Originally Posted By StillThePassHolder This entire business about calling one group or another godless or they can't be true Christians becuse of certain political beliefs has got to be one of the most moronic, idiotic and arrogant things ever to come down the pike. Enough of that crap already.
Originally Posted By TomSawyer I agree, they do need reform. There are still way too many elderly people who can't afford health care and too many families who are going hungry.
Originally Posted By patrickegan Maybe if there were tighter controls and better oversight on the welfare system we would have less fraud and then it would be possible for us to help out our own folks who worked their whole lives and need help! The illegal aliens come here buy fake SS cards (or just make up numbers) and get foodstamps. Illegal mothers to be get free MediCal! How about some free schooling for the illegal children, meanwhile a pensioner on SS getting a few hundred dollars a month can’t get anything.
Originally Posted By TomSawyer >Maybe if there were tighter controls and better oversight on the welfare system we would have less fraud and then it would be possible for us to help out our own folks who worked their whole lives and need help! < What about children who've never worked, or stay-at-home moms who get divorced or become widowed and find themselves without any employable job skills or work history?
Originally Posted By Darkbeer Here is a news story that shows that some folks just can't stop spending.... <a href="http://thenewsstar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051021/NEWS05/510210334" target="_blank">http://thenewsstar.com/apps/pb cs.dll/article?AID=/20051021/NEWS05/510210334</a> >>As Louisiana officials plead for federal hurricane relief aid, a state money panel agreed Thursday to spend nearly $45 million on construction projects ranging from health labs and water wells to a sports complex and livestock facilities. A group of state senators not on the panel said the spending would damage Louisiana's attempts to secure federal cash for recovery efforts and would give the appearance that the state was focusing on nonemergency items while talking about employee layoffs and devastating health and education cuts. Despite the concerns, the Bond Commission shuffled state construction spending, taking money from items that wouldn't be able to start on time and — rather than holding the cash — unanimously agreed to move it to new projects. Blanco's office chooses which items in the state construction budget get funded, and the list of projects was drawn up by her staff. Sen. Charles "C.D." Jones, D-Monroe, said many projects are vital needs in parishes that have been flooded with evacuees and have facilities stretched beyond capacity. He said starting new projects would send a signal to the country that Louisiana hasn't shut down. "You know there are some boondoggles in here that shouldn't even be considered in the face of the massive budget problems we have," said Sen. Robert Barham, R-Oak Ridge, pointing to a horse arena in Morehouse Parish, part of his district. "Don't think they're not going to see you in Washington, D.C."<<
Originally Posted By TomSawyer You do realize that all of those construction projects are going to provide jobs, don't you? And the materials they need will be purchased from the marketplace? It isn't as though that $45 million is disappearing. It will support jobs, local businesses and it will create more tax revenue. Sometimes I wonder if people realize that government spending is just money that goes back into the economy.
Originally Posted By Darkbeer But couldn't the $45 milion be better spent building replacement ROADS, SCHOOLS and other structures damaged by the Hurricane, instead of a Horse Arena!
Originally Posted By wahooskipper You have to have your priorities straight Darkbeer...and obviously you don't.
Originally Posted By TomSawyer As the Shreveport Times said on October 19: "As the state rebuilds its south Louisiana economy, it is crucial to carry through with projects dealing with transportation and business development in its remaining economic engines such as Shreveport-Bossier City, Monroe and Alexandria. No doubt the drain will affect all Louisianans in some form, but it's important that progress in so many areas not be undone."
Originally Posted By wahooskipper I don't disagree...but you can't put the cart before the horse. All these businesses are trying to open up in New Orleans but they can't get employees to work because their employees don't have homes to go back to. If I'm homeless I'm no so sure I'd appreciate work being done on a horse arena.
Originally Posted By patrickegan Do give me that bleeding heart stuff Tom there is a segment of the population that just doesn’t want to work. Why should anyone else having to support the able bodied? I had no skills and I’m sure we can guess by punctuation and spelling my family couldn’t afford a college education. But through determination and hard work (7 days a week) I’ve become a productive member of society and that same opportunity is available to anyone who wants to work for it. As for the rebuilding didn’t Jesse go down there to look for poor people who wanted jobs? Not too many takers on damn good job’s that could turn into skilled high paying careers. They had to drop the prevailing wage and proof of citizenship stipulations to find labor to fill these jobs. That speaks volumes about a class of people in this country with the give me attitude-
Originally Posted By TomSawyer >>They had to drop the prevailing wage and proof of citizenship stipulations to find labor to fill these jobs. << They dropped the prevailing wage long before they were trying to hire people.
Originally Posted By woody "This entire business about calling one group or another godless or they can't be true Christians becuse of certain political beliefs has got to be one of the most moronic, idiotic and arrogant things ever to come down the pike. Enough of that crap already." You fail to look at the argument. Roadtrip said it himself (in post 24) that church giving is the difference and he said if you take it "out", the charitable giving is worse. This argument is cynical because it clearly ignores the fact that Republicans give more to charities (including churches) than Democratics. You don't want crap? Don't take exception to church going and giving.
Originally Posted By Dabob2 <"I can't find the link, but a remember a study that showed that poor black Americans (who tend to vote Democrat overwhelmingly, of course) are the most generous of all as a percentage of income." <A bit of a stretch. What are you really saying?> I'm saying exactly what I said. That this study showed that, as a percentage of income, poor black Americans gave the greatest percentage of their incomes to charity. I brought this up because it gave the lie to the idea that Democrats somehow weren't charitable. And since you like church giving, I'll note that much of the poor black charity was through their churches. Which kind of gives the lie to the idea that Democrats can't be good Christians, either.
Originally Posted By woody "And since you like church giving, I'll note that much of the poor black charity was through their churches. Which kind of gives the lie to the idea that Democrats can't be good Christians, either." I'm wonder what message Democrats are giving regarding their respect for Christians. On one hand, they use the Black Christian card, then they trash other White Christians. Didn't Howard Dean do this? <a href="http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/06/08/DEAN.TMP" target="_blank">http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/arti cle.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/06/08/DEAN.TMP</a> Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean, unapologetic in the face of recent criticism that he has been too tough on his political opposition, said in San Francisco this week that Republicans "all behave the same, and they all look the same. ... It's pretty much a white Christian party." Dabob2: Thanks for your confirmation.
