Makin’ offers nobody can refuse…
Isn’t life in Barack Obama’s America grand? Just when we all thought everyone was going to get whacked by a new recession, bringing with it economic distress the likes of which has been unseen since the depths of the Great Depression, along comes the Magic Obama to make it all better. Or, to be more specific, the Federal Government, LED by President Obama, sprinkling gobs of “free money” on the hapless masses hungrily lapping it up in much the same fashion as some newborn babe on the teat…
Like your typical mindless network TV drama, the “Obama Show” opens with some perceived “trouble” on the horizon, followed by a brief interlude of turmoil, only to end happily ever after. Is this not what appears to be happening here in the real world? Not all that long ago, weren’t we told of coming dire straits? Since that time—coincidentally, just prior to the presidential election—has the government, along with its media cheerleaders, not put forth a frenzy of actions and statements in a concerted effort to lead the American people to believe that they are attacking this problem with great vigor? And, aren’t we now being told that things are looking up, that the worst is passed? Is this how it was back in the REAL Great Depression? Gloom. Then doom. Suddenly, all’s well-problem solved? Does it matter? Shouldn’t everybody just cheer for our savior as he steps in and saves the day? Is life imitating art? The school children sing songs of delight:
“Hello Mr. President, We honor you today… For all your great accomplishments, we all do say hooray… Hooray, Mr. President you are No. 1…”
Ah yes—There is NOTHING so joyful as that sound of gleeful children. Happy days are here again!
Or are they? Could it be that as the party rages on, trouble knocks on the door, unbeknownst to the revelers? Early in August, the Washington Post reported that
“As states across the country grapple with the worst economy in decades, most have cut services, forced workers to take unpaid days off, shut offices several days a month and scrambled to find new sources of revenue.”
Of course, we all know that New Hampshire, for all the bad news, has suffered little of these sorts of measures up to this point, with question of possible state employee furloughs or layoffs only recently coming to the fore.
The Post story continued, telling of what sounds to be a somewhat familiar circumstance:
“The good news is that much of the pain this year has been cushioned by billions of dollars of federal stimulus money, which has allowed states and localities to avoid laying off teachers, prison guards, police officers and firefighters.”
So far so good, right? All that spending got us out of the woods, right? You know, building a bridge back to the way we were? Er, not so fast. The Washington Post piece cuts to the chase:
“The bad news is that for the next fiscal year, beginning in July, the picture looks even bleaker. Revenue is expected to remain depressed, even if the national economy improves. There will be only half as much federal stimulus aid available, and many states have already used up their emergency reserves.”
Uh oh! Surely New Hampshire is smarter than THAT, right? Surely we MUST have been planning ahead, right? Sadly, that was the way we did business in the OLD New Hampshire. Those days are gone. We now live in the NEW New Hampshire, a place where prudence and restraint no longer need apply…
Grant Bosse, the Lead Investigative Reporter for the Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy, reports on the latest largesse to pour into Grantie State coffers earlier this week:
“The Legislative Fiscal Committee this morning accepted another $20 million in federal funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, or ARRA. This funding comes on top of the $542 million New Hampshire had already received through the federal stimulus package approved by Congress earlier this year.”
“The $20 million will go towards ten projects spread over the state Departments of Labor, Environmental Services, Health and Human Services, and Resources and Economic Development. The ten-member Fiscal Committee, composed of both Representatives and Senators, accepted every item on today’s agenda without debate, as well as four additional items that were taken up without prior public notice.”
Got that? No debate. Just take the money.
This is just more evidence of the huge problem we have in this country, and, sadly, here in our own state. Despite the fact that everyone pretty much knows the country is broke and borrows this money from bad actors like the communist Chinese and others, saddling our children and grandchildren with the burden of paying it back, it seems nobody can say no. Whether it is the state, county, or town or city, it appears NOBODY can raise the will to refuse federal cash when offered. Instead, our elected “leaders” rush to accept the dough, lest “somebody else get it.” And many, as we have seen here in Belknap County, along with towns like Alton and others, have shown they are more than willing to cast aside state laws in order to do so. Laws? States’ rights? Don’t worry- be happy!