obama to help them maintain services in the face of slumping revenues.

Gov. David Paterson of New York said 43 states now have budget deficits totaling some $100 billion as tax revenues plunge.

"It's clear that the federal government needs to step in and jump-start the economy," said Gov. Deval Patrick of Massachusetts.

The latest package calls for $350 billion to create jobs by building or repairing roads, bridges and other public works; $250 billion to maintain education; and another $250 billion in "counter-cyclical" spending such as extending unemployment benefits and food stamps, which are typically a responsibility of the states.

Full Article

This is awesome. Money every where. Lower taxes, free health care, can't wait, this can't possibly fail!

[tokenuser]

Originally Posted by Secret Steve Crumbles

This is awesome. Money every where. Lower taxes, free health care, can't wait, this can't possibly fail!

Lower taxes?? Hang on - every other thread you are talking about Obama RAISING taxes. Make up your mind please.

I know its not the way the US is structured, but this really goes to the heart of the problem - no national funding agencies and inconsistent taxation between states. The states are in control of their own taxes and own infrastructure. Look what happens.

[secret-steve-crumbles]

Originally Posted by Secret Steve Crumbles

Masher *merged*

Sorry mash, I usually try to keep my post and the article post separate.

Originally Posted by tokenuser

Lower taxes?? Hang on - every other thread you are talking about Obama RAISING taxes. Make up your mind please.

I'm making jest at how he claims how he's going to lower taxes yet spend more money than it would cost to purchase the moon. Hence the "this will fail" point of my sentence.

Originally Posted by tokenuser

I know its not the way the US is structured, but this really goes to the heart of the problem - no national funding agencies and inconsistent taxation between states. The states are in control of their own taxes and own infrastructure. Look what happens.

This spending bullshit has to fucking stop. On both sides. This is bullshit. Did I mention bullshit?

[alaskalonewolf]

Yeah, that's a funny thing about bullsh!t, you can build things with
it and use it as fertilizer. You see, the bulls died a while ago when
all the bears came and ate them. At this point we're really not talking
about bullsh!t so much as we're talking about dogsh!t. I daily would
watch the neighbors dog running around, sh!tting everywhere,
all willie nillie. Bad parents. The neighbor no longer has a dog now.

As for that blind dude, who ironically is a politician who didn't see
this dogsh!t coming, I would suggest he jack up the toll booth rate,
just a smidgen higher perhaps, look at cutting spending on the salary
of government employees in a top down approach, the reverse of this:



Oh, and I suggest that we institute a fitness slash intelligence testing
regime for newly elected politicians, especially governors, somewhere
between aptitude testing for the Marine Corps, and an entrance exam
for MIT or Harvard. (Yale has obviously lost a lot of credibility at this point)
It should be an hour long. It will have a televised essay portion hosted by
Katie Couric, from our questions. It incorporates the same elements of any other
job application, with it noted, on the form, that there will be no more
of the "easy" buttons for this job. Include with it a psychological evaluation
that incorporates more cutting edge techniques, a Douchebagovich screening
if you will, with stress tests, CIA style background checks, less subjective than
interpretative, and give us ALL a run down on WHY THE FVCK we should have
these people making decisions wearing the big boy pants. Make sure to include
and eye exam. I think a politician should be at least be able to fvcking see straight.

No more of this blind leading the blind dogsh!t.

[tokenuser]

The Governors might say they need $1T, but they wont get it as a lump um. Who do they think they are? Banks?? Geez ....

Education - already covered and budgeted for. Obama has stated a return to education as being a core component of rebuilding the LONG TERM strength of the country. When freaking Cuba has a higher literacy rate (and UHC BTW) than the US, there is a problem. NSF, NIH, and NASA are all getting funding boosts. K-12 programs are getting reassessed as well.

Infrastructure - the economic stimulus package that Obama proposed is not a $600 per man/woman Bush Bucks project (wow - look how that went ... but I did enjoy my vacation in Florida Mr President), but a infrastructure renewal project more akin to the Roosevelt New Deal type arrangement. This will include bridges (so another freaking acident like Minneapolis doesn't happen), roadways, and sewerage systems (before there is a catastrophic failure there as well). It also extends to communications (broadband access to rural America). Theory is, you tender out the work, companies bid, they employ people, they buy materials from people that employ people, money get injected into the economy AND we ALL get something out of it.

State Welfare - that is just fucked up. Welfare needs to be a national function. It can be administered locally, but should be consistent. Does it matter if yo are getting your food stamps (or the newer "debit card") via a local agency or a national one?

[alaskalonewolf]

I don't know whether to laugh or get mad.

[tokenuser]

More details of Obama's American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan ...

Despite the claims of "one President at a time", Obama looks like he intends to hit the ground running.

And where is GWB at the moment?

[skyz]

Originally Posted by tokenuser

And where is GWB at the moment?

packing up his souvenirs

[skyz]

i don't understand why it is 'ok' to spend 3 T on the iraq war but it is no 'ok' to pour 1 T into the infrastructure of our own country

the government is not business not a person that is trying to accumulate wealth

the tax $ are meant to be spent that is what they are for

as in our own personal lives our own personal budgets how it is spent is what is important

a parent who spent $ on drugs / alcohol / gambling and neglected the care and eduction of his children would be a bad parent even criminally negligent

if we can afford to provide democracy to iraq (whether they want it our not) then we really should provide democracy to those who are american citizens who through the declaration of independence and the constitution are entitled to it and have the right to expect it

[alaskalonewolf]

Originally Posted by tokenuser

And where is GWB at the moment?

...trying to steal as many towels as possible.