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Thread: Budget ceiling, disaster relief and wall funding

  1. #11
    Williamsmith
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lainey View Post
    Garrison Keillor had a great opinion piece in the Washington Post: "When Red States get the Blues."
    https://www.washingtonpost.com/opini...=.37d013a1b046

    They hate paying taxes (and in Houston's case, zoning laws) but they run to the federal government when disaster strikes.
    It is a shame to see Mr. Keillor become such a croutchety old fart. Especially hypocritical is the pithy way he chides others for accepting national government disaster funds after he has spent nearly a half century sucking at the teat of government subsidy. He left out Californians who have settled on the San Andreas fault, Oklahomans who live in Tornando Alley and any state whose territory has coastal settlements.....like New Jersey (remember Sandy). Perhaps he could produce a map of acceptable locations and a prescription for proper politics. That would helpful. Or just retire to the mythical Lake Wobegon where perhaps the only charity needed is the delivery of a warm apple pie on a frost covered morning.

  2. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by Williamsmith View Post
    It is a shame to see Mr. Keillor become such a croutchety old fart. Especially hypocritical is the pithy way he chides others for accepting national government disaster funds after he has spent nearly a half century sucking at the teat of government subsidy. He left out Californians who have settled on the San Andreas fault, Oklahomans who live in Tornando Alley and any state whose territory has coastal settlements.....like New Jersey (remember Sandy). Perhaps he could produce a map of acceptable locations and a prescription for proper politics. That would helpful. Or just retire to the mythical Lake Wobegon where perhaps the only charity needed is the delivery of a warm apple pie on a frost covered morning.
    What can one expect from a guy who spent a subsidized career sneering at his background?

  3. #13
    Senior Member gimmethesimplelife's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by CathyA View Post
    Yes, it's a mess. And it's not a good feeling to not feel safe with people in charge.
    This is exactly I feel - not safe with the people currently in charge. Thank You for summing this up so easily in so few words - I'm very verbose and it would take me paragraphs to get across what you have here in a mere 14 words. Rob

  4. #14
    Senior Member gimmethesimplelife's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Yppej View Post
    With this president I think gridlock is a wonderful thing. The less he gets done the better, including giving properties back to the Russians so they can spy on us.
    Gridlock is our friend at the moment, yes indeed. Gridlock feels - how do I put this - safe. Yes, gridlock feels very safe given the givens. Rob

  5. #15
    Senior Member gimmethesimplelife's Avatar
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    I wonder, if the United States truly is stupid enough to build this wall - will the Mexicans on the other side of the wall cover the wall with Hispanic art in an attempt to middle finger salute the United States, while rebelliously showing the human spirit and human decency to help make the wall slightly less ugly and slightly beautiful in parts due to covering parts with art? I should send an email off to the Mexican government and make this suggestion - my husband could do all the translation for me. Can't hurt. Rob

  6. #16
    Senior Member jp1's Avatar
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    A friend has been posting an article every couple of days on Facebook written by an American ex-pat living somewhere in Europe. It's been interesting seeing an American viewpoint of various other country's systems. I suspect that if the US didn't spend such an overwhelming amount of it's taxes on the military industrial complex and more on things that actually showed real benefits to people than we wouldn't have so many people with a negative image of taxes. And we would all benefit. An interesting example from the article about Sweden:

    "No matter how rich Bill Gates is, he cannot buy a hiking trail system in Seattle like those we take for granted in Stockholm."

    https://www.vox.com/2016/4/8/1138035...ish-taxes-love

    And an interesting factoid regarding healthcare in Sweden vs. the US:

    "Paradoxically it turns out the bloated, heavily lobbied, privatized US system spends more tax money ($4,437) per person than Sweden's socialized health care ($3,184)."

  7. #17
    Senior Member bae's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by jp1 View Post
    And an interesting factoid regarding healthcare in Sweden vs. the US:
    I just spent some time in Sweden. Nice place. I'm not sure "hiking trail systems" is a good metric for comparison though.

    Interesting to compare to the State of Washington:

    Sweden:
    Population: ~10 million
    Size: ~174,000 sq. miles
    GDP: ~$498 billion
    Land in parks/protection: ~12% : 13,343,690 acres of 111,270,400

    Washington State:
    Population: ~7.2 million
    Size: ~71,400 sq. miles
    GDP: ~$470 billion
    Land in parks/protection: ~43.4% : Total acres: 19,805,117 of 45,663,000

  8. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by Williamsmith View Post
    It is a shame to see Mr. Keillor become such a croutchety old fart. Especially hypocritical is the pithy way he chides others for accepting national government disaster funds after he has spent nearly a half century sucking at the teat of government subsidy. He left out Californians who have settled on the San Andreas fault, Oklahomans who live in Tornando Alley and any state whose territory has coastal settlements.....like New Jersey (remember Sandy). Perhaps he could produce a map of acceptable locations and a prescription for proper politics. That would helpful. Or just retire to the mythical Lake Wobegon where perhaps the only charity needed is the delivery of a warm apple pie on a frost covered morning.
    You may recall it was Texas congressmen who specifically complained about paying for damage from Superstorm Sandy. This time around, you did not hear the congressional representatives from New Jersey complaining about having to pay for damage from Harvey. That's the point.

  9. #19
    Williamsmith
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lainey View Post
    You may recall it was Texas congressmen who specifically complained about paying for damage from Superstorm Sandy. This time around, you did not hear the congressional representatives from New Jersey complaining about having to pay for damage from Harvey. That's the point.
    Ted Cruz and his buds complained that the bill was chock full of unecessary pork but I am not defending Ted...I never liked him but the facts shouldn't stand in the way of making a political point apparently. The two hardest hit areas of Houston and surrounding county both voted overwhelmingly in favor of Clinton over Trump. Furthermore Representative John Culbertson was one of the only Republicans to vote in favor of the Sandy package and he represented the same hardest hit areas from Harvey. The people from Houston who need the help now certainly had nothing to do with the Sandy funds allocation debacle. But then again....facts get in the way.

  10. #20
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    Perhaps Rep. Culbertson can explain to his fellow Republicans how maintaining a budget for FEMA is a good thing for all areas of the country.

    Fact check: Cruz wrong on Sandy relief: http://www.factcheck.org/2017/08/cru...-sandy-relief/

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