I used to respect the GOP. Hell, I used to be one of them. I was raised with the idea that Republicans were consistent about wanting less government, lower taxes, but still efficient and good government with a reasonable foreign policy and a caution for domestic spending.
That was before the current GOP, clearly. Once Reagan sold the lie that you could cut taxes in any economic situation and see revenue increase--well, all bets were off. It was the "free lunch" equivalent that allowed the party to promise to cut waste, while still paying for needed programs. But, as we saw during Bush, these Republicans don't even pay for their wars.
If you haven't read the papers, Oklahoma, much like the rest of the nation, has experienced a pretty good winter storm. It has bought me a few days away from students--which I am enjoying--and time to rejuvenate. But it also highlighted a huge inconsistency with our Tea Party-dominated Republican government. See, Mary Fallin ran on her cred as a conservative and her willingness to "stand up" to Obama. Like my idiot student, she and others want to "nullify" healthcare at the state level--a stance that has no intellectual consistency, but nonetheless is popular among the same people who believe their federal taxes are way too high.
So back to the storm. As this blog notes, Governor Fallin very quickly called for federal assistance in paying for snow removal, and the cost of generators. I am fine with that, btw. That is how our system works. We pitch together to help out California when they experience massive fires, or Kansas if they have a tornado outbreak--or NE's noreasters, or Louisiana and hurricanes. It is how we, as a country pull together and pool resources. We don't tell the hurricane victims to suck it up, and we don't tell Fargo to drown.
But this doesn't match the Tea Party rhetoric. Fallin, as governor, absolutely should look out for the welfare of this state and should take available federal assistance. But it is inconsistent with her language. Though no more inconsistent than every other Republican who has denounced the stimulus while taking credit for the individual funds brought to their district. Or, in the case of Rick Perry, Texas governor who talked about "secession" last year--turns out that while he was bashing stimulus money, he was using stimulus money to plug 97% of his state budget shortfall.
I am fine with that. Like I said, all of us together can do things that individuals cannot. But enough with the anti-government rhetoric. Or if you are going to continue it, then I suggest that everyone who benefits from any government money--stop it. Quit the job that gets federal money. Reject that tax rebate, or break for your mortgage. Reject it all. Or stop your fucking whining.
That too much to ask?
2 comments:
I wish I could disagree. We recently had a question on our blog about Republicans taking a government job and I agree with the response that said that it was not hypocritical. I also think that there are some programs that are better run at the state level, as opposed to being done at the federal level.
That being said, some Republicans are being very inconsistent in their complaining about spending on one hand, and taking payments with the other. IMO, the worst are the so-called conservatives in Alaska that get way more back than they pay in taxes and advocate limiting federal spending.
Yeah. One thing to take a job. Another completely to bash the stimulus or government spending as socialism and then use it to patch up your budget.
I don't see much consistency period from these people. I see them driven almost exclusively by what their wealthy donors want and what the tea party polls want. And those are the semi-honest ones.
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