Republican voters got what they wished for, a huge uncompromising majority, and now they’re complaining…again. Too bad. Couldn't have happened to a more deserving bunch of low information voters.
NY Times: Across the country, local governments, nonprofit groups and scores of farmers, to name but a few, are waking up to the fact that when Congress stamped out earmarks last week, it was talking about their projects, too.
Tensions are particularly acute in districts where new conservative are coming face to face with local governments and interest groups … In Burnett County in Wisconsin, the loss of a $1 million federal earmark to help pay for modernizing its communication system could result in a property tax increase, said the county administrator, Candace Fitzgerald.
“This is very, very expensive,” Ms. Fitzgerald said, explaining that the area’s rugged terrain made it hard to erect the equipment needed for the upgrades, which she were required by the federal government. “It’s going to kill that little tax base up there,” she said of her county’s most far-flung corner.
Representative Sean Duffy, Republican of Wisconsin, who devoted part of his 2010 campaign to criticizing the penchant of his predecessor, David R. Obey — a Democrat— for securing earmarks, said he traveled to his district last week to gently explain to local governments that times had changed.
“I am being honest with people,” Mr. Duffy. “I draw them a pie chart.” But even Mr. Duffy said that he had come to see that not every earmark was of the much-maligned teapot museum quality, and that he would help his constituents “work through the grant process” to secure needed financing in other ways.
Scores of lawmakers are going to find themselves explaining to the people back home why their bridges will not be finished … As Ms. Fitzgerald said of Mr. Duffy, “He definitely is going to be hearing from us.”
Well what do you know, government isn’t as easy as cutting taxes and spending? We might have to elect people that are smart enough to understand and manage government? Who would have thunk???
Thank god Duffy will draw up a few pie charts to calm his angry constituents. Did conservative voters actually think Republicans would set out to only cut big city liberal spending programs? Aw shucks.
Wait till the state and federal cuts are announced, and government gets out of the way for local communities to…wither away or raise taxes.
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