More shoot-yourelf-in-the-foot silliness eminating from the halls of the Utah Legislature, as Utah's legislative wing-nut faction consults with legal council to devise a crackpot strategy to turn down $101 million in federal education aid:
• Utah may sue to keep from taking fed moneyYep, it's the same gang of legislative knuckleheads, i.e., House Speaker David Clark, Senate Majority Leader Scott Jenkins, Rep. Carl Wimmer, et al., ideologues first and foremost, demonstrating once again zero contact with economic reality.
Great editorial from the SL Trib editorial board this morning with this pithy and straight to the point retort:
• Shut up and take the moneyDon't let the cat get your tongues, O Gentle Ones.
13 comments:
When can we expect the state legislature to urge not to accept federal funding for various water projects?
It's just political posturing, Rudi. Even Carl Wimmer isn't dumb enough to turn down a $100 million federal windfall. They're just pandering to their redneck bases.
The issue may be more complicated than what we are certain is a typically superficial analysis by a local news entity.
In fact, sometimes federal money comes with a required match, along with so many strings attached that arguably, one is worse off than he was before the money.
Federal money is often much less than it seems, and, far from being free, can actually be worth less than zero.
The articles give few details. There may be more to the story that the one that fools are turning down money.
BTW, I would like to see Rudi and many others pay the $25 filing fee and run for mayor. Many of these would receive my vote with no further effort on their part required.
That's bullshit, Danny. As to this $100 million plus federal government education grant, there are no strings attached, except for these:
• States are required to meet certain requirements regarding maintaining their current education spending;
• Funds may only be used in the 2010-11 school year for compensation, benefits and other expenses to retain existing employees;
• School districts may not use the funds for administrative expenses or other support services;
• States may not use the money to replenish rainy-day funds or reduce debt;
• Funds may not be used for higher education.
Rudi,
Fair enough. But the articles did not have the detail you just gave.
In other cases, indeed many cases, my comments are valid.
It will be interesting to see how this idiocy will play out with the Utah voters who are so prolific with their reproducing and their endless needs for more and more money to educate their progeny.
Will a significant number of them actually connect up the dots and finally realize what a bunch of lame and disingenuous bozos it is that they keep returning to the legislature?
Turning down much needed education dollars for the sake of political posturing seems a pretty clear indication of their true characters. Will the hoi polloi finally get it?
I doubt it, but it would be nice if Utah once again became a two party state where some semblance of democracy entered into its government.
Rudi,
Okay, wait a minute.
So these funds are solely to be used to retain employees - and only for this year.
In other words, they must be used only to buy votes with another bankrupt US government pre-election vote buying make work scheme.
Government is broke and must shrink. The sooner Utah does so, the better. We will be ahead of the curve.
Thus, my comments were not BS but were perfectly valid. After your summary, I say, decline the funding.
Danny = Carl Wimmer (Ogden's version)
Hey wait a minute, Winky is one of my cats and he isn't smart enough to have figured that truism out!
Winky,
I never heard or Carl Wimmer (yes, I don't know everything), and don't have time to research him now, but in a few seconds' time it appears he's my kind of politician.
Thanks for calling him to my attention.
On the other hand, he doesn't seem too bright, and I could easily see him wearing a tiny SS on his collar.
So keep on track, Carl. Don't go Newt on us, and don't go Utah legi-sleaze on us.
Danny - just for further clarification on how the funds can be used:
- funds must be spent by Sep 30, 2012
- can be used for salaries, bonuses, health insurance, retirement benefits, incentives for early retirement and tuition reimbursement
- payments to teachers and employees that provide school level services -- principals and assistant principals, classroom aides, counselors, librarians, secretaries, social workers, nurses, coaches, security, custodians, maintenance workers, bus drivers, cafeteria workers.
- smartest move by the feds is to NOT allow money to go to district level personnel
- plus the state office of education keeps 2% of the money to manage the funds - give me a break!
Danny seems to be a real enigma. Sometimes his posts make a lot of sense and sometimes they are pretty off the wall. Is there two Danny's posting here, is Danny a dual personality or is it the hot sauce that accounts for these two contrasting personalities? On balance I do actually enjoy his comments but sometimes I have to scratch my head and wonder "What up with that?"
Thanks Dave.
I just try to say what I think. I do appreciate the work put in to do this blog.
I do regret the times I have used words like "idiot" and "moron" even though most of the time I mean it as an attempt at humor. Although sometimes I speak in anger which I usually regret.
But is is very often the case when I speak, that people recognize they are hearing a different point of view for the first time.
On the whole, I find myself to be boring. Somehow, I always seem to know what I'm going to say.
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