Chump Change
Question: what does any responsible person do during an economic contraction?
Please choose one of the following options:
(A) Reduce present spending.
(B) Delay future spending.
(C) Refurbish your home.
For you and I, the answer’s almost certainly A, B or both.
But if you’re Congress, then the correct answer is C, of course!
Why, after all, should the porkers have to suffer simply because the peons are?
Thus has Congress magnanimously decided to approve a legislative appropriations bill, which contains a measure to increase Congress’ annual budget by 5.8 percent to $4.7 billion.
This additional waste of taxpayer monies includes such irresistible highlights as a $500,000 program for senators to send out postcards about their town hall meetings (like anybody doesn’t already know about them), $30,000 for receptions for foreign dignitaries (particularly if they’re from Iran, North Korea, China, Russia or Cuba) and $4 million for consultants (because having more people formulate legislation other than the politicians themselves is exactly what we need). Politico details the perks here.
Well, what right do we have to deny our overlords anything that they might desire?
We’re only the voters.
on 
on 
October 1st, 2009 at 13:08
It’s not his fault…..
An incurable, destructive brain-altering disease is at fault here with BO.
Keynsian-lobo-cortex-dysfunction -
Brought on by years of higher academia, law and the halls of congress.
Primary sympton being lack of cognitive ability to anything in life beyond high-fallutin’ theories.
leftcoastrebel´s last blog ..Ralph Nader’s New "Practical Utopia" Book – "Only the Super-Rich Can Save Us!"
October 1st, 2009 at 13:11
Well, Obama kept one promise. This administration, as well as his party, is so greedy, corrupt, and evil that even a blind man on a moonless night over a still ocean can see it. Yeap, this is one transparent administration.
October 1st, 2009 at 14:54
LCR – cutting and concise, a wonderful combination.
Anon – welcome! Corruption is politics’ Siamese twin, but never have I known anything like this. I think that there are three and a half Obama officials who haven’t been tainted by profound corruption so far (although that could be a wild overestimate).
October 1st, 2009 at 15:06
Ugh, I’m so jealous of your beautiful looking blog that I want to refurbish my shi…er…poor-looking site. But ya, I agree. I mean how stupid can these idiots be? Every DIME they spend now will be shown on TV by their opposition when they are up for re-election. Dum dums. They really are blindsided by this whole “Americans are waking up” thing.
Candle´s last blog ..Success!
October 1st, 2009 at 16:28
Try calling your Congressman or Senator.Ask this question: will members of Congress have the same health insurance choices as we will under Obamacare? The answer is NO, but call, and make them squirm, or at least make the intern squirm. Come to think of it, ask the intern if HE will have the same choices as the Congressman.
desman´s last blog ..Mighty Oaks?
October 1st, 2009 at 16:37
We have just been through the exact same scandalous corruption in the UK, TAC, except that the Daily Telegraph got hold of the full unedited/unredacted version of MP’s expenses.
Lefties = Heads in the trough = spending taxpayers’ money until it’s all run out = absolutely no conscience = corruption on a vast scale.
Barking Spider´s last blog ..RATTLED BROWN TAKES A BATTERING
October 1st, 2009 at 19:34
Four mil to ‘consultants’–What, we’re GIVING money to lobbyists for the privilege of assisting them to give money to congress people? AAHHRRRGG!!
Sonic Ninja Kitty´s last blog ..A Quick Hello
October 1st, 2009 at 22:04
At least federal employees are getting a 5.8% pay raise, too.
Oops, that would be a 2% raise. But hey, Congress is really important.
Hythloday´s last blog ..It’s not a co-op, but rather a C.O.O.P.
October 1st, 2009 at 22:26
Not surprising. Still upsetting, but that’s government for you!
October 2nd, 2009 at 08:02
“Question: what does any responsible person do during an economic contraction?”
–
Hmmm, who should I listen to? I have a Nobel Prize winner in economics, and Princeton Economics professor, on one hand, and cons who have been wrong about absolutely everything on the other. Hmmmmmm, this is a tough call.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/02/opinion/02krugman.html?adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1254484902-kzV/yJbnv/5MBy9pagXMNQ
October 2nd, 2009 at 08:13
Or you could listen to your common sense, Ray, should you have any.
Do you always have to be told what to do by others?
October 2nd, 2009 at 08:17
I am not an expert on economics Trac, and cons have shown they certainly aren’t either. Maybe we should just cut taxes for the rich again? We certainly saw how well that worked last time.