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Texas Legislature and Perry not on the same page:

Senators just voted 19-11 for Sen. Kevin Eltife’s bill to expand the state’s unemployment insurance program in order to draw down $555 million in federal stimulus dollars.

The bill would ignore Gov. Rick Perry’s wish that the state not receive the stimulus dollars for unemployment.

Eltife’s bill received 22 votes when the Senate gave it preliminary approval last week. Republican Sens. Florence Shapiro of Plano and Craig Estes of Wichita Falls switched their votes from aye to nay on final passage, and Sen. Chris Harris, R-Arlington, is absent today.

Estes voted to bring the bill up for consideration, then voted against it. In other words, he could have provided the critical vote to stop it.

Eltife said the federal dollars will cover the cost of changes to the program for nine years and result in the state borrowing less money to keep the state’s unemployment trust fund afloat.

Perry has said he thinks the current unemployment program in Texas works just fine, and that increasing the benefits will increase unemployment taxes on businesses once the federal money runs out.

Link.

This was the thread where someone was defending Glenn Beck, yes?

A friend linked me to this today--I think this came the day before the election? 

I think Joe Biden is right. I think there is going to be an event and the pendulum is going to stop swinging. I really think these guys will grab the pendulum and making sure it never swings again. It never goes away. You know, I have talked to so many regular people, so many regular people that I swore, if you would have given me and said, you know, Glenn, bet your house on whether that person agrees with some of the stuff that you said, I would have bet my house, no possible way, no way that person agrees with me. I have met so many people just this last weekend that said, "Glenn, I mean, I think we’re headed for a Civil War. I just, there’s — I think there’s a possibility this guy turns out to be a fascist." And I’ve talked to Republicans, I’ve talked to independents, I’ve talked to Democrats that have said this guy really spooks me. And with the combination of congress, I think they could stop the pendulum. I think that there is a lot of people in this society that their gut says real trouble on the horizon but they think they’re alone, and they’re not. I just think this warning bell is going off like crazy and, you know, get all spooky, freaky religious with you, I really think that God is awakening his people and I think the opposition force is just as strong. I really do. I think the opposition is just working their own kind of miracles right now.

Wow.  I really am missing out!

They sound special.

I think Bill Maher sums up the state of the GOP pretty well here.  Note: contents snarky and insulting.

You're not ready to let go, but the country you love is moving on. And now you want to call it a whore and key its car.

Its a great piece with a lot of zingers.

Farmerkev wrote:

Texas is just one of several states, Indiana senate passed theirs on the 9th.

http://www.tenthamendmentcenter.com/200 … y-growing/

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php? … geId=88218

more than 20 states are doing so now. i know tennessee has a bill in place right now to reject all federal funds and to stop giving funds to the federal government, aside from funds that will go to the military.

Funny how many of the states doing that are also the with news articles like "Funding Board projects Tennessee budget shortfall could exceed $1B" or "Texas' Budget Shortfall Could Top $7 Billion". Sort of tells me they are A. irresponsible,  B. too proud to own up to that irresponsibility, and C. using states rights as an excuse.

ScifiterX wrote:

Funny how many of the states doing that are also the with news articles like "Funding Board projects Tennessee budget shortfall could exceed $1B" or "Texas' Budget Shortfall Could Top $7 Billion". Sort of tells me they are A. irresponsible,  B. too proud to own up to that irresponsibility, and C. using states rights as an excuse.

Oddly, Texas is one of the few traditionally conservative states which coughs up more to the federal government than they get back, which lends a little credence to their particular complaints.

Disclaimer: I couldn't find any data more recent than 2007.

Google "red state socialism" for a crapload more editorializing.

JakeTheTall wrote:

Is Tennessee going to pay back the Federal government for all the infrastructure investments in Tennessee over the past 70 years ?

i'll be the first to say that i wish the federal government would've never put TVA in tennessee. most of the people didn't want the federal government to do that. a lot of people lost their homes. but...the mighty hand of the federal government won out.

should we have to pay for that intervention? i dunno. i know we want them out of our business now, though. hopefully everyone else will let us this time around and not cause a civil war.

bratboy wrote:

NokX wrote:

are doing so now. i know tennessee has a bill in place right now to reject all federal funds and to stop giving funds to the federal government, aside from funds that will go to the military.

The federal government spends more on Tennessee than you people pay in taxes.  So by all means, stop accepting money.

Good luck trying to escape paying in, however.  It doesn't get much more "patriotic" than refusing to pay your fair share, does it?

i didn't say we should completely opt out because as a member of the union we can't. we're obligated to fund the national army, etc... just not for all of the other unicorn rainbow programs obama has decided to fund.

and hey, i'm all for us refusing federal money. it's a crutch. we need to get our own things done. all states need to get their own things done and quit letting other people pay for them.

and tennessee has been in a surplus, by the way. it's just this year we're in a deficit. we're doing better than most states.

NokX wrote:

i didn't say we should completely opt out because as a member of the union we can't. we're obligated to fund the national army, etc... just not for all of the other unicorn rainbow programs obama has decided to fund.

I'm willing to hear your legal arguments on this point.  How are you not "obligated" to pay for what you don't personally want to?

and tennessee has been in a surplus, by the way. it's just this year we're in a deficit. we're doing better than most states.

Surplus how?  You're talking about your state budget, not money being paid in from the Feds.  Tenn. is regularly one of the states that receives more federal funding than it pays in.

Last edited by bratboy (2009-04-29 2:59 pm)

Why should we pay for a standing army?

radarman wrote:

jerwin wrote:

Why should we pay for a standing army?

I'm a bit disturbed by the lack of smiley face, or other indication you are joking. I don't want to consider that you might not have been joking, as that thought is too disturbing to consider.

Be afraid. Be very afraid. Then grab a gun and join the state militia.

radarman wrote:

jerwin wrote:

radarman wrote:

I'm a bit disturbed by the lack of smiley face, or other indication you are joking. I don't want to consider that you might not have been joking, as that thought is too disturbing to consider.

Be afraid. Be very afraid. Then grab a gun and join the state militia.

Right. I'm sure if the Chinese decide to start some crap, those militias will be there to save the day...

Well, when a group of people have a common cultural identity and are moderately nationalistic, and the invader is sufficiently "foreign," irregular warfare against an invading/occupying force is usually both inexpensive and successful in the long run.

It's just finding room to bury all the civilians that tends to be problematic.