So let’s see what our politicians have dumped on us this month:
1) On December 12, 2012, the Bankrupting America Project reported on its Facebook page that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is stepping up its efforts to protect attendees of pumpkin festivals, which apparently can get pretty rowdy. How do they know this? The DHS gave the town of Keene, New Hampshire, $285,933 to buy a BearCat armored vehicle.
Keene is not a major metro area, it is highly unlikely to be terrorist target, Keene has a population of 23,000 and had experienced just one homicide over the two years prior to the purchase. Their grant application listed the 2004 Pumpkin Festival as an example where the armored vehicle would have been useful. The city of Keene told DHS the vehicle would be used to patrol similar events in the future. Must be a heck of a rowdy town and Pumpkin Festival if U.S. taxpayers have to provide armored vehicle support.
Let’s do some simple math. Since there are about 20,000 cities and towns in this country, if the Federal government wanted to fairly protect all citizens to the same degree they are protecting Keene, N.H., they would have to spend about $5.7 billion. This shows what a tremendous waste of money this expenditure was, more than a quarter million dollars to protect a Pumpkin Festival that happens only once a year. Ridiculous.
2) According to a December 10, 2012 Associated Press report, a Federal grand jury is actively investigating a $38 million contract to operate the District of Columbia lottery. Although no one has yet been charged in the lottery probe, law enforcement entities are looking for evidence of crimes including bribery and illegal steering of contracts, with numerous city politicians are under investigation.
Political corruption and criminal activity, what a surprise! Especially in D.C. Unfortunately for local citizens, this is not the only scandal and potential corruption that is underway in D.C.:
- Three staff aides to Mayor Vincent Gray's 2010 election campaign have already pleaded guilty to Federal crimes.
- Two town council members have resigned in the past year after pleading guilty to felonies.
- One of council members involved stealing city money earmarked for youth sports.
- And who can forget the antics and convictions of former D.C. mayor Marion Barry.
3) Senator Tom Coburn’s (R-OK) has become one of the few members of Congress that is actually embarrassed by the wasteful spending in Washington. Every year he investigates the most ridiculous Federal spending and documents them in his annual Wastebook publication.
He was recently at it again, identifying some absolutely ludicrous spending by the Department of Defense. Apparently, among other things, the Department of Defense spent taxpayer wealth for a lecture series involving fictional alien species, including a lecture session entitled: “Did Jesus Die for Klingons too?”:
- This Klingon session funded by the Defense Advances Research Projects Agency.
- DARPA paid about $100,000 for a strategy planning workshop on the 100 Year Starship project which included a discussion involving the Klingons, a fictional alien species who were villains and then later allies of humanity in the Star Trek series.
- The session entitled "Did Jesus die for Klingons too?"
- This discussion featured philosophy professor Christian Weidemann from Germany's Ruhr-University Bochum who discussed the theological conflict to Christianity if intelligent life was found on other planets. How this discussion helped in our national defense is completely lost on me.
- At another Department of Defense funded session, topics such as how to make deep space travel most efficient, how scientists would go about creating a “warp bubble,” and whether would need to wear clothing during space travel were discussed.
- This session featured actors from the famous "Star Trek" TV series as special guests. Again, how any of these activities do not totally waste taxpayer wealth and help our national defense is lost on me.
- And the biggest taxpayer insult of all: all of these sessions were in conjunction with the 100 Year Starship project, the objective of which is to "foster a rebirth of a sense of wonder" to "make interstellar space travel practicable and feasible." So far, the 100 Year Project has consumed more than a whopping $1 million.
I would go with the imbecile answer if I had to bet.
4) On December 7, 2012, the D.C. CBS affiliate reported on some lunacy from Congress. Really, lunacy. According to the CBS report, the House of Representatives actually spent time and effort and voted to eliminate the word “lunatic” from all Federal laws and legislation. The legislation that passed the House by a vote of 398-1. The word lunatic was deemed to be “demeaning.”
Let’s review: the looming fiscal cliff, an ever escalating $16.3 TRILLION national debt. Persistently high unemployment and under employment rates. Record numbers of Americans on food assistance rolls. Leaky borders, A lost war on drugs. Still no national and coherent energy strategy. Burdensome taxation. Failing public schools. All of these major issues to be addressed and Congress decides to tackle an issue that is likely not in the top 500 issues that concern Americans.
Unfortunately, these was only one politician who has the right priorities. The only “no” vote was cast by Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, who stated in a statement that: “Not only should we not eliminate the word “lunatic” from Federal law when the most pressing issue of the day is saving our country from bankruptcy, we should use the word to describe the people who want to continue with business as usual in Washington.”
I love his sarcasm, love his proper set of priorities. Too bad he was outnumbered 398 to 1.
That’s the first set of insanity for this month. More tomorrow since even though our politicians are rarely in Washington and rarely at work, they still are able to generate sheer lunacy and idiocy every month.
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http://www.reason.com/
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http://realpolichick.blogspot.com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08j0sYUOb5w
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