JESSE JACKSON BLOWS A GASKET
Ol' marble-mouth throws a hissy fit of epic proportion
"A 40-year-old bridge collapses into the Mississippi River in Minneapolis. Levees give way in New Orleans at the foot of the Mississippi. An 83-year-old steam pipe produces an eruption that terrorizes Manhattan. As our infrastructure literally crumbles beneath our feet, [1] America is building the largest embassy compound in the world in Iraq -- an area larger than the Pentagon -- to manage a war now estimated to cost $1 trillion. [2]"What happened at both ends of the Mississippi and is happening in cities across the country are tragedies, but they aren't random accidents. They are the direct price of the right wing in power. [3] Scornful of government, intent on cutting taxes and slashing spending, they systematically have shorted public investment in our basic infrastructure -- in bridges and roads, in rail lines and air systems, in parks and schools. [4]
"In The American Society of Civil Engineers report in 2005, more than one out of every four bridges in America were rated as structurally deficient or functionally obsolete. Don't think about that when you drive over your next bridge. [5]
"For over 25 years, we've cheated on public investment. ''Government,'' Ronald Reagan preached, ''is not the solution. Government is the problem.'' Activists like Grover Norquist took this to the extreme, saying, "I don't want to abolish government. I simply want to reduce it to the size where I can . . . drown it in the bathtub.'' [6]
"Norquist and his allies have bullied Republicans into signing a pledge never to raise taxes. In Minnesota, the conservative governor, Tim Pawlenty, campaigned against taxes and vetoed an appropriation bill that would have provided increased funds for highway and bridge repairs. Interstate 35's Bridge 9340, rated structurally deficit by the U.S. Department of Transportation, had repairs on it postponed for a year. [7]
"Of course, conservatives will deny that they are responsible for the crumbling of America. [8] In the Republican debate in Iowa, every leading Republican presidential contender called for staying in Iraq and opposed increasing taxes on the wealthy even as they admitted the need to invest in our infrastructure. They are peddling fantasies to a people in desperate need of the truth." [9] (SOURCE)
[1] An outright lie. The country's infrastructure is not falling apart. In fact, our network of roads, bridges and highways is the best in the world - especially considering it's massive size and scope.
[2] Completely and utterly irrelevant. In one paragraph, Jesse links two completely separate issues together; it's like he's insisting "apples ARE oranges!" . . . or in Jesse-speak, "Aprles meh arges!"
[3] If only this WERE true. How we conservatives would love to have such power. Alas, the most horrifying examples of infrastructure failure are in New York, Minnesota and Louisiana - all LEFT WING strongholds politically. Hmm ...
[4] Republicans have not impeded the taxation for any of these items. We'll get into the budget for Minnesota's highways. Where is the money going? Perhaps a nice accounting of the money government has SQUANDERED is in order first.
[5] Jesse's fear mongering here - imagine what the moonbat-heavy media would say if a Republican had tried such a tactic!
[6] Once again, if government is the solution, why is it that government hasn't solved poverty? With all of the billion and billions upon billions of tax dollars we've GIVEN them, they haven't fixed that problem yet. They haven't made a dent. Reagan, of course, was right.
[7] So what is the highway department doing with the money it has? Time for accountants to dig in. The state has a highway budget of $2.2 BILLION. Where has all that money gone? Are you telling us that with $2.2 billion, you can't keep a bridge from falling down?
[8] Not so much denying it, but Jesse ought to go about PROVING what he says is true - he will not and cannot.
[9] Taxes are not the answer, Jesse. Obviously, the taxes we already pay are wasted. Why should we be forced to give the government MORE?
--Jimmy Z
Labels: A Newt One, American Truth warriors, Blog talk radio, Checkmate, Conservative, Darter45, Fred Thompson, Freedom Fighter, Freedom Fighter Radio, freedomfighteronthehomefront.com, freedomfighterradio.com, George W Bush, Iraq, Jimmy Carter, Jimmy Z, Moonbats, Operation America Rising, Patriots for Conservative values, Politics, Snooper, SonlitKnight, surge, Terrorism, The Headless Thompson Gunners, The Truth Surge
|