Random animal picture.
For two months or so, the US Senate majority has been trying to pass a bill that would extend the fiscal aid to states from the Recovery Act to prevent further layoffs and a double dip recession. As Paul Krugman put it over a year ago, the effect of massive public sector layoffs will be like that of "50 Herbert Hoovers."
Today, the Senate may vote again. This time, the measure is fully offset from other cuts in spending so it would be deficit neutral (not that that matters very much when you have massive unemployment and sagging demand). Alas, some of that offset comes from cutting other vital programs, including SNAP or food stamps.
It's always something.
Still, it is my opinion that this bill is worth passing--we can fight again another day on the SNAP front. If you haven't--and especially if you live in states like Maine, Massachusetts, or Ohio--please call your senators (two in Maine, and one each in Ohio and Massachusetts).
UPPER BIG BRANCH. In the latest development in the ongoing investigations, the state of West Virginia is taking a rare step by issuing subpoenas in the disaster investigation. Here's more from Coal Tattoo.
SPEAKING OF COAL, here's the first in a series of blog posts from the WV Center on Budget and Policy about coal and the future of West Virginia.
OH YEAH, AND THIS. The coal industry is poised to spend millions in the next election. This is what they'll be paying for.
WHO NEEDS US? Corporations and the wealthy are doing fine. It's just ordinary people who aren't doing so great.
GOAT ROPE ADVISORY LEVEL: ELEVATED
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1 comment:
Loved what Rand Paul said.
LT Anderson once said that "WV was the evil ones five-and-dime" because our politicians would sell out so cheap.
What local control over environmental or worker safety laws would mean here is they would be able to buy out local politicians at WAY lower rates than Washington ones.
That's always sort of been the reason I always opposed changing our system of supreme court justices to the gov appointing them.
If the gov appointed the justices then companies would just be able to buy the governors office and they'd get the bonus appointment of the supreme court for free.
Our current method of electing them at least guarantees a few more political consultants, ad producers, and operatives employment and a few extra dollars going into our economy than the alternative.
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