Thursday, October 02, 2008

Oink, Oink

The DC Examiner is right about the Senate's version of the bailout:
Leave it to the U.S. Senate to take a flawed but necessary bailout bill and make it far worse by festooning it with a host of special-interest tax "earmarks." And to compound the outrage, they then used an unconstitutional ruse to force the bloated "emergency bailout" bill down the House’s collective throat. Among the tax earmarks in the bill are special breaks for a grab box of items and industries ranging from auto racing tracks to film-and-television production and wool research. Also included, believe it or not, are earmarks for makers of "certain wooden arrow shafts." Not to put too fine a point on it, but the Senate limits this particular favor only to arrows "designed for children" and measuring "5.16 inches or less in diameter." Another provision would give special tax breaks to litigants in the Exxon Valdez oil-spill case – people who already have been rewarded by the courts – at a cost to taxpayers of $49 million.

If the whole financial system really is on the verge of collapse, why are senators wasting precious time doing the bidding of special-interest lobbyists seeking tax breaks for race tracks, toys and wool research? Can’t senators help themselves? Is their self-dealing so deeply ingrained that they think nothing of exploiting a national economic emergency to grease the way for special favors that will bring in contributions to their campaign war chests?

6 comments:

OBloodyHell said...

Precisely --

Remember in November:


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Fire the sonsabitches.
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If they voted for it, kick 'em out.

bobn said...

Not to disagree with your main point, but the Swindlers Bailout of 2008 is, always has been and ever will be a piece of shit.

Nouriel Roubini and M_O_M have both covered IMF studies show what works and how well. This is near the bottom of the list.

If Paulson came out for oxygen, I'd have stop breathing.

I am not against any government action, but I am profoundly against *this* action. It's core is so rotten there is nothing that can be wrapped around it to make any good.

Assistant Village Idiot said...

I wonder if it will ever come out who put what earmarks in?

@nooil4pacifists said...

I too am profoundly opposed to this bailout bill. And I'll bet bloggers soon will be pairing pork with Senator.

OBloodyHell said...

> It's core is so rotten there is nothing that can be wrapped around it to make any good.

I wouldn't go that far. Obama's (literally & chemically) tanned hide would do wonders for it. As would the hides of many of the Democratic leaders. I wouldn't even consider them to necessarily be alive when being removed for it to be A Good Thing.

Dress up for adults. There's a concept.

:oP

.

Anonymous said...

Who killed capitalism? It used to work to steadily improve lives for all.

May both parties, all parties apologize and then dissolve themselves.

Let's start a new system based on honesty instead of getting over on people ("politics").

ONE MAN and ONE WOMAN for CO-PRESIDENTS!

We can use a new calendar as well.

It's a new world. Let's let go of the brainwashing that is failing to yield happiness and health.

TRUTH WORKS!