Thursday, September 25, 2008

Funny Business As Usual on Capitol Hill

Notwithstanding the so-called financial crisis, the stalwart savants who hold sway in the big clown house atop Capitol Hill have not been deterred from conducting business -- fecklessly splurging our tax dollars -- as usual.

In the continuing resolution to continue governmental and military operations in the absence of a budget, the completion of which has been beyond their capabilities, our honorable representatives included a $25 billion bailout for Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors and $50 billion, more or less, in some 2,000 earmarks.

The money for the auto makers supposedly will be loaned to them to retool to produce the next generation of automobiles. This is a reward to the three stumbling companies for decades of producing poor quality, badly designed and engineered, over sized and inefficient vehicles that a decreasing number of consumers wanted. Any bets about whether the "loans" ever will be repaid? Even if it is, the loans will be cost free as they will be able to deduct any interest payments in computing their taxes.

In fact, the "loans" are just the latest addition to the subsidies the auto makers receive as part of the corporate welfare program in a socialism for the big and powerful and free enterprise for ordinary people economy.

As for the earmark appropriations, the lawmakers must be less than ordinarily proud of their actions. The legislation was published in a manner that makes it impossible to find its earmark contents through the use of any search engines.

Any self respecting citizenry would be gathering at the gates of the Capitol with more than pitchforks and torches. They also would be assembling gibbets and carrying ropes with nooses at one end as well as tar and feather.

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