But given their terror of forcing a government shutdown in this tea-soaked climate, Democrats were forced to counteroffer with a cut of $10.5 billion, or 0.28 percent of the federal budget. Imagine you have a budget of $10,000 (about 40 percent of it borrowed on a credit card), then “slash” 28 bucks. That’s what it’s like to be a frugal Democrat.  Dems’ Dull Budget Scissors – Jonah Goldberg – National Review Online.

In other words, after 2 years of exploding spending, a return to 2008 spending levels would spell the end of civilization.

Ridiculous!

The following conservative Jewish writer puts his finger precisely on the problem:

A more fundamental problem with the “What Would Jesus Cut?” campaign is its planted axiom that Jesus would want Congress to do anything at all. Yes, we are emphatically commanded by Scripture to help the poor, to comfort the afflicted, and to love the stranger. But those obligations are personal, not political. It requires a considerable leap of both faith and logic to read the Bible as mandating elaborate government assistance programs, to be funded by a vast apparatus of compulsory taxation. I admit that I am no New Testament scholar, but I cannot recall Jesus ever saying that the way to enter Heaven is to dole out money extracted from your neighbors’ pockets.       ~  Jeff Jacoby

Numerous times I have tried to point out to my liberal friends that Jesus’ call to help the poor is to us as individuals, rather than to the government. Many still don’t get it.

At times I wonder if they ever will!

The parasites can only bleed the host for so long before the host expires.   We are approaching that point, but the parasites can’t seem to grasp that fact and keep demanding more and more and more.

As you might expect, we are on opposite sides with respect to the union controversy in Wisconsin.  He is OUTRAGED (and constantly throws out CAPITALIZED words to emphasize that fact) and went ballistic after I pointed out that much of the unions’ agenda is based on greed.  After another of his rants against “the evil rich”, I told him that he needs to be careful about being caught up in envy.  Not surprisingly, he again insisted he was not envious, just OUTRAGED!!!!

So I instantly could relate when I read this today:

The left’s legendary compassion is politically expedient, though elaborately disguised.   Brutalization of journalists, a Jihad against our soldiers…and yet, so little outrage.   There is no currency in these events; in fact, they must be swept under the rug to hide the truth about the “Religion of Peace.”

But notice how Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell inflames the masses.  Watch sparks fly in the battle for gay marriage.  Wisconsin is exploding because unionized teachers want collective bargaining.  The left’s outrage is self-righteous because it is laser focused on the self.

Not only is the left’s outrage ego-based, but it is rooted in greed.  Take the left’s centerpiece issue, social and economic justice.  What do those flowery phrases actually mean, anyway?   Aren’t they just doublespeak for envy, coveting one’s neighbor,  and a gimme-gimme mentality?

When an injustice serves progressive ideology, we see the outrage in full-color display.   However, at other times, the silence is deafening — or there is disingenuous posturing.     American Thinker: If You’re Not Outraged, You’re Not Paying Attention.

Kudos, Robin.  You nailed it again!

The fight in Wisconsin has focused on collective-bargaining rights, but that is not the main event. As Daniel DiSalvo of the City College of New York-CUNY notes in a Weekly Standard article, 24 states either don’t allow collective bargaining for public workers, or permit it for only a segment of workers. Even if Walker prevails, Wisconsin will allow more wide-ranging collective bargaining than these states.

Not to mention the federal government. Obama may lecture Walker about union rights, but he can go straight to Congress with a highly political proposal to freeze the pay of federal workers because they can’t collectively bargain for wages or benefits.

No, the most important measure at stake in Wisconsin is the governor’s proposal for the state to stop deducting union dues from the paychecks of state workers. This practice essentially wields the taxing power of the government on behalf of the institutional interests of the unions. It makes the government an arm of the public-sector unions. It is a priceless favor.

Wisconsin doesn’t collect dues for Elks lodges or the NRA. What makes these organizations different from public-sector unions is that people freely choose to join them and freely choose to pay their dues. They are truly voluntary organizations that don’t rely on the power of the state for their well-being. Walker wants to give members of public-sector unions a measure of this same autonomy. Wisconsin Is About Breaking Up the Union Racket – Rich Lowry – National Review Online.

As a former teacher, I can testify that when I asked if I could just pay the portion of dues that went to actual collective bargaining but not the part to political activism (as was my right under the law), I was basically told to go screw myself.  The union wanted its full pound of flesh so that they could donate money to politicians and causes that the leadership favored, even though these people/groups were in almost every case diametrically opposed to my beliefs.

If you want to know the truth, follow the money!

see full article

Excellent article demolishing the media myths being relentlessly repeated.  The best comment, though, came in one of the comment responses posted following the article:

The public unions, through their forced dues and political action to elect union-friendly democrats, effectively have a key to the taxpayer’s vault. They’ve been using that key from time to time to take out money when they want it. The vault is now empty as a result, and we need them to give a little bit back, but more importantly, we need to key back. They’re perfectly willing to give back a little bit of the money, but they insist on keeping the key.

Get the key, change the lock, or it isn’t a solution.

Couldn’t have said it better myself!