"I will take, "All of the above."
Wonderful! Too bad Rand won't.
Rand Paul is consistent.
Your state pays 'X' in taxes and lobbying the federal government for representation with regards to those monies, or at the least that they are spent within the state they arguably came from is not the same as an
additional spending bill where the
entire country is going to perpetually pay first responders of a given area for a given tragedy.
We can say what they did is heroic and we can say that gratitude ought be given due to their heroism.
It is not the government's place to take money from some to give to another, no matter the cause.
What makes the first responder's tragedy any less than the countless others who have passed in their heroic efforts?
What's blasphemy to me is "What's mine is mine and what's yours is negotiable" hypocritical attitude of Republicans when it comes to spending. and unfortunately Rand has absorbed it. One cannot take seriously has call for a "debate" when he won't put his cards for his state on the table.
Let's take Rand Paul off of the table.
I pay taxes in my state.
Should I not expect my senators to try and direct an equal amount of money back to my state, or me, God willing?
Ought that be the way it is? No. But my money is already gone. The
least they can do is try to fix the issues within the state or locality that is paying the taxes.
Put it this way, if Rand if such a watchdog when it comes to gov't spending, why does all that aforementioned government spending list of such frivolous things even exist?
Because they have too much money.
Four trillion dollars is not something the mind recognizes.
Rand Paul is trying to curtail spending.
Hmmm? Could it be the deal to keep the budget cutters away from Kentucky is a certain group of Congressmen from Bluegrass State look the other way when such appropriations are made?
I suppose.
Underhanded insinuations can be made both ways as well.
That is to say, what is
your dog in
this pony show.
Do you see how easy that was?
Didn't you hear Rush Limbaugh the other day?
No, fortunately I did not.
Nobody in the GOP really gives a damn about spending and deficit (and the Constitution for that matter) and that includes its politicians and its voters (and apparently talk show hosts like Limbaugh) It was always a smokescreen. So is Rand pretending now? Hmmm? And for 9-11 first responders? He's nuts!
If you want to argue that he ought be calling ought trillion dollar plus deficits more aggressively and directly confront the president for as much... sure. I would somewhat be in agreement, depending.
He is consistent on this. If they want to pay the first responders:
1: Those so vocally disgusted by the lack of funds can get the ball rolling and donate or,
2: Cut the money from somewhere else that is not as important
But he is the asshole for suggesting that maybe government lives within its means and quits burdening further generations with debt to finance welfare programs of today.
I'll be honest: It seems pretty popular. Maybe if Jon Stewart got the ball rolling with a couple episode donation and promotional campaign we would be well on our way.
Or if they didn't give as much money to Saudi Arabia (the ones where the majority of hijackers came from, who were protected, who barbarically rule and who were one of the causes of 9/11, maybe they could afford it (if anyone knew how much it would end up costing)?
As an aside: What level of tragedy is required before forcefully taking from the taxpayer to compensate the victim(s)?
They say 410 billion dollars was given to charity last year. I at first wonder how charitable one would be if their wages were not siphoned but that is besides the point. Of the 410 billion dollars, could we, as a society, not find a way to compensate the brave?
And this ignores the fact that they were paid quite handsomely beforehand, and knew the risks of the job, and some claims have arguable circumstances (how do you prove one's cancer is from responding to ground zero)?
Where is the bill to garnish Dick Cheney and where is Jon Stewart's charity?
