Tonight I read a couple of San Diego Union-Tribune editorials that raise some questions in my mind about whether I can trust my elected officials in Washington. Cynical readers might think I am speaking tongue in cheek, and perhaps I am.
The first one addresses the massive health care bill that the House of Representatives just passed, calling it a "disgrace" and a "recipe for ruin." It criticizes Nancy Pelosi for breaking her promise to post the entire bill online for 72 hours before allowing the members to vote, but acknowledges that the bill would have passed anyway. The House "simply didn’t care that a bill with a 10-year, $1.2 trillion price tag was rife with unexamined problems," the editorial says. "It was time to make history, according to these Democrats’ talking points, so they did."
The other one addresses the Obama Administration's claims about how its stimulus bill "saved or created" jobs have been proven to be grossly exaggerated. They cite as one example the Associate Press report that "some jobs credited to the stimulus program were counted two, three, four or even more times." The Union-Tribune maintains that "this is a scandal and should be treated as such," and that it "appears to reflect a decision to distort government data collection to support explicitly political agendas." Their conclusion: "When it comes to the economic stimulus package, it sure looks like the Obama White House doesn't want an honest debate."
Add to this the number of jobs saved or created in congressional districts that don't even exist (!), and it's apparent to me that some of our elected officials are becoming reckless in their disdain for truth. But why? They remind me of gamblers, hopelessly addicted to the thrill of the game but running out of chips. So now they're wagering a huge bet using a stacked deck and counterfeit bills and praying they can get out of town with their winnings before the posse arrives. Perhaps they will. But who will be left behind to pay the dealer?
A Recipe for Ruin
San Diego Union-Tribune, November 10, 2009
Stimulus Dishonesty
San Diego Union-Tribune, November 11, 2009
Recovery.gov Shows Money Flowing to Nonexistent Districts
Washington Times, Nov 17, 2009
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