Spending runs amok!

I'm not softening my position a bit, in spite of the emails and commentary against me, within my own circles. I'm sorry, but the Republicans richly deserve to lose control over the House and the Senate in 2006.

There is no excuse whatsoever for their profligate spending, and no excuse for Tom Delay's absurd claim, amidst defending himself against those bogus Texas charges, that there is "no fat" in the federal budget. Every American should be disgusted at this spending spectacle. Tom Delay should know that, and so, should EVERY republican we sent to Washington to control the government monster.

The Great State of Montana has agreed to send money back for all "earmarks." Earmarks, by the way, are Washingtonese for "pork."

Why can't the rest of the states follow through, and do the same damned thing?? When was the last time we could look to a State like Montana, and point at their leadership, encouraging other States to follow suit??

Whether we like it or not, we're going to be spending over 100 billion on hurricane relief. We can argue to we're blue in the face, about whether tax dollars should go to businesses and residences that didn't properly insure themselves against such a catastophic loss, but we'll lose, because too many Americans do their thinking between their nipples, and not between their ears. As I said, it's gonna happen, whether we like it or not.

We, here in Iowa need to press Charles Grassley for an answer to the question, "Do we really need to be spending $50 million for an indoor rain forest??", and we should pressure our fellow Americans who reside in alaska to ask Senator Ted Stevens about the 250 million tax dollars for a bridge to nowhere in Alaska??

Yes, I know, . . . for every Republican that loses there's another Democrat in congress. That's not a good thing. But the Republicans show no sign of getting right with the budget and returning to their limited government roots. It's time for shock therapy. It's time we wake them up to the fact that the old "business as usual" is OVER!!

A $500,000 ALASKAN KING SALMON
Here's another example of Republican overspending, and out of control fiscal policies: You've heard about this one, haven't you?? . . .

The taxpayers of the United States have forked over $500,000 to paint a giant Alaskan King Salmon on the side of an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737.

This money came from a $20 million grant of taxpayer's money to a marketing board in Alaska to promote Alaskan fish. The money was requested by Alaska's Republican Senator Ted Stephens.

You might be interested in knowing that Ted Stephen's son is the chairman of the board of the marketing board that got the money and spent it on this fish painting. If the average tax burden in this country is $5000 per household (and that's just a guess) then this is the total federal tax payments of about 100 American households.

Every one of these households has needs. Every one of these households has dreams. Senator Ted Stephens has essentially told these households -- every one of them -- that he believes that it was more important for the federal government to seize their $5000 and spend it painting a fish on an airplane than it was for them to use it for medical expenses, education, job training, to pay off bills, to pay the down payment on a new home, or just to enjoy a nice family vacation. This is totally and completely unconscionable.

It should be punishable as a crime. Remember, please, that embattled House Majority Leader Tom Delay said that there is no fat in the federal budget. So, . . . he doesn't think that money appropriated to paint a fish on an airplane is fat?? Just how long are we going to let these people in congress get away with these outrages? How many similar spending measures don't we know about?? It's time to let them know how we feel, or we can sit on our asses and keep re-electing their sorry excuses for representatives of the platform that we sent them to Washington to implement. This will be the legacy they leave, and our country will endure, but, . . .

We'll just have to endure a few years of Democratic Socialists in government in order to purge the system, and get some new CONSERVATIVE Republican blood to serve in Washington. Sure, we'll have lots to undo, and there'll be some irreparable damage, but we can, and WILL recover, once we convince folks like Grassley and Stevens, (and a ton of others), that we mean business.

God Bless,
Dan'L