I'm so sick of welfare. I can't stand people who live on the dole and can't pick themselves up from in front of the VCR my tax dollars paid for. Here's the most eggregious welfare spending bill I've found in ages.

After 3 years, Congress has finally agreed to a massive energy bill. Based on the bogus notion that there is a supposed energy crisis, this 1100 page monster is affectionately known as the "No Lobbyist Left Behind" bill. Cutting Democrats out of the Senate/House reconciliation markups (where the House version and Senate versions of the bills are negotiated into one), some of our favorite oil-drenched repugs have doled out a fortune to energy lobbies.

$22 billion to the oil and gas industry. Having lost the opportunity to rape... erm, I mean, drill for oil in Alaska, this industry gets a consolidation prize: billions of our tax dollars to build a pipeline bringing natural gas from Alaska to Chicago. As lucritive as this will be, I don't know why the poor downtrodden industries couldn't fund it themselves, but, hey, I guess the price of bread has gone up.

The nuclear industry gets $7 billion. Researching glowing dogs as a new home lighting device or something like that.

Coal industry gets $8 billion, earmarked for knocking the tops off of mountains and lining the pockets of union fatcats -- erm, except for the $100 million ad campaign portion designed to convince mine workers like my uncle that they're not getting the shit end of the stick on every issue from pay to hours to benefits.

But, hey, the bill includes "green projects." Translation: "brown pork." One example is cash for "renewable" ethanol. Farmers love to support this alternative fuel since it's made from corn -- and Dems and Repugs alike just fall all over themselves giving money to the industry. I just sued an ethanol plant that is slated to get $7 million this year from the USDA. Yes, that's right, the "dairy" agency is using my money to support CHEMICAL PLANTS that turn corn into fuel while releasing HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES such as formaldehyde and volotile organics into the air. The whole industry is a farce and a sham.

On the flip side, Repugs blocked the tightening of corporate average fuel efficiency (CAFE) standards. Did you know that the 2003 Explorer gets about the same mileage as the 1968 Mustang? How's that for progress?

Only thing worth while are reliability rules for the power grid, which would not exist without a blackout for some impetus. As well, it repealed some arcane laws stiffling the utilities sector -- which may likely spark Warren Buffet to make good on his promise to pour billions into the industry.

This bill will cost taxpayers around $96 billion over 10 years. The industry got a very good Thanksgiving this year -- usually its only the company that gets tax credits to make fuel by compressing turkey carcasses that gets any good news in November.

But, I hate welfare. Damned unwashed grubby dirty little welfare recipient industries. Wouldn't you agree?

See The Economist, Nov 22-28 issue, at p.30, for more info. I copied liberally from that article. ;)

That doesn't give you a right to hate welfare because people are poor.

Read the post more closely Gab. He is railing against corporate welfare, not the poor.

i think timber was referring to corporate welfare, not personal.

while a bit of a safety net to help companies (and people) through rough times is a benefit a society can offer, modern corporate welfare has gone to the ludicrous - just reference timber's examples above.

here in oz we've been going through the worst drought in 100 years (say the weather wizards). australia has a year-long drought every decade, and soil records (dont know how they do it) indicate 3-year droughts occur once every 100 years.

with that in mind, farmers should be planning their business around it (and dont kid yourself, farming is big business here, not mom and pop stuff). a great example was a farmer in WA on TV who bought surplus grains year round and stored them in an underground bunker he dug out on his property. his livestock is surviving the drought fine.

but no, instead, most farmers pocket their excess profits, buy the big mercedes and make additions on the house, install a spa bath and salt water swimming pools - and then when the drought hits, they have their hand out from joe and jane taxpayer. :mad:

<font color = lightgreen>They drill cores into the soil, then analyze samples at every centimeter of depth for factors such as decayed plant material, chemical composition, bacterial acitivity, overall aridity, etc. This kind of analysis has shown that the Sahara used to be lush green plains/subtropical jungle with plenty of rainfall...10000 years ago.

Anyway...this must be more of Cheney's handiwork. Mr. Mysterioso, he is, with all his "closed door meetings" and such. At least my mom will have employment with her energy-industry company for a few more years. [img]graemlins/beigesmilewinkgrin.gif[/img] </font>

96 billion? What a bargain! :D If you want to talk big spending, just take a look at that stupid drug entitlement that Congress just passed. They claim it'll only cost 400 billion the first ten years. And we all know that if you want to figure out the costso one of these programs you just double what they say it will cost and you will be closer than they will be to the actual cost. Of course you'll probably still be on the low side though. After all, in 1965, when they created the monster known as medicare, they projected that it would only cost 9 billion dollars in 1990. It actually cost 60 billion. I'm sick of the government stealing our money to pay for welfare of any kind.I mean, why the hell do we pay farmers NOT to grow something? And what gives multi-billion dollar companies the right to expect any of my money? For That matter, what the f**k gives those clowns in government the right to tell us what we can do with our own property? I say it's time for another revolution! Who's with me? :D

*stands up and steps forward*

Advocating the taking of Arms against the government is Treason. What are you some kind of terrorist? [img]tongue.gif[/img]

A round of applause for Timber (it was your thoughts right?). [img]smile.gif[/img] Well said indeed. And let us all give the poor industry another $100 from our pay checks. After all we wouldn't want them to be completely ruined would we? And let's face it, there's no where more important to put the money. It's not like health and education is something to invest in. ;)

Rokenn, LMAO! [img]graemlins/biglaugh.gif[/img]

Oh my god, I'm about to agree with khazadman. Eeeek! [img]graemlins/wow.gif[/img]

nods to timber for blatant plagiarism ;) [img]tongue.gif[/img]