Governor Deval Patrick warned yesterday that the Commonwealth will be forced to close two prisons, lay off state troopers, and make other major cuts unless Republican lawmakers drop their objections to spending $443 million in federal stimulus money.
“We have prisons at risk of closing; we have people with developmental disabilities who are in halfway houses that will close; we have children who are developmentally delayed whose services are in jeopardy,’’ Patrick said after House Republicans blocked the spending yesterday. “We need to deal with this, and we need to deal with this now.’’
Wow. Scare tactic much? Obviously "Cadillac" Deval learned his schoolyard bullying from the myriad town administrators who immediately threaten to lay off cops, teachers, and fireman and stop curbside garbage pickup if the latest tax override isn't supported. If this stimulus money isn't spent NOW NOW NOW then all of these programs are going to disappear in a puff of smoke! POOF! What no one - especially not the ardently pro-Patrick Globe - is asking is what will happen to all of these jobs and facilities NEXT year, when there's no stimulus money?
That's not even the worst of it. This is what scared me when I read the article:
“You know all those people whose services I just mentioned who are in jeopardy?’’ Patrick said. “They could give a wit about the rules in the House and Senate. I think whatever needs to happen needs to happen to get this done.’’
Got that? Who cares if it's right or wrong, legal or not, just do it now because ZOMG THERE ARE SERVICES IN JEOPARDY!!!!1111 It ought to frighten us all that any government official, let alone one with executive power, thinks in this manner. Just because services are threatened does not mean lawmakers should abandon caution and due process and just vote for any damn thi- no, we're not talking about ØbamaCare, why do you ask?
You've only got a few months left, Gov; best make the most of them...
That is all.
6 comments:
Makes one wonder how they planned on keeping those services in operation prior to the Fed money-pissing spree.
But I'll bet not a single cut in social programs, right?
"...unless Republican lawmakers drop their objections ..."
Huh? Democrats have total control of the state government - both houses of the legislature, the governor's office, the entire congressional delegation except Scott Brown, and all other statewide offices. How could Republicans possibly obstruct anything Cadillac Deval wants to do?
Old NFO, comes close to my question. These people at the municipal, county, and state levels always give us a false choice between raising taxes and firing police and firemen as if governments only hire police, firemen and teachers. I say we call them on their bluff and see if they'll fire 10 police officers before they fire 10 people in the HR department.
(Of course, firing police and/or firemen may not be imprudent. Take a shrinking city like Detroit for example.)
Sounds to me that if it's not passing it IS 'getting done', just not getting done the way Skeletor wants it.
Organisms such as your governor are all for bipartisanship, conciliation, diplomacy, and such as long as they get their way. As we've seen in many states and the D. of C., if the Kanamit cannot get their way within the rules, they are perfectly happy to break those same rules.
Closing two prisons? I thought he was against the death penalty?
A couple of weeks after closing them, those prisons are gonna smell awful...
(Well, that's the way you DO it, right? I mean, you don't let the bad guys OUT; that would be silly!)
Post a Comment