Republican Logic

I couldn't resist commenting on the commentary about the economic stimulus plan. I tried to keep it more entertaining than "rant-y."



Here are some other comments the loyal opposition are making that are driving me nuts. Why don't the news people call the pundits on this crap?

"Infrastructure construction just creates temporary work, not real jobs." Really? Apart from road repairs around Chicago, aren't all construction jobs temporary. You build something, it gets built, then you have to find something else to build. Are the Republicans saying that all of us sole-proprietors (small business owners!) who go from project to project don't have real jobs?

"Obama's plan doesn't offer enough long term solutions." A stimulus plan is temporary by definition. The government takes an action, the economy is jump started, and hopefully the private sector takes it from there. Do the Republicans want a long term engagement of the government in private industry? That sounds like socialism. Is that what they want?

"Taxes increases will hinder job creation." This is what I was getting at in the clip. Name one entrepreneur to whom the threat of paying a higher tax rate made them not want to get rich. Did Edison say "There might be something to this light bulb idea, but if I pursue it and get rich I'll be bumped into a higher tax bracket"? Health insurance costs are a much greater obstacle to job growth than the tax rates, but you don't see Republicans clamoring for universal health care. I get it. Wealthy business owners don't want to pay more taxes. Nobody does. But to say their objection is about anything other than wanting to keep more money for themselves is disingenuous bullshit.

"How many of you responsible homeowners would pay your hard earned money to keep your deadbeat neighbor from foreclosing?" I would! If you could pay five dollars in additional taxes to keep your neighbor's house from depressing your own home's value by tens of thousands of dollars, wouldn't you? I don't know if it's five dollars we're taking about -- I haven't done the math -- but it's certainly not equivalent to one good homeowner being fully responsible for one deadbeat on the block. Depending on the burden to the individual taxpayer, stopping the flood of foreclosures could be financially beneficial for everyone. I understand standing on principle -- we shouldn't have to bail out people who made mistakes (or were victims of predatory lenders), but sometimes the pragmatic choice of doing something for the greater good is the more intelligent self-serving choice.

It's obvious to me that most Republicans are just posturing to gain advantage in the 2010 and 2012 elections. They know what they're saying doesn't make sense -- that's why they all talk really fast when saying these things. What happened to "Country First"?

Sorry for the rant. Hope I haven't alienated too many of you.

If you want to see the dentist office sign they are talking about, check out the Ten Commandments episode.