tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14231145.post113229819002961023..comments2023-12-30T23:02:57.931-08:00Comments on Deep Thought: Budging the budget.Eli Blakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00792743206074537073noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14231145.post-1132369022018912752005-11-18T18:57:00.000-08:002005-11-18T18:57:00.000-08:00Sounds like people are getting a bit tired of budg...<I>Sounds like people are getting a bit tired of budget cuts which use the deficit as an excuse, followed by tax cuts which drive the deficit back up again.</I> <BR/><BR/>Ross Douthat just co-authored an article in the "Weekly Standard" titled "The Party of Sam's Club" which says pretty much the same thing. The title comes from a line that MN Governor Tim Pawlenty (R) uses now and again in his speeches. <BR/><BR/>Douthat says straight out that the libertarian economic policies which reached their pinnacle with this administration are figuratively, literally and morally bankrupt and he calls on the GOP to begin thinking about life after Bush. <BR/><BR/><A HREF="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5019085" REL="nofollow">GOP Needs to Refocus on the Working Class</A>dorsanohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17360076073314764844noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14231145.post-1132367453092662682005-11-18T18:30:00.000-08:002005-11-18T18:30:00.000-08:00Three of MN's four GOP house members voted for thi...Three of MN's four GOP house members voted for this bill. Jim Ramstad didn't. Jim's a conservative and usually votes the party line. I'm not sure why he voted against this. He's voted for worse stuff in my opinion. <BR/><BR/>The bill's a perfect example of how not to govern - it's biggest failure is that it doesn't address any of the major problems the country faces. <BR/><BR/>One example of the micro thinking is the cuts in Child Support Enforcement. CSE is not a welfare program - it's part of the enforcement arm of the states' executive branch.<BR/><BR/>It enforces court orders to see that child support money is collected and actually gets to kids - the collections reduce the welfare outlays of the states.<BR/><BR/>It's part of what makes welfare reform and welfare to work programs, work.<BR/><BR/>This is like taking cops off the street or like letting people default on debts without consequences.<BR/><BR/>The Senate version doesn't have the CSE cuts.dorsanohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17360076073314764844noreply@blogger.com