I Agree With a Republican
Posted: Saturday, February 28, 2009
by Walter Rhett
Charleston Perlo
In these strange times, I daily discover unexpected twists, and today I have to admit to new one: I agree with a Republican.
Florida's Governor, Charlie Crist said something I think that just makes common sense. Crist, speaking in an intrview quoted in the New York Times, said, " I look into the eyes of these people, and I understand that the challenges are serious that they're having to deal with, and I want to do everything I can to help them."
Maybe the shovel-ready, infra-structure projects Forida can implement is the "pork" Mack refers to. In Dade and Broward counties that includes a truck highway to Miami International Airport, a major overpass in Deerfield Beach, and money for Fort Lauderdale's 48 deteriorating bridges. Or maybe the "pork" is the money that will employ road construction workers in Camden, Alabama, who are currently laid off from their work with JRD Contracting. (Alabama might get 17,500 jobs in road construction from the Recovery Act. I wonder if Rep. Mack considers this the "jumpstart" he thinks the act fails to provide.)
The Act offers help to others who are simply trying to stay above water. A 70 year old Miami husband, facing the lose of his home health aide visits because of a 4 percent cut in Florida's Alzheimer's Initiative, says, "I cannot handle my wife by myself. Doing it alone is mission impossible."
As Mack protests a bill that will stabilize services, build infra-structure, and create jobs, he overlooks his state's share of sacred cows. In Florida next year, state tuition may go up 15 percent, but fill dirt and dry cleaning are tax exempt.
Crist is a tough fiscal conservative with bonafides; he vetoed $459 million from the previous budget, and cut $250 million from the current one. Crist's current state budget of $66 billion is $4 billion less than the year before. It cut $1 billion from public education. But his state is building prisons.
But his attitude about the Recovery Act is not to shun it as "pork," or to take the idea that those hurting can, in the words of a historic queen, "eat cake."
Crist explained on "Meet the Press," "It's not a question of bucking the party, it's a matter of helping the people."
To Crist, the Recovery Act is a way of bringing home the gravy.
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Top-level comments on this article: (5 total)Hi Walter, good to have you back :-) Thanks for sharing this piece. My husband and I were talking about this same thing the other night. How does building bridges help the average guy and local small business owner? God bless and help us all! Teresa
Hi Walter,There are a few "porky" items in the bill, can't recall them off the top of my head. What I do recall is our NY Senator Schumer making a statement on TV (that keeps getting replayed) saying that he knows there's pork in the bill but taxpayers don't care. Well, I know for one that I am not alone when I say I do care, even if it is just a measly $50million or so.
It's always nice to hear of people who are for the people, regardless of their party affiliation. Thanks for the article, Linda D
Walter,Good symbolization for the "pork" ... and, thanks for sharing it with us. Welcome back!
Walter,Great article. It is time to put common sense to use, something that just doesn't seem to be part of the government's agenda, be it local, state, or national.Nancy
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