I often wonder what the thinking process is for our federal legislators. Seems as if they have very few thoughts about the people they represent. We pay taxes to the federal government and in turn our representatives are supposed to be good stewards of our money.
Instead of being responsible with our money they spend it on ignorance like sending $10 million to Pakistan for gender studies.
Oh then there’s the $1.3 billion that’s going to Egypt. Let’s not forget about the Kennedy Center's $25 million they’re getting or the money for the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama. (Yep you read that right) There’s $86 million for Cambodia, $130 million to Nepal, $135 million to Burma, $453 million to Ukraine and $700 million to Sudan. The Smithsonian is getting a cool billion.
Look I’m not a math wizard, but I’ll leave it to each individual to figure out how many of our tax dollars we’re collectively being screwed out of.
So has our government solved our homeless problem here? Have they fixed the water in Flint, Mich., yet? Are our veterans receiving quality healthcare without waiting? Do we still have an opioid problem here? Are children going to bed hungry? Aren’t our schools, roads and other public systems outdated or falling apart?
So why are our elected officials voting for these irrational spending packages? It’s an easy answer.... we let them. We put them in office and never hold them accountable. It’s time to let them know who they work for.
Thank you, President Trump, for vetoing this ignorance. Thank you, Marsha Blackburn, for voting against it.
Now let’s pressure our legislators to do the right thing and put Americans first. No more foreign spending, no bailout for the arts, no money to illegal immigrants and no pay raises for Congress until we here at home are taken care of.
Mike Cox
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Mr. Cox, I couldn't agree with you more. This pork bill is absolutely unconscionable. Omnibus spending is government at its worst. Do the members of Congress not realize this is our tax dollars being sent all over the world for "pet" causes of certain politicians? These proceedings are done in the dark of the night, at the end of the year, with backroom agreements, swept under the carpet that the common American has no earthly idea about how all of this formulates into a 5,600 page witches brew. One thing we all can begin to realize is that it all smells like a rat.
Are more Americans not enraged? We, the American people, really need to come together to rise up against this. There are Americans struggling with rent, mortgages, bills, hope, even food on the table. There are small business owners who are forever shuttering their doors. Who is being held responsible for all of this? We need names. We need to know the sponsors of each line item and their "pet" causes. Every American should demand whose big idea each of these items in this pork-swill is. We need to know the names, whether Democrat or Republican, of the sponsors of each line item of pork. We, the American people, then need to respond with our right to vote and reject these career politicians. Unless we vote them out, this pattern of spending the American tax dollar for frivolous causes will continue unabated.
Which politician is responsible for $25 million to Pakistan for gender studies. We, the American people, have a right to know.
Which politician is responsible for $1.3 billion that’s going to the Egyptian military. We, the American people, have a right to know.
Which politician is responsible for the Kennedy Center's $25 million, a place that is not even open to the public right now because of the pandemic lockdowns. We, the American people, have a right to know.
Which politicians are responsible for the $85.5 million for Cambodia, $130 million to Nepal, $135 million to Burma, $453 million to Ukraine and $700 million to Sudan. We, the American people, have a right to know.
Which politician is responsible for The Smithsonian getting a billion for focused identity groups. We, the American people, have a right to know.
I'm sure some of the causes are important...but are they more important than the American people that need help in the most intense way right now?
All that money should have been reinvested into the American people, you know, the ones that are hurting. After all, it is our money.
These politicians need to be called out and we, the American people, need to respond on election day with a complete rejection of this nonsense.
Randy Young
Ooltewah
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Our government is our government, or at least that is what the Bill of Rights says. All men are created equal. Then we get to the actual government that we pay for and "goin's on" makes me very uncomfortable as should everyone of the citizens in this country. If we knew as taxpayers where our tax money goes we might feel differently about honest politicians.
Most of us have heard of K Street in Washington. Many do not know what goes on there. My work at one was with George Washington University and contacts at the university had contacts in the district as part of the university outreach funding programs. Those requests for tax money went via K Street and it is this place where a lot of governmental funding begins. Corruptive forces are present within the government when it comes to tax money we give the government.
Ted Cruz is now in the news because he is responsible seeing the some multiple millions of tax dollars went to large contributions for Cruz's political support. Some $35 million to this fracking company. The government had previously established that these funds could not go to drilling and related companies. Cruz convinced authority to change the rules for him. Sound okay to you? There is a lot of this maneuvering within the government and we know none of it. Tucked away in some appropriation measure are countless dollars going to friends of congressman and senators. What is needed is an outside examination of every agency and every dollar spent of taxpayer money. I think we should demand it and Chuck, Marsha and the lot might have to fight a bit harder the next election. Ditto for the Democrats.
The federal tax loopholes are another peek into how tax money is spent and how it is collected or not collected. K Street is full of lobbyists and attorneys working for companies and corporations and wealthy individuals, ie. Jeff Bezo, Donald Trump, Soros, and many other billionaires. Our federal debt, if we really know, is approaching $30 trillion and I am not sure we really know.
Does anyone else care how tax money is spent? Those millions of dollars that go to foreign countries has far more benefit to the U.S. then does $30 million to Ted Cruz. Those dollars that go to the Smithsonian are dollars well spent. The Smithsonian is a treasure for all of us as are others. Does Ted Cruz ring as a treasure?
Robert Brooks