Two good examples of how the government HELPS us . . .
Whacko Politics
Captain Zero’s Stimulus Score
From The Washington Times via John Lott: After receiving $885 million in Stimulus, “D.C. has no count of jobs from stimulus”
Despite receiving more than $885 million in federal economic stimulus funds since 2009, the D.C. government — whose residents face one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation — cannot say how many jobs it actually created for those who live in the District.
Most of the money has been spent, and data suggest that overall regional job growth did occur as a result of the massive infusion of capital. But a review by The Washington Times of figures provided by D.C. officials shows that the city spent hundreds of millions of dollars without being able to demonstrate any significant improvement in the city’s jobs outlook.
Zero Jobs Image Courtesy The Patriot Post
If anything, the employment picture has worsened in the District. At the end of 2011, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the city’s unemployment rate was 10.4 percent, ahead of only three states: Nevada (12.6 percent), California (11.1 percent) and Rhode Island (10.8 percent). . . .
Fuel Prices Up 15% Since Jan. 1st
I can remember Senator Charles Schumer (D -NY) standing in front of the pumps and blaming Bush for the high cost of fuel. Well, now that the same effects of not drilling (courtesy Congress and the Whitehouse) are showing up at the pumps, I doubt that any Democrats are going to decry this administration’s policies. Meanwhile, ANWR, Gulf Oil and domestic drilling lie fallow.
A Tale of Two Mountains
Mount Rushmore’s faces took fourteen years to carve in the sandstone of the Black Hills of South Dakota. Mount Obama took less than three years to build (admittedly with a head start from previous administrations). Ramirez notes this in his cartoon today:
p.s. Happy (actual) Washington’s Birthday!
Stinkin’ Budget
The O-budget is out today. It’s just what we figured the socialist leadership would do. Tax the rich more and provide entitlements. Same song, different day. Meanwhile, congressional Democrats say we don’t need no stinkin’ budget, according to Ramirez . . .
From IBD:
Democrats Failure To Pass Budget Is Illegal
Two top Democrats in Congress say the legislature doesn’t really need to pass a budget. Excuse us, but passing a budget isn’t optional; it’s required by law. Is this the future of rule under the Democrats?
House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer is tired of passing budgets as the law demands. He thinks Congress can just keep spending money without any sort of budget.
“The fact is, you don’t need a budget,” he said last Tuesday. “We can adopt appropriations bills. We can adopt authorization policies without a budget. We already have an agreed-upon cap on spending.”
Actually, “the fact is,” Congress is required under the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 to pass a spending plan and then have it scored by the Congressional Budget Office and signed by the president. That none of this happens suggests a level of disrespect for the law and the people found only among criminals.
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San Gorgonio Pass Wind Farm
Yesterday, as we headed home from the California house, we passed the wind turbines of San Gorgonio Pass. (a.k.a Banning Pass). The turbines extend from Beaumont all the way to Palm Springs, a distance of about 20 miles along I-10. The sight of all of these is overwhelming, considering that there are over 4000 turbines in this area.
On our trip to California last week, we passed two semis going eastbound, each with a generator hub on a flatbed trailer. Seeing the hubs up close like that makes you realize that they are actually quite huge. They don’t look that large when they are on the tower.
Yep – they are an eyesore, a danger to flying wildlife and dollar for dollar they produce far less energy than a good nuclear plant. Go figure. Image courtesy of the Damsel. Click to enlarge.