Meet Your New Bill
October 1, 2008
The bailout is headed to the floor of some part of Congress. Again.
Congressional leaders from both parties said they are hopeful that a $700 billion financial industry bailout that derailed in the House is back on track for quick passage, thanks partly to a provision increasing insurance for people’s deposits. President Bush planned to call lawmakers asking for their support ahead of a crucial Senate vote Wednesday night…
The plan for Wednesday night’s vote was set after leaders there agreed to add tax breaks for businesses and the middle class and increase deposit insurance in an attempt to revive the legislation rejected by the House.
I’ve already made patently clear my feelings on this, though I haven’t been tracking the economic impact as much as I probably should, choosing instead to watch my slowly dwindling IRA descend into an abyss of nothingness and watch movies from Netflix I’ve been ignoring so long that I practically own them. As such, I don’t feel any need to reiterate that I find this whole mess appalling, and am somewhat frightened at the dynamics behind this bills introduction and inevitable passage (particularly now that both Presidential candidates are going to be forced to cast a vote on the bill).
So, the Constitution totally says that taxing and spending bills are supposed to originate in the House, get passed or whatnot and then go to the Senate, where they can choose to pass or not pass or make up their own crap, pass that and send the whole mess to Joint Committee (see, I paid attention during Schoolhouse Rock). The bailout bill, which taxes and spends, as well as contains revenue provisions (purchasing stuff, etc), should originate in the House of Representatives. Alas, our Constitution could only last so long, and today, this bill will originate in the Senate. George Washington predicted that we’d totally crap out after about 200 years and I believe we are right on schedule.
Were that not bad enough, according to Congressman DeMint’s office, the bill is being sandwiched with a heavily-favored-by-Democrats HR 1424, a mental health and addiction package, and a heavily-favored-by-Republicans tax package that includes renewable energy incentives. Both of these are feel-good measures that would pass independently, would pass together and will drag the bailout kicking and screaming into passage between them. Its almost like tying a hairy spider to a puppy, giving someone a mallet and telling them to use it squash the spider. Unless you are a cold-hearted bastard who hates puppies, the mentally ill, Lindsay Lohan (perhaps the last two are the same) and tax incentives for renewable energy, you’re going to choose to just let the hairy, ugly, warty, poisonous, $700 billion spider live to fight another day.
And that’s not all this bill is dragging with it. Shall we talk earmarks, anyone?
New Tax earmarks in Bailout bill
- Film and Television Productions (Sec. 502)
- Wooden Arrows designed for use by children (Sec. 503)
- 6 page package of earmarks for litigants in the 1989 Exxon Valdez incident, Alaska (Sec. 504)Tax earmark “extenders†in the bailout bill.
- Virgin Island and Puerto Rican Rum (Section 308)
- American Samoa (Sec. 309)
- Mine Rescue Teams (Sec. 310)
- Mine Safety Equipment (Sec. 311)
- Domestic Production Activities in Puerto Rico (Sec. 312)
- Indian Tribes (Sec. 314, 315)
- Railroads (Sec. 316)
- Auto Racing Tracks (317)
- District of Columbia (Sec. 322)
- Wool Research (Sec. 325)
Wool research? Specially made wooden arrows for children? Who is giving wooden arrows to children and why are we encouraging this behavior instead of sensible gun ownership training? And why in heavens name are we still supporting American Samoa? Isn’t it time we just let them rule themselves? Also, since when are we funneling tax dollars to Captain Morgan? I mean, he makes a mean product, and heaven knows he could use all the booty he can rape and pillage from 18th century Caribbean Islands, but he should be able to sink or swim on his own by now.
Also, NASCAR does not need our help.
Posted in Uncategorized
October 1st, 2008 at 9:02 am
“cold-hearted bastard who hates puppies, the mentally ill, Lindsay Lohan (perhaps the last two are the same) and tax incentives for renewable energyâ€
Only my close friends get to call me that!
October 1st, 2008 at 2:23 pm
[...] Meet Your New Bill | American Princess [...]
October 2nd, 2008 at 5:40 am
Hey, my 12 year old uses wooden arrows. And guns. Eh.
October 2nd, 2008 at 6:12 am
Call your respective jackass and tell them to kill this thing.
Aderholt R AL legislator No 225-4876
Akin R MO legislator No 225-2561
Alexander R LA legislator No 225-8490
Bachmann R MN legislator No 225-2331
Barrett (SC) R SC legislator No 225-5301
Bartlett (MD) R MD legislator No 225-2721
Barton (TX) R TX legislator No 225-2002
Biggert R IL legislator No 225-3515
Bilbray R CA legislator No 225-0508
Bilirakis R FL legislator No 225-5755
Bishop (UT) R UT legislator No 225-0453
Blackburn R TN legislator No 225-2811
Boustany R LA legislator No 225-2031
Broun (GA) R GA legislator No 225-4101
Brown-Waite, Ginny R FL legislator No 225-1002
Buchanan R FL legislator No 225-5015
Burgess R TX legislator No 225-7772
Burton (IN) R IN legislator No 225-2276
Buyer R IN legislator No 225-5037
Capito R WV legislator No 225-2711
Carter R TX legislator No 225-3864
Chabot R OH legislator No 225-2216
Coble R NC legislator No 225-3065
Conaway R TX legislator No 225-3605
Culberson R TX legislator No 225-2571
Davis (KY) R KY legislator No 225-3465
Davis, David R TN legislator No 225-6356
Deal (GA) R GA legislator No 225-5211
Dent R PA legislator No 225-6411
Diaz-Balart, L. R FL legislator No 225-4211
Diaz-Balart, M. R FL legislator No 225-2778
Doolittle R CA legislator No 225-2511
Drake R VA legislator No 225-4215
Duncan R TN legislator No 225-5435
English (PA) R PA legislator No 225-5406
Fallin R OK legislator No 225-2132
Feeney R FL legislator No 225-2706
Flake R AZ legislator No 225-2635
Forbes R VA legislator No 225-6365
Fortenberry R NE legislator No 225-4806
Foxx R NC legislator No 225-2071
Franks (AZ) R AZ legislator No 225-4576
Frelinghuysen R NJ legislator No 225-5034
Gallegly R CA legislator No 225-5811
Garrett (NJ) R NJ legislator No 225-4465
Gerlach R PA legislator No 225-4315
Gingrey R GA legislator No 225-2931
Gohmert R TX legislator No 225-3035
Goode R VA legislator No 225-4711
Goodlatte R VA legislator No 225-5431
Graves R MO legislator No 225-7041
Hall (TX) R TX legislator No 225-6673
Hastings (WA) R WA legislator No 225-5816
Hayes R NC legislator No 225-3715
Heller R NV legislator No 225-6155
Hensarling R TX legislator No 225-3484
Hoekstra R MI legislator No 225-4401
Hulshof R MO legislator No 225-2956
Hunter R CA legislator No 225-5672
Issa R CA legislator No 225-3906
Johnson (IL) R IL legislator No 225-2371
Johnson, Sam R TX legislator No 225-4201
Jones (NC) R NC legislator No 225-3415
Jordan R OH legislator No 225-2676
Keller R FL legislator No 225-2176
King (IA) R IA legislator No 225-4426
Kingston R GA legislator No 225-5831
Knollenberg R MI legislator No 225-5802
Kuhl (NY) R NY legislator No 225-3161
Lamborn R CO legislator No 225-4422
Latham R IA legislator No 225-5476
LaTourette R OH legislator No 225-5731
Latta R OH legislator No 225-6405
Linder R GA legislator No 225-4272
LoBiondo R NJ legislator No 225-6572
Lucas R OK legislator No 225-5565
Mack R FL legislator No 225-2536
Manzullo R IL legislator No 225-5676
Marchant R TX legislator No 225-6605
McCarthy (CA) R CA legislator No 225-2915
McCaul (TX) R TX legislator No 225-2401
McCotter R MI legislator No 225-8171
McHenry R NC legislator No 225-2576
McMorris Rodgers R WA legislator No 225-2006
Mica R FL legislator No 225-4035
Miller (FL) R FL legislator No 225-4136
Miller (MI) R MI legislator No 225-2106
Moran (KS) R KS legislator No 225-2715
Murphy, Tim R PA legislator No 225-2301
Musgrave R CO legislator No 225-4676
Myrick R NC legislator No 225-1976
Neugebauer R TX legislator No 225-4005
Nunes R CA legislator No 225-2523
Paul R TX legislator No 225-2831
Pearce R NM legislator No 225-2365
Pence R IN legislator No 225-3021
Petri R WI legislator No 225-2476
Pitts R PA legislator No 225-2411
Platts R PA legislator No 225-5836
Poe R TX legislator No 225-6565
Price (GA) R GA legislator No 225-4501
Ramstad R MN legislator No 225-2871
Rehberg R MT legislator No 225-3211
Reichert R WA legislator No 225-7761
Renzi R AZ legislator No 225-2315
Rogers (MI) R MI legislator No 225-4872
Rohrabacher R CA legislator No 225-2415
Ros-Lehtinen R FL legislator No 225-3931
Roskam R IL legislator No 225-4561
Royce R CA legislator No 225-4111
Sali R ID legislator No 225-6611
Scalise R LA legislator No 225-3015
Schmidt R OH legislator No 225-3164
Sensenbrenner R WI legislator No 225-5101
Shadegg R AZ legislator No 225-3361
Shimkus R IL legislator No 225-5271
Shuster R PA legislator No 225-2431
Smith (NE) R NE legislator No 225-6435
Smith (NJ) R NJ legislator No 225-3765
Stearns R FL legislator No 225-5744
Sullivan R OK legislator No 225-2211
Terry R NE legislator No 225-4155
Thornberry R TX legislator No 225-3706
Tiahrt R KS legislator No 225-6216
Tiberi R OH legislator No 225-5355
Turner R OH legislator No 225-6465
Walberg R MI legislator No 225-6276
Wamp R TN legislator No 225-3271
Westmoreland R GA legislator No 225-5901
Whitfield (KY) R KY legislator No 225-3115
Wittman (VA) R VA legislator No 225-4261
Young (AK) R AK legislator No 225-5765
Young (FL) R FL legislator No 225-5961
October 2nd, 2008 at 9:34 am
Does this make the bill a cow pie sandwich with a marshallow on top AND a creamy nugat filling?
You realize there’s much more, right? $700B isn’t going to cover the issue.