at least its not as much as.......$100 BILLION DOLLARS!!!

 

J-150,

I agree that the fed. govt. should give money to the states in block grants that each state can use as it sees fit. Each state has different needs. This is unlikely, however. The fed. govt. isn't likely to throw away such a handy leveraging tool as allocating funds.

When I first moved to LA, the roads there were so bad they turned my well preserved '69 Mercury into a freaking rattletrap in less than 6 months. The state couldn't afford to keep up the interstate highways on their own; and, since they wouldn't raise the drinking age from 18 to 21, the fed. govt. wouldn't subsidize the program to help maintain the interstate system inside LA. Eventually, Louisiana had to relent. The drinking age was raised to 21 and construction was began in earnest. The roads still have some bad spots; but, they are greatly improved over what they were in the late 80s and early 90s.

The more money the federal govt. controls, the more power it wields to influence internal state policies. I don't think even Liberterians would give up this bludgeon for keeping the states in line and on program.

 

It’s too bad those in Congress won’t debate as we do. If they did then a lot more would actually get done, and a lot of money would be saved. There is no real debating in Congress anymore, just 5 second sound bites that are usually false or way out of context. Those in office generally do not care about the vast majority in society. They only really care about their job and the power they get to have…

 

My problem with "fixing Iraq" is that even if we do succeed on a scale far beyond anyone's dreams there still are holes in our own security that allow some yahoo from New York to ship himself to Texas in a crate.

We need to keep our eye on the ball.

 

Going back to the homeland security topic for a minute:


this just in.... the US will start requiring passports for all Canadians wanting in.

Now I am a Canadian but I agree 100% with this position. This is an important first step in safety for both countries.

After all, I have nothing to hide. Do you? If you have no reason to be afraid of showing a passport, then you won't have a problem.

I'm sick of hearing about no-goods sneaking into either country by way of the worlds longest undefended border.

I like my way of life and I'll be damned if some freak from 5000 miles away is going to decide I can't live that way!

 

i totally agree, the border situation in the north and south is out of control. the number of illegal aliens entering into this country is one reason why there isn't enough money for states specifically in the southwest. the border situation is horrible here in texas, Dennis Miller had a good quote; "And on any given night in Texas, a pair of night vision goggles reveals a spectacle resembling the start of the Boston Marathon in ponchos." It really is rediculous. This may sound kind far fetched but why not mobilize the national guard to patrol some of the large gaps in coverage?

on a different note...why the hell did gray davis make it law for illegals to get driver's licenses!! wtf was he thinking.

 

And to take that question through it's logical course:

Since no insurance company would write a policy for someone who was here illegally, and it is illegal to operate a motor vehicle without insurance, why would they need a license in the first place?

 

[thread hijack]
Well it looks like we don't have to worry about Iraq, somehow I think alot of their problems are solved, or at least they don't care about them.
They now have ****

From here:
http://channels.netscape.com/ns/news...&w=RTR&coview=

[/thread hijack]

 

Personally I think they will. Remember, before they had no say in anything. Anything means who rules them, who kills them, who takes their money, etc. Once they get a good taste of freedom and learn that opinions and ideas and thoughs matter, they will not want to give that up.




Word is, illegals are allowed to vote

 

I'm coming back later but yeah, I read that somewhere too. Didn't want them to be able to drive, merely to use the license to register to vote. If so, damned clever, what???
Bill

 

This from the Oct 8 issue of Time magazine. I cannot attest to the source or the truth of their report but it probably correct.

Of the $87 billion request, $20.3 billion is for various projects involved in "rebuilding" Iraq. Following are 9 breakout issues and Time's take on why foes of the Administration are attacking these issues.

1. $1 billion to train Iraqui police and fire fighters.
Complaint: The administration fought a $200 million increase for America's police and fire fighters.

2. $400 million for two new jails.
Complaint: With a proposed 4,000 beds in each prison the U.S. would be spending $50,000 per inmate.

3. $100 million for a witness protection program for 100 Iraqis and their families who would testify against former regime officials or suspected terrorists.
Complaint: The U.S. federal witness-protection program took in about 250 witnesses and their families last year at a total cost of $31.5 million.

4. $5.7 billion on electricity, including $1 billion to rehabilitate and replace the power infrastructure over several years.
Complaint: Compare spending $255 on electricity generation for every Iraqi with 71 cents a person spent on federally funded electricity work done at home.

5. $2.1 billion to import petroleum products and invest in oil infrastructure.
Complaint: It doesn't make sense for the world's second largest oil producing country to import the stuff.

6. $303 million to repair railroads and rehabilitate three major airports as well as the port of Umm Qasr near the Kuwait border.
Complaint: The port is already functioning.

7. $150 million for a new children's hospital in the Southern city of Basra.
Complaint: The total cost could reach $700 million.

8. $20 million for executive job training.
Complaint: A four week management class would cost $10,000 per person.

9. $1 million dollars to build a museum documenting atrocities by Saddam Hussein.
Complaint: Is this really necessary?

I cannot really editorialize too much on this as it leaves more unsaid than said. Rather poor reporting, actually, for what could
have made a really interesting essay length article instead of merely a sidebar.

At the very least, I sort of consider this Pork Barrel Politics on an International scale. If this money is funded, it will most likely be spent. That bothers me as a taxpayer in the sense that logically, or maybe I should say hopefully, Iraq's oil output should be back to pre Desert Storm levels in let's say 1-2 years. Even, if we have to fund the repair of the necessary infrastructure.

Based on what I have read so far, the "Operation Iraqi Freedom" campaign did not do all that much damage to the total infrastructure of Iraq. A great deal of the damage has been done by the Iraqis themselves during and after the campaign and it would logically be their responsibility to pay the larger share of those costs.

While I cannot begin to know what it costs to train Iraqi police and firemen, nor what it costs to build a hospital for children in that sort of economy, I do see a couple of clay pigeons in the list.

$1 million per family for witness-protection seems to me to be pretty outrageous. That is $100k for 10 years or $50k for 20 years and that kind of money goes a long way in the Middle East if you don't live like a potentate. Two new jails at $200 million apiece may give them the equivelant of the most modern jails available here in the US but I hardly think it is up to us to provide that level of comfort for the Iraqis. Sorry, just my opinion. Individual cells with real locking doors, three squares a day, TV, weight lifting rooms etc. etc.. Hell, if I were an average Iraqi bad guy I would make damn sure I got sent to jail.

Personal opinion again but the $20 million for executive job training and the $1 million for the atrocities museum are in extremely bad taste. When it's all said and done, Iraq produces oil and it does not take a PHD from the Wharton School of Business to move oil.

I will rest my keyboard and see if any of my buddies here want a piece of this one.
Bill

 

Bill Murray:

I agree with your post and statements. As you said it is hard to determine if those statements in the magazine are correct or not. I have absolutely no problem with debating the merits of what funds are spent where as to the rebuilding Iraq. I do think it is America’s responsibility to insure that Iraq’s infrastructure is repaired and up to par prior to us leaving.

However, I do not have a problem with telling the people of Iraq that they will be responsible for paying back most of the money used for rebuilding. I do not think they should be responsible for any cost due to our military operations there, such as the cost of carrying out the war itself.

Anything other then the cost of the actual war related to the military itself should be debatable and should be paid back to the American tax payer…

 

Quote from Bill Murray 9-15-03:

I'm coming back later but yeah......
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

10-4-03

Damn Bill, When you say "I'll be baccckkk!", you're beginning to sound like Arnold S. I thought this one was all but dead, and you revived it.

You know, to make a long opinionated subject very short, you summed it all up in your second paragraph. "International Pork Barrel Politics".
Yep! that 'bout does it....

 

Wow! 01 XLT Sport, I am impressed with your line of thought! Changed my opinion of you for sure....jb

 

Is that good or bad?