Peace, Love, and Rock-n-Roll from a proud Liberal/Progressive/Lefty/Socialist/Populist/Hippie
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posted by Chad Shue | 4:29 PM
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posted by Chad Shue | 5:51 AM
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posted by Chad Shue | 5:44 AM
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posted by Chad Shue | 6:00 AM
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posted by Chad Shue | 1:05 PM
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“Dear Chad,
Remember when we said last month that this year could be our chance to finally cut Pentagon waste and focus the budget on things we want - like healthcare, education and jobs? Well the real fight over that vision starts today. It's time to get busy.
The full Pentagon budget hasn't even been drafted yet. But some members of Congress are already trying to slip billions of dollars of pork-barrel weapons projects into the supplemental budget request for Iraq and Afghanistan 1.
We're not happy about the continuing costs of the wars, but what's worse is this attempt to slip in even more money for C-17 transport planes we don't need. The Air Force doesn't want these planes, and the Secretary of Defense explicitly asked to *cut* them from the budget 2. The only people who still want the planes are the contractors who make money even if the finished planes sit idle, and the members of Congress who get campaign money from the contractors.
This type of thing has been going on for so long, we've forgotten how to be shocked by it, but we need to remember.
This budget is supposed to be about what troops in the field need to keep fighting - and Congress wants to stuff it full of billion-dollar planes we don't need. If we can't stop them now, imagine what it will be like when we actually get to the budget for planes and bombs.
But if we can hold the line, and keep this supplemental vote clear of pork-barrel spending, we've got a chance to change America's priorities for good. Tell Congress to keep Pentagon pork OUT of the President's supplemental and focus on True Security.”
As everyone here knows by now I have been complaining about the use of the off-budget “emergency supplemental” since George W. Bush sent the first one to Congress after the invasion of Iraq – people may remember that as the infamous “I voted FOR the $87 Billion before I voted AGAINST it” of John Kerry fame. I have also derided the Democrats in Congress who, rather than vote “no” actually added more money to the pot for things totally unrelated to our troops or their mission. And just last month I wrote to express my disappointment in President Obama’s continuing use of the “emergency supplemental” after having campaigned against them in 2008:
“…On Thursday, April 9th, White House Budget Office spokesman Tom Gavin said President Obama would send an official request for $83 Billion to support the ongoing occupations of Afghanistan and Iraq. This request will come in the form of an off-budget supplemental.
As a candidate, Barack Obama criticized Bush’s use of the supplemental funding bills as being a dishonest way of hiding the true cost of these occupations from the American people. As president he said that he would change the way budgeting was done….”
I guess it was too much to ask to think that change would be on the menu around the old Congressional Pork Barrel either. But as you read above, it seems that our “friends” in the Democratic caucus just can’t help themselves when it comes to piling on the pork. $4 Billion worth with the most egregious amount of $2.2 Billion for 8 Boeing C-17 cargo planes that even Defense Secretary Gates says he does not want.
I have written to my congressman – Rick Larsen (D-WA2) but don’t expect much support as he has the dubious honor of having both a large military base and a Boeing assembly plant in his district. However if you want to contact your member of congress, True Majority makes it easy with their online form.
Oh well, I have started to tell myself that I have been emphasizing the wrong word from the Obama campaign. Instead of “Change” I should just dwell on “Hope.”
Peace,
Chad (The Left) Shue
posted by Chad Shue | 12:49 PM
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posted by Chad Shue | 2:59 PM
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posted by Chad Shue | 7:12 AM
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posted by Chad Shue | 10:25 AM
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