Congress may actually pass an economic stimulus bill this week, which is good news for the short-term needs of the country. There is no question the economy is tottering, and could easily tip over from recession to depression, so a bill that focuses on saving jobs and creating jobs is desperately needed. The good news is that the bill will definitely help achieve some of those aims. The bad news is that it will lay a crushing debt burden on taxpayers for the future, which can only be addressed if government becomes far more efficient in the use of tax dollars than it has in the past. That could very well force, down the road, what many of us have wanted for years, a smaller, more efficient government. But somehow, that doesn't seem likely. Because Congress hasn't figured out that the model for government is, and should be, changing. And the best example is the stimulus package. Despite billions of dollars in cuts, it still contains way too much pork. And some of the cuts (to make way for that pork) seem to make no sense, such as dropping $40 billion to help keep schools from having to fire teachers. That's counter-productive. The bill is supposed to save or create jobs, not leave them threatened. Both sides of the aisle bear the blame. The Democratic leadership rolled over on way too many pet projects among its members, losing sight of the long-term goal of the bill. And Republicans kept insisting on sticking to the same failed policies of the past, and playing the same old games where personal and party political power carried more weight than the needs of the nation. One GOP leader actually admitted his goal for the bill, and the amendments he introduced, were designed to divide the Democrats and make them look bad. So much for caring about the people of this country. Both parties should be ashamed. It is time for Congress to look up from its myopic and petty party power games, and its proclivity for pork, and look at the desperate state of the nation, focusing solely on programs that stand a good chance of meeting the goal of keeping people working. Making things work should be a bipartisan issue. This bill should be about America, not the Republican or Democratic parties. -- Kelly Everitt

These are 'interesting' times

Posted Wednesday, April 24, 2013, at 8:38 AM

There is an old Chinese curse that says: "May you live in interesting times."

Last week was certainly interesting.

We'd had two weeks of posturing over what the secretary of state called the "gravest crisis" on the Korean peninsula in 60 years, and the talking heads filled the TV with warnings of impending nuclear war.

All that got blown off the front page of every newspaper in America by a pair of pipe bombs.

The Boston Marathon Bombings launched what was arguably the largest manhunt in U.S. history since the Army was turned out to look for John Wilkes Booth. The pressures of modern media -- the public demands to know what you've done for them in the last 60 seconds -- led to some bad, erroneous reporting, filled, between the few real facts available, with hours of talking heads making assumption after presupposition on the flimsiest of rumors. Since it's the American way to point fingers when things go wrong, the FBI came in for criticism, yet, in the end, got their man in an amazingly quick period of time. Then some of our congressmen, who seemed to have forgotten we're a nation of law, promptly convicted the suspect (hang 'em, then hold the trial) and advocated treatment that, in the past, has led to torture. Justice, which is far more satisfactory in the end, was being trampled under calls for hot-headed revenge. Cooler heads will eventually prevail -- we hope.

Then there was a poison letter (chemical weapon) attack on the president, a congressman and a judge -- by an Elvis impersonator. We'll let the late night comics play with that one -- serious as it was.

In Texas, a terrible tragedy in an industrial accident where they're still trying to figure out the final death toll, which was close to 10 times what Boston lost but seemed to fall into, at best, second place in the news coverage. In any other week, it would have been the biggest story of all.

Canada broke up an al-Qaeda plot to destroy a passenger train. There was a mass shooting in Seattle (but according to the Senate, that's not a big deal).

It was an "interesting" week. Now, let's all take a deep breath and get back to our "reality" shows.

-- Kelly Everitt

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Every day is a Circus here on planet Earth.

-- Posted by shockwave on Wed, Apr 24, 2013, at 9:54 AM
One correction here Kelley. The Elvis impersonator was released due to no evidence. Or at least that's what I heard. But yes it has been an eventful and interesting week.

-- Posted by TundraRat on Wed, Apr 24, 2013, at 10:59 AM
We save the "circumventing" of the law for

US Citizens that are law abiding. Those are the people who end up on the terrorist watch lists. We afford terrorists FREE educations. FREE housing. Welfare, etc. Better than we do for our vets who have fought for this country. It is a sad state of affairs this country is in. It is a shame that most of the population is too blind or stupid to see it for what it is.

-- Posted by OpinionMissy on Fri, Apr 26, 2013, at 11:40 AM
Where do they get their information? The Tea Party cabal has come up with the idea the USA has a special fund to house, educate and hand terrorist bags of cash? It sounds as if this funding is coming straight out of the veterans bank accounts. No wonder these boys want their guns and a revolution. They are scared of everything and not afraid to admit it. Shock and awe boys and with the big battle canceled, marching practice will begin again on Monday morning.

-- Posted by sara-connor on Sun, Apr 28, 2013, at 6:50 AM
HI SARA.......There seems to be this idea that we can screen every person down to there underwear.The moment they said that these bombers had been on welfare of any kind that garbage it the waves.Refugees hit our shores and are told right away what is available to them.This guy had a wife and child. The wife is American and educated she would know how to go at the system even if she didn't they would have.IF you want to see a crime check out what a Cuban gets when they here.

The tea party wants a revolution,they see everyone in my opinion as less than,wanting hand outs.I DONT THINK THEY USE FORTHOUGHT.What there saying is our government(BARACK OBAMA) supports terrorist.JUST another subtle attack on the administration it would take too much time on there part to get it right.America doesn't tend to investigate it's citizens unless you do something adverse they really hadn't UP TO THIS POINT.IF you told the tea party that, they would say your one of them ,IF you investigated the tea party they would scream to high heavens about it .....go figure......smile..... well the suns shinning think I'll jump on the rider......nope don't have a rifle case on it............yet !!!!!!.......laugh........later

-- Posted by lamont on Sun, Apr 28, 2013, at 10:42 AM
Lamont you are correct that the America doesn't investigate our citizens the sheeple elected obama twice.

-- Posted by Trouble2011 on Mon, Apr 29, 2013, at 12:48 PM
TROUBLE2011......I am going to ask you this question......do you know anything about how our elected officials are vetted???? If You don't I SUGGEST YOU FIND OUT......Don't imply things...

MAKES FOR BAD PRESS

-- Posted by lamont on Mon, Apr 29, 2013, at 1:24 PM
LAMONT, Your funny talk about bad press AKA Lame-streem-media arn't they the ones that don't (on pressure from the white house) not report things like Bengazi? Isn't it the media that jumped out to say it was probably "white anarcists" due to dates and that it probably didn't have anything to do with the Muslim faith.

Lamont, you crack me up your part of this media that would make Gerbals green with envy.

-- Posted by Trouble2011 on Tue, Apr 30, 2013, at 10:30 AM
TROUBLE 2011..;.....I stated very clearly how I felt about BENGHAZI,and what I FELT HAPPENED.I would also ask just how much do you have the need to know???? tHE FACT THAT WE DEVUGLE STATE SECRETS EVERY TIME WE WANT TO DIG DEEPER INTO THE GARBAGE.......WHY DONT YOU JUST HANG SIGNS AROUND OUR AGENTS NECKS.

I DONT CARE WHAT COLOUR A TERRORIST IS, THERE BEHAVIOR DENOTES THERE ALLEGIANCE.I have pulled no punches there.I want us to adhere to our values and our laws NO MATTER WHAT THEY DO.YOU WANT TO LEAD THEN DO IT THE RIGHT WAY.That is why I served.

It WOULD BE NICE IF YOU HUNG ON EVERY FALSE WORD STATED BY THE RIGHT.That would be fair and we cant have that can we........pressure from the white house......right..........YOU have no faith in the media and I DONT HAVE ANY FAITH IN rightwing BLOGS,ANY MORE THAN LEFT WING BLOGS.I have noticed right wing media is trying to be a little more fair but to you that is a sellout........go figure.

-- Posted by lamont on Tue, Apr 30, 2013, at 7:21 PM
THANKS.....PATRICK......sometimes I think there is a book with the party line,just open to page # and read aloud.IF there is disagreement call them sheep,cowards ,traitors.commies etc and a few more choice words........React to demographics of terrorists........WE all know the assumption, that is how we are going to get hurt bad.......later

-- Posted by lamont on Tue, Apr 30, 2013, at 7:44 PM

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