I know we've been doing a lot of politics around here recently, but there's a lot political to be done. I was particularly taken by this story about six governors who plan to refuse part or all of the federal stimulus money. The Governors (Republicans, all) of six of the most forward-thinking states in our union (Louisiana, Idaho, South Carolina, Mississippi, Texas and...Alaska!) seem to have problems taking money to help the poor/unemployed at the expense of raising taxes on businesses. One particularly overt theme runs through the story:
Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana announced Friday that he would reject a portion of expanded unemployment benefits that would eventually require the state to raise taxes on businesses.
Fuck you, poor people. An especially notable stance for Mr. Jindal, a man not particularly notable except for the fact that he is a medical doctor who believes in exorcism and the virtue of intelligent design (putting him high in the running for the Pod's coveted "World Class Fuckwit" award). It really takes some elephantine balls to refuse money for your entire state because slightly more than half of your citizenry voted for your crazy ass. It's not like Louisiana is particularly decimated, anyway...
Mr. Jindal said he would reject $98.4 million in federal incentives to expand unemployment coverage, or 2.5 percent of the $3.8 billion that Louisiana stands to receive in all, on the grounds that it would force a change to state law to cover more unemployed people.
Fuck you, poor people.
Gov. Haley Barbour of Mississippi has also focused on the unemployment provisions, saying that of $54 million offered to his state under the bill, only $4 million would be available unless Mississippi changed its law to expand eligibility to part-time workers.
Fuck you, poor people.
Some governors objected even to the no-strings-attached $25 a week increase in unemployment benefits, saying it would raise expectations that would be difficult to manage when the federal dollars dry up.
Fuck you, poor people.
“I never imagined that Congress would tell the state of Idaho that they have to spend $5.5 million on bike paths or pedestrian lanes,”
Fuck you, fat people. We wouldn't want to encourage Americans to exercise or use some mode of transportation other than a car. It's like I tell my students: if you think before you speak you have a much higher likelihood of saying something intelligent.
So we congratulate the six, solitary Governors on their highly principled decision to screw their citizenry because they still cling to a failed ideology related to taxes and the sacrosanct nature of business. Hopefully they will be steadfast and not waffle from their course and hopefully the citizenry will do the correct thing and throw these motherfuckers out of public office, where they will no longer be able to hurt people.
Finally, we hope that the Republican membership of congress will exercise the same courage of their convictions and refuse any stimulus money for their states/districts as well. After all, they didn't vote for the thing.