Compromise to the tune of Trillions

There are many things about the "stimulus" bill that concern me. Today I am struck by the idea that we have elected people to represent us who believe that following the traditional rules of lawmaking is no longer advisable. They don't sit down with members of the opposite party and try to craft a piece of legislation that is viable. Instead they do the Gollum dance (my preciousss....mine, all mine.... ), hog the process (pun intended), and produce a bill that has enough pork to give this great country a massive heart attack.

Nancy Pelosi and her cronies went into a room, shut the door and didn't allow any opposition input. It was a bill chock full of pork because they saw it as a chance to get everything they ever wanted under the guise of an economic emergency. Then they wrung their hands and fretted over the fact that it was getting bipartisan support. Well Madam Speaker, if you want support you can't arrogantly dismiss the concerns of the other side while you force feed your unabated agenda down their throats. It just doesn't work that way. Then they forced a vote before anyone had time to really study the bill and know what it said!

House Republicans were brave and strong and they said NO. I was so proud of them.

Now, the House of Representatives generally moves in a more expedient fashion than the Senate. Maybe this is because they feel the pressure of time more accutely (after all, they have to be re-elected every 2 years and they need to be able to show their folks back home they actually DID something in Washington). The Senate (having 6 years between elections) is better known for debate and due consideration. I thought we might be getting there when they announced a bi-partisan ad hoc committee. However, its looking like I was mistaken.

By the way....if you weren't in the meetings you don't really know whats in THIS bill either! Where is the transparency that we were promised? Pray, tell me how this is ethical? You want to spend TRILLIONS of dollars that DO NOT BELONG TO YOU and you have not told anyone how it is to be spent? Then the fearmongering begins. You must pass it NOW or the world will end. The President is out telling everyone that time is of the essence. So now they want to spend all that money and they dont want anyone to take the time to read the bill and understand where the cash is going? Their cavalier attitude is just frightening.

There are a couple of Republican senators that are going to go along with this "compromise", even though it really is not a compromise. It appears that when the bill came to the Senate, it was loaded up even higher with pork and THAT is what has been cut. Any Republican who votes for this compromise insults the honor and strength that the House Republicans, and those Democrats who parted with their party (more of them than Republicans who it appears will sign off on this revised compromise by the way).

The spin is that the bill is 48% tax cuts and 52% spending. When I see MY taxes cut 48% I will believe it.