From the AP:
Congress responded speedily to voters' angst over rising grocery prices and $4-a-gallon gasoline Thursday, bucking President Bush's veto threats with lopsided votes to boost food stamps and farm subsidies — after ordering Bush to quit pouring oil into the nation's emergency reserves...
On the oil reserve vote, Democrats also easily won as key Republicans lent support...
Bush has refused to halt the shipment of about 70,000 barrels of oil a day into the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, saying it was such a small amount that it had no impact on gasoline or crude oil prices.Lawmakers acknowledged in debate on the issue this week that suspending the deliveries into the stockpile was a small step in response to oil prices of nearly $125 a barrel and gasoline threatening to go to $4 a gallon.
... aaaaand pander pander pander. The U.S. federal government's strategic oil reserve was created to provide some relief in the event of a massive oil shortage. WE ARE NOT UNDERGOING A MASSIVE OIL SHORTAGE. Production is up and consumption is down from last year. The benefits of continuing to add to the reserve far outweigh the costs. We're looking at possible extreme shortages in the next 50 years, and we're going to need to be able to cushion the blow. Building the strategic oil reserve is prudent long-term planning.
On to the article's other point...
The White House has indicated that Bush will sign the reserve measure, but he has remained more obstinate on the $290 billion farm legislation. He has said he will veto it, contending it is fiscally irresponsible and too generous to wealthy corporate farmers in a time of record crop prices.
The article is referring to the bill's provision of a $220 Billion increase in funding for food stamps and an additional $70 Billion for farm subsidies.
Why are we subsidizing farming when farmers are enjoying record high profits this year?
A hundred Republicans in the House had voted the same way Wednesday, a day after the party's third straight loss of a long-help GOP seat to Democrats in special elections.The three House districts, located in Illinois, Louisiana and Mississippi, include rural farm areas.
...aaaaand pander pander pander. When are we finally going to call bullshit on this type of thing? Corporate welfare sickens me. Feeding the hungry mouths that are already fat and bloated.
And speaking of feeding fat, bloated mouths, how about the food stamps part of this pander bill? Anyone that's read my other posts can guess how I feel about food stamps, and this is more of a personal note, but have you guys ever noticed how whenever the person in line ahead of you at the grocery store is paying with food stamps, that person is grotesquely fat 90% of the time? This country has a serious problem with overconsumption. Paying people to consume more -- and to have more kids, who will also consume more -- may seem humane, but it's going to cripple us in the long haul.
I'm Joeverkill, and this has been Notes from the Right Wing.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Notes from the Right Wing: Bush Right for Once?
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3 responses:
Man, I hate to agree with Bush, but this is true. There is a fixed, overall balance of natural resources and a growing number of people. As soon as we reach the limit and keep popping out babies -- our population growth outpacing technological advance all the while -- there's going to be a serious problem.
I hate to say it, but food should only be a guarantee to people who put some kind of input into the economy, even if that just means some kind of work-for-food program in place of the "Here's food" program.
this is time number 3 that i have agreed with president bush (the other two being support of space colonization and a missile defense system). subsidies in this country are too often used to support industries that are either too successful, or dying a slow but necessary death from obsolescence. it's a shame to see a supposedly business-friendly government make such counter-intuitive and anti-competitive decisions, and it's unfortunate that bush can't use that rationale that he used for farm subsidies equally across all industries. we could certainly stand to cut down gas/oil subsidies as well when companies such as exxonmobil is setting global record profits at the expense of the american consumer.
joe, you're absolutely right. this is corporate welfare of the worst kind. this current administration's economic policy has been described as socialism for the rich and capitalism for the poor, which is absolutely fucking appalling.
in response to frank - i can see some kind of work-for-food or other federal welfare taking off, wpa-style, in the coming years. there's a lot of work to be done on america's collapsing infrastructure, and a lot of people who will need the work and food.
dude have you ever TRIED to get food stamps? i don't know how the fuck these people do it but they should be applauded for their ability. i wish i had that kind of education. more useful than the one i have now
unless, of course, you have legal dependents. then you can get welfare and a house in the projects and free food up the wazoo.
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