Should Your Children Pay for My Rollercoaster? (On the outrage over delayed Sandy Relief)

American Thinker ^ | 01/04/2013 | Jack Cashill

[SeekAndFind]

On Wednesday I joined a Facebook conversation among my New Jersey relatives and friends voicing their outrage over the delay in the $60 billion Sandy relief package.

Hoping to make people think, I wrote, "I want our roller coaster up and running by this summer, and I don't care if we have to borrow from the Chinese to do it." I was referring here to the Seaside Heights roller coaster that somehow managed to slide off its crumbling pier and land standing upright in the ocean. In the process, it became something of a symbol of Sandy's wrath.

My irony, alas, passed unnoticed. Several respondents "liked" my comment. None took me to task. Yes, of course, let us borrow from the Chinese if we have to. Why not? Everyone else is.

The criticism of the Sandy Bill to date has been about the pork the Senate larded into it: the $150 million for fisheries as far away as Alaska; the $2 million for unrelated repairs at the Smithsonian; the $50 million in subsidies for tree planting on private properties; the $336 million for AMTRAK without any real plan for how the money will be spent.

What we should be questioning, however, is the money spent on direct Sandy relief, especially since we don't actually have the money to spend. I have the uneasy feeling that taxpayers -- more accurately, their descendants -- will be paying for my rollercoaster, and no one in New Jersey or in the media anywhere seems remotely troubled by it.

[Calvin Locke]

I remember living in MA when Ed King was governor. Reagan's "Favorite Democrat".

Can't remember if it was the result of damage caused by The Blizzard of '78, or a later storm, but King that the state taxpayers weren't going to help out financially with rebuilding in coastal storm and flood prone areas any more, since the dangers and expenses are now known. IOW, "rebuild at your own risk".

(I'm sure that King's common sense sentiments have been constantly over ruled and ignored by vote and campaign funds seeking solons over the years.)

[TurboZamboni]

Peter King= Looterman II

[cripplecreek]

Not a great speaker but a truly great speech.

7 and a half billion dollar federal budget. LOL

[New Jersey Realist]

I’d take the Coolidge stance and say that acts of God are not the responsibility of government.

Ditto! Davy Crocket said once to his fellow congressmen, give all you want to those suffering from acts of God, but use your OWN money, not the people's.

[KC_Lion]

7 and a billion dollars, it seems funny now.

HOWEVER, you must take into account that were still on the Gold Standard. Or at the very least still had some precious medals in our money.

Just a quick example in 1924 a Gallon of gas costs 29 Cents, and the Quarter itself was 90% Silver.

Now if you take that Same Quarter today, the Silver Value in it is worth anywhere from about $2.50 to 4.17, depending on where you are.

But it would still buy you a Gallon of Gas today.

But that is bad news for Socialists because that means you can't Print a Trillion Dollar Coin and say "Debts Paid off!"

[jughandle]

That’s what I figured with the delay. Hmmm...be known for leaving hurricane victims out in the cold, or for approving billions in frivolous spending? Lose-lose vote. Democrats really are masters at swaying the gullible public.

[cripplecreek]

Just a quick example in 1924 a Gallon of gas costs 29 Cents, and the Quarter itself was 90% Silver.

Gas was actually quite expensive then but the free market was still playing catch up to efficiently produce a plentiful product. It was actually much cheaper for me in the 80s when I started driving at around 65 cents per gallon.

[cripplecreek]

We’ve created a self perpetuating mess. People can’t afford to care for themselves and others can’t afford to be charitable to help.

[KC_Lion]

Gas was actually quite expensive then but the free market was still playing catch up to efficiently produce a plentiful product. It was actually much cheaper for me in the 80s when I started driving at around 65 cents per gallon.

Right, my point is though that we used to have a sound fiscal policy.

Our Leaders actually CARED about the future of the value of our money.

Do you think Ubama gives Two Sh!ts about a Family in Oklahoma Finances?

Hell No! He is about Revenge and breaking up the American Middle Class.

[kingu]

The Chinese quit lending us money several years ago. Nearly 100% of the current Federal deficit is financed by the Benbernank’s printed money. Think “Weimar Germany” and “Zimbabwe”. Eventually we’ll all be millionaires.

Of course, the tax rates aren't set on relative worth, they're set on the number of dollars. So the more hyper inflation that exists, the more 'over 250k' earners there becomes, and the more money that returns to the treasury. Of course, reality dictates that the more oppressive the taxes, the less is remitted in taxes. Amazing how much effort people will go to for protecting their property from theft, no matter who is doing the stealing.