Put Up or Shut Up

by: Joe Hagstrom

It struck me as not just ironic but hilarious that the same outfit that downgraded U.S. Government debt thinks it needs to downgrade state and local governments credit because they won't be getting enough borrowed money from Uncle Sam.

The fact is we're all on the government teat to some degree or another. Screaming about government debt and then complaining because our states or municipalities don't get enough help from the Feds is hypocritical and disingenuous. Quite frankly, anyone who complains about debt without the willingness to sacrifice their own goodies, whether it be an interest tax deduction on a home mortgage, or the closure of a military base or reduction of airplane orders. Or a grant to help pay for an exhibit at the local museum. Whatever, you need to shut the hell up.

Editor's Note: Joe is a left leaning blogger who maintains a rational perspective. He brings to the table a realistic view that is more often than not worth considering. Joe has told me he is "just a regular working stiff who's figured out the people on his side are either dead or considered kooks by the right and the left." Check Joe out at his site, Truth 101.

Comments

  1. dmarksMon Aug 22, 10:37:00 AM EDT

    I used to think he was cool until he started to engage in personal insults and other lowbrow behavior when I related personal experiences, and in particular advocated for workers' rights. He can get rather irrational on that.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Pamela ZydelMon Aug 22, 03:23:00 PM EDT

    Joe: Personally I don’t think our states should be getting money from the Federal Gov’t. That’s where this whole debacle got out of hand, IMO. We have no clue where our federal dollars are going. If our taxes stayed more on a local or state level, we’d have more control, or at least have a better idea of where they were being spent. As it stands, we send thousands and thousands of federal “income” tax and it goes to all kinds of “programs” and we have no say.

    As far as my local and state taxes go, well, I have every right to use my streets and highways, fire and police because I pay my taxes (or in the case of my fire department, I donate and I pay a one-time fee every year). I really wish more people knew how this all worked so that they could understand and then maybe they wouldn’t complain or abuse the system. But then again, we’ll always have leeches, cheats, liars etc., just like we’ll always have good people. And it’s the latter that I admire and hope will come out ahead and save this country.

    On a different note, are you just guest posting or are you now a contributor? Either way, welcome! It’s nice to have a different side, so to speak. It keeps us on our toes and challenges our minds. ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Les CarpenterMon Aug 22, 08:11:00 PM EDT

    Pam - In as much as I offered Joe a slot on the contributors list {more than once} he declined.

    He prefers the guest post concept. That is cool and Rational Nation looks forward to future guest appearances by rational Joe.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Les CarpenterMon Aug 22, 08:14:00 PM EDT

    dmarks - Joe ever so occasionally strays into that far left zone where the oxygen can be quite diminished.

    He usually always bounces back to his more "rational liberal" self.

    ReplyDelete
  5. dmarksThu Aug 25, 07:40:00 PM EDT

    He can be cool at times, but he flew off the deep end when I came out against the unions in the Michigan situation where home healthcare workers were:

    1) forced into the union without their vote
    2) received a pay cut as the direct result of union actions.

    ReplyDelete

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