Et tu, Sarah Barracuda?
The Juneau Empire.com headline bore the news that pretty much capped an already sad political day for this Granite Stater:
Palin to accept most stimulus funds, aide says
Oh, great. The one bright spot for conservative Republicans joins the rest of the lemmings diving off the cliff of fiscal reality. Has she not heard the message of the Tea Parties nationwide calling on our leaders to STOP bankrupting our children’s and grandchildren’s future?
"10 years old and already in debt!"
As I have said many times, the problem with solving the issue of never ending handouts by a federal government that is for all intents and purposes bankrupt is that no one ever starts a reversal by saying "no" to the "free" money.
"But Doug, if we don’t take it, somebody else will."
I’ve heard this at every level of government since I started paying attention many years ago. Whether it’s the local town or school, or county or state, everyone’s in the hunt for a "grant" for almost anything imaginable under the sun. Why not? "The money’s there, Doug. We might as well take it and spend it." And so it goes, and it will apparently only stop if enough brave leaders, recognizing the ultimate folly of such reckless spending, start saying "no" to federal largesse, or, I guess, when the money actually runs out.
Back in March, Gov Palin stated she wouldn’t "accept the bait" of Federal dollars and asked the correct question:
Do all the federal dollars in this package really create new jobs now and in the future, or do they just spend us into a massive trillion dollar deficit and add to the Nation’s eleven trillion dollar debt by growing more government here at the state level?
Sadly, we learned today that she has climbed off her high horse of concern for the future and will aparently join the rest of those at the Federal teat, including her fellow Alaskan legislators:
House Speaker Mike Chenault, R-Nikiski, was pleased that money for education won’t be cut.
"I think we’ll find out over time that the money will be put to good use across the state, not only by the education department but the other departments that will be expending these funds," Chenault told The Associated Press.
If Alaska doesn’t apply for the funds, it would be a lost opportunity, said Rep. Les Gara, D-Anchorage.
"The money is needed, and if we didn’t take it, frankly, it was going to go to other states that would have lined up to take our share," Gara said.
But of course. Gee Sarah, I thought you weren’t like all the rest. Fred Tauch and his STEWARD of Prosperity group reports that the
Granite State ranks lowest in New England and among the lowest in the nation in terms of stimulus money received on a per-capita basis.
This past Saturday Mr. Tausch told us on the radio that this effectively means Granite Staters will ultimately pay far more through taxation than we will receive. I sure hope Sarah enjoys spending my money… 