Thread: stimulus package

There have been some posts in this thread about Federal waste. I'd like to bring member's attention to the pork sneakily stuffed in the bills passed by the federal legislature.

In fiscal year 2008, Congress stuffed 11,610 projects (the second highest total ever) worth $17.2 billion into the 12 appropriations bills. That is a 337 percent increase over the 2,658 projects in fiscal year 2007, and a 30 percent increase over the $13.2 billion total in fiscal year 2007. Alaska led the nation with $556 in pork per capita ($380 million total), followed by Hawaii with $221 ($283 million) and North Dakota with $208 ($133 million). CAGW has identified $271 billion in total pork since 1991.

For the first time, the names of members of Congress were added to the projects. The top three porkers were members of the Senate Appropriations Committee, beginning with Ranking Member Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) with $892 million; Senator Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) with $469 million; and Senator Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) with $465 million.

http://www.cagw.org/site/News2?page=...ticle&id=11350

And this is after the 1-23-2007 state of the union address that castigated congress for wasteful earmarks.

Aside from the billions of dollars and sheer number of earmarks, there is all the labor involved to get an earmark inserted into bills.

Members of Congress request that earmarks be placed in particular bills. The language used is often written by lobbyists who have been hired to obtain the federal funding for a project from a particular legislator. , Some members of Congress offer online “Appropriations Request Forms” where an earmark-seeker can send their request for funds directly to the member’s office. But for most this is still a highly secretive process.

http://www.sunlightfoundation.com/earmarksFAQ

Now if only our representatives put as much effort into things that really matter, ie, the economy, the Iraq War, infrastructure repair and enforcing laws already on the books.

Unfortunately, the only jokers who constantly stand up for election are the same idiots who take 2 weeks to decide to build a fence and 6 months to pick the color.

Originally Posted by SigShooter127

No Einstien, here in Califorina we have laws against illegals on public works jobs, this is not a right to work state and in order to work on a job with government fundind you HAVE to have a contract with the union...all those right to work states with weak unions are the ones keeping all the illegals fat and fed...

Holy f*cking sh*t!!! you mean to tell me there are no illegal mexicans working on construction sites or doing road work in California!

Originally Posted by SigShooter127

No Einstien, here in Califorina we have laws against illegals on public works jobs, this is not a right to work state and in order to work on a job with government fundind you HAVE to have a contract with the union...all those right to work states with weak unions are the ones keeping all the illegals fat and fed...

Do you really think the union does you any good? If you are lousy at your job, then it probably does. In a union everyone gets their turn. If you are good at your job, it doesn't matter because you have to wait in line behind everyone else if you want to advance. Unions cost companies big money and do no favors for good employees.

Originally Posted by Snowman

Do you really think the union does you any good? If you are lousy at your job, then it probably does. In a union everyone gets their turn. If you are good at your job, it doesn't matter because you have to wait in line behind everyone else if you want to advance. Unions cost companies big money and do no favors for good employees.

Obviously you've never been in one...Bad workers are at the back of the line just like anywhere else. And the only "money" unions cost employers goes towards worker benifits. Do you have a pension??? Not unless you work for a really big company, and if you do and your not organized your missing it. I worked in the non-union field for almost ten years, and in the four years that I've been organized I've already seen the benifit...It's people who think like you that are keeping the standard of living of working people down, letting the contractors keep all the money your working for.

Originally Posted by js

Holy f*cking sh*t!!! you mean to tell me there are no illegal mexicans working on construction sites or doing road work in California!

Not on a job with a union PLA...and if they are on one, their empolyers have to pay union wages and union benifits, so that being so it dosent make much sence to have an unskilled illegal working instead of a schooled, trained union hand...thats the negotiating power we have in califorina...ALL road work is contracted out at union rates, or preformed by CalTrans, no illegals working there...All Schools, hospitals, prisons, all public works are bid out like that...Its the small comercial and residential non-union jobs that harbor illegals, its general contractors that hire non-union help to save a buck...I've worked for those rat contractors where Im the only english speaking electrician on the job. I dont deal with that anymore, I work with qualified personel. Cant speak for other trades, but I can say if your state isn't pro-union, then your missing on a constitutional right to organize and negotiate as a whole instead of having someone who is willing to lower his standard of living just to take your job...this is why we are still struggling as a working class, because people cant just get their sh*t together and tell their employers they want more.

I know I'll be stimulating the economy with my package...

Already had the lower and the Leupold scope; the upper and "add-ons" was the stimulus purchase:



Now for some more bolt-on gadgets...