America is not facing a Spending Crisis, it's a Jobs (and consequently revenue) Crisis.
Today the President Made that clear with this rousing speech about bringing back three words: "Made In America!".
Text of Remarks
So what I want to say to you, Johnson Controls, is: There is nothing wrong with our country. There is something wrong with our politics. (Applause.) There’s something wrong with our politics that we need to fix.
We know there are things we can do right now that will help accelerate growth and job creation –- that will support the work going on here at Johnson Controls, here in Michigan, and all across America. We can do some things right now that will make a difference. We know there are things we have to do to erase a legacy of debt that hangs over the economy. But time and again, we’ve seen partisan brinksmanship get in the way -– as if winning the next election is more important than fulfilling our responsibilities to you and to our country. This downgrade you’ve been reading about could have been entirely avoided if there had been a willingness to compromise in Congress. (Applause.) See, it didn’t happen because we don’t have the capacity to pay our bills -– it happened because Washington doesn’t have the capacity to come together and get things done. It was a self-inflicted wound. (Applause.)
Tell Congress to get past their differences and send me a road construction bill -- (applause) -- so that companies can put tens of thousands of people to work right now building our roads and bridges and airports and seaports. (Applause.) I mean, think about it. America used to have the best stuff -- best roads, best airports, best seaports. We’re slipping behind because we’re not investing in it, because of politics and gridlock. Do you want to put people to work right now rebuilding America? You’ve got to send that message to Congress. (Applause.)
Send a message to Congress to come to an agreement on trade deals that will level the playing field and open markets to our businesses –- so we can sell more goods to countries around the world. (Applause.) We’ve got a lot of Americans driving Kias and Hyundais. I want folks in Korea driving Fords and Chevys and Chryslers. (Applause.) I’d like to see that. I want to see billions of dollars’ more products sold around the world stamped with three words: “Made in America.” (Applause.) “Made in America.” Those trade bills are teed up; they’re ready to go. Let’s get it done.
And clearly no one understands this more than this particular Congressional Representative here who begged Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack for Federal Funds to support...
...an ambitious commercial and industrial complex which will enhance economic development and job opportunities in this rural Minnesota community. We must work together to ensure job creators have access to the vital credit they need to make projects like this a success.
Or the Rep who asked the Transportation Secretary for Federal Funds to...
...replace twenty-three 35-foot transit buses with compressed natural gas (CNG) powered buses.
Wow, that's mighty green tech of this Rep isn't it?
Or the "Urgent" request this Rep made to the Feds to approve a project that..
had already received $2.578 million in federal funding through the stimulus package and was "only awaiting the final determination" from the FHWA.
And when the Rep heard a that road improvements were approved?
She added that she was "pleased to learn" that Minnesota's Department of Transportation was not going to "pull the nearly $2.8 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding set aside for the project."
This Rep also co-wrote a letter to the EPA...
EPA urging its officials to help fund technical assistance programs and rural water initiatives "in small communities across Minnesota." The authors of the letter, which included nearly the entire Minnesota congressional delegation at the time, noted that FY 2006 funding for the National Rural Water Association had been set at $11 million.
"We need to continue these efforts in 2007," they wrote.
That Representative, who repeated begged the EPA, Department of Transportation and Department of Agriculture - a total of 16 times - for Federal Stimulus Spending that were desperately needed to help "job creators" in her district... is Michele Bachmann.
But Bachmann is far from alone in repeatedly asking for Stimulus Money for their District. Far from it.
Thinkprogress has produced a 300 Page Report documenting 110 Republican Representatives who begged for Stimulus Cash.
Rep Mike Castle in his letter to his Constituents...
Washington | January 7, 2010 – Delaware Congressman Mike Castle announced today that $5,230,610 has been awarded to the State to assist families and individuals in need. [...] “As we face the coldest season of the year, it is imperative we provide those programs serving Delaware’s most disadvantaged families and individuals with the resources necessary to house, feed, and protect those in desperate need,” said Rep. Castle. “These grants, totaling more than $5 million, will help the invaluable organizations and programs which are working to help the homeless, hungry, and those facing economic hardship throughout the State.”
Senator Mitch McConnell while touring a construction site for which he had inserted $5 Million into the 2010 Budget.
“This is going to be a source of significant employment. At the peak, we could have up to 600 people working on this, and we believe the substantial majority of those workers will be Kentuckians.”
There was the Job Fair attended by Rep. Eric Cantor which hosted many companies who had received and benefited from Stimulus Funds.
– The Culpeper County School system will have a total of $4.1 million in stimulus funding to work with for the fiscal year 2010. The school system is hiring 7 people and the stimulus is helping to retain the over 700 people employed by the system. In March the Culpeper School Board, which is not authorized to levy taxes, approved a $70.6 million budget. As the Culpeper Star-Exponent reported, “the school budget includes $2.2 million in recently approved stimulus money.”
– Higher education institutions at the fair were encouraging job-seekers to go back to school. Many of universities, like Grand Canyon University, touts federal TEACH and Pell grants as a way to attend. The stimulus provided $14 million in Pell Grants.
– The Orange County Public Schools received at least $340,000 from the stimulus and is hiring 7 people.
Even Speaker John Beohner has admitted that Federal Spending can and has produced jobs in his home state of Ohio.
I’m pleased that federal officials stepped in to order Ohio to use all of its construction dollars for shovel-ready projects that will create much-needed jobs.
Now my issue isn't with the blatant hypocrisy of saying one thing in public and doing something completely different in private -it's the fact that these private comments are eminently quotable and clearly show that all of these Reps know the truth - that Federal Spending on needed projects Produces Jobs.
I doesn't matter what they say to the Press or in public and Federal Spending or the Stimulus, because it's well documented that that They know it works!. We know it too. And we should make sure everyone else knows it, which of course would generate the following question --- why aren't they trying doing everything they can to try and create jobs now, instead of trying to protect the wealthy for tax cuts that won't even hurt them?
Why aren't they doing what they know will work?
The answer of course leads you only one place, they don't want America - under President Obama - to get back to work.
They want America to FAIL! Period.
They want the jobs numbers to tank. They want the stock market to crash, again! They wanted our Credit Rating Downgraded - all so they could turn around and Blame! Obama! All in order to make him a "One. Term. President."
McConnell has said the Republican part has no higher priority. Michele Bachmann screams it at every one of her rallies.
And they don't care how many of the American people they have to hurt, to get it done.
We should be hammering this, and not letting it go. They aren't just hypocrites, they're a pack of deliberate, malicious, 5th Column, Anti-American Saboteurs!
Suicide Debt Bombers and Economic Terrorists!
End of Line.
Vyan