Payoffs to Senators

[darrels joy]

The Republican Senator from Nevada, John Ensign, seems to be falling for the stimulas package because Nevada is in deep financial trouble from the housing bubble.

High tax income from high priced houses changed to less tax money from houses with lower values and other housing issues.

Yep, just give some governors the cash to save their budget and we are all toast.

Joy

[darrels joy]

UPDATED:
Senate Democrats, mocked over trying to stimulate the economy with $475 million to fight smoking and sexually transmitted diseases, removed the programs from the economic recovery package on Tuesday. But the money remains.

And, yes, it can still be tapped to help smokers quit and to prevent the spread of STDs.

Under the revised legislation, the secretary of health and human services can dole out the nearly half-billion dollars on prevention of any disease, including STDs, and on a wide array of smoking-related ailments from cancer to hypertension.

"It's a shell game," said Sen. John Ensign of Nevada, chairman of the Republican Policy Committee. "That's why this bill needs to be stopped. That's just one of the reasons."
...
Mr. Harkin said the anti-smoking and STD programs were lightning rods for criticism and should never have been listed in the bill. "Just put everything in and let the secretary decide what works. It makes sense to me," he said.
...

Fighting back against reports of wasteful spending, Mr. Obama gave interviews to the television and cable news networks, saying the projects that Republicans and some conservative Democrats are challenging actually amount to "less than 1 percent of the overall package."


He defended spending on the arts and items such as weatherizing homes, arguing that the latter creates jobs and saves energy, which he said would reduce dependence on foreign oil.
...
The final version of the bill will not emerge until late in the week for a vote.

That bill will have to be reconciled with the House's $819 billion version, which passed last week with no Republican support.

Democratic leaders want the stimulus on the president's desk by Feb. 13, when Congress takes a weeklong recess.

"The American people are starting to really rise up," Mr. Ensign said, referring to recent polls, such as a Gallup Poll released Tuesday that showed that a majority of Americans want the bill either changed dramatically or blocked.

"If the Democrats don't change the bill dramatically, they could pay a heavy price for this," he said.
...
http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009...still-in-bill/

[darrels joy]

No, no, no: Oppose the disastrous GOP mortgage entitlement

By Michelle Malkin • February 4, 2009 11:16 AM
I have been warning you about Sen. Mitch McConnell’s terrible GOP mortgage entitlement plan. GOP Sen. Ensign is the main sponsor. Sen. Lindsay Graham has been talking it up.

Ensign was on the floor this morning pitching the amendment. He now says the “total cost would be under $500 billion” and would be “fiscally responsible.”

Bullcrap.

“It should not be government policy to spend massive amounts of taxpayer money to subsidize those who don’t need subsidies, provide homes for those who cannot afford to keep them, and in the process destroy the private mortgage finance system. Trying to short-circuit the market’s resolution of the current housing situation will be both expensive and unlikely to succeed.”

http://michellemalkin.com/2009/02/04...e-entitlement/