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fearingalma1550
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Name: Stephen
Gender: Male
Expertise: Bitching about liberals and their highly dumb political ass blasts, of course! Now do yourself a favor and not ask me that again. And playing video games, mapping, and film making of course.
Industry: Game design, film
Message: message me
Member Since:
3/30/2007
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| http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZAXLhkAwl8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6FxfhzYlyQ
At one point during his campaign, Obama stated that he wished to introduce transparency into the government, by way of allowing bills on the table to sit for five days on the web for public viewing.
"When there is a bill that ends up on my desk as President, you will have five days to look online and find out what's in it before I sign it," he said to a crowd in Green Bay, Wis., on Monday. "When there are meetings between lobbyists and a government agency, we will put as many as possible online for every American to watch. When there is a tax bill being debated in Congress, you will know the names of the corporations that would benefit and how much money they would get. And we will put every corporate tax break and every pork-barrel project online for every American to see. You will know who asked for them and you can cast your vote accordingly."
Sourced from two news sites:
http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20080922_4272.php
http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/obama/1178184,obamarally092208.article
Now, check out how fast they passed the most recent Omnibus bill:
| 2/23/2009 | Introduced in House | | 2/25/2009 | Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 245 - 178 (Roll no. 86). | | 3/10/2009 | Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote. | | 3/10/2009 | Cleared for White House.
| | 3/11/2009 | Presented to President. | | 3/11/2009 | Signed by President. | | 3/11/2009 | Became Public Law No: 111-008 [Text, PDF] |
Sourced from: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d111:HR01105:@@@R
I don't know about you, but that doesn't look like five days to look at the more than 8,000 pork earmarks in that bill.
The bill's index: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?c111:4:./temp/~c111l2qSwo::
As Bloc Party would say:
"Well, well, well, this shit is long."
It is indeed. An example of some of the pork:
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/F?r111:1:./temp/~r111WKI5S0:e0:
Payments to the UNITED NATIONS being negotiated in a bill about the FDA and agriculture?
Also (Following is from the .pdf of the bill, except the salmon excerpt, which is from the thomas.loc.gov pages I searched)
EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL EXCHANGE PROGRAMS
For expenses of educational and cultural exchange programs,
as authorized, $538,000,000, to remain available until expended:
Provided, That not to exceed $5,000,000, to remain available until
expended, may be credited to this appropriation from fees or other
payments received from or in connection with English teaching,
educational advising and counseling programs, and exchange visitor
programs as authorized.
REPRESENTATION ALLOWANCES
For representation allowances as authorized, $8,175,000.
PROTECTION OF FOREIGN MISSIONS AND OFFICIALS
For expenses, not otherwise provided, to enable the Secretary
of State to provide for extraordinary protective services, as authorized,
$22,814,000, to remain available until September 30, 2010.
(If I'm reading this right, this means we're protecting foreign dignataries with this money. First off, shouldn't they hire their own damned security?)
EMBASSY SECURITY, CONSTRUCTION, AND MAINTENANCE
For necessary expenses for carrying out the Foreign Service
Buildings Act of 1926 (22 U.S.C. 292–303), preserving, maintaining,
repairing, and planning for buildings that are owned or directly
leased by the Department of State, renovating, in addition to fundsotherwise available, the Harry S Truman Building, and carrying
out the Diplomatic Security Construction Program as authorized,
$801,344,000, to remain available until expended as authorized,
of which not to exceed $25,000 may be used for domestic and
overseas representation as authorized: Provided, That none of the
funds appropriated in this paragraph shall be available for acquisition
of furniture, furnishings, or generators for other departments
and agencies.
In addition, for the costs of worldwide security upgrades,
acquisition, and construction as authorized, $770,000,000, to remain
available until expended: Provided, That funds made available by
this paragraph may not be obligated until a plan is submitted
to the Committees on Appropriations with the proposed allocation
of funds made available by this Act and by proceeds of sales for
all projects in fiscal year 2009: Provided further, That the Under
Secretary for Management, United States Department of State,
shall consult with the Committees on Appropriations on a regular
and ongoing basis on the design of any proposed self-financed
New Embassy Compound.
In addition, for necessary expenses for overseas facility
construction and related costs for the United States Agency for
International Development, pursuant to section 667 of the Foreign
Assistance Act of 1961, $135,225,000, to remain available until
expended.
PAYMENT TO THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE IN TAIWAN
For necessary expenses to carry out the Taiwan Relations Act
(Public Law 96–8), $16,840,000.
PAYMENT TO THE FOREIGN SERVICE RETIREMENT AND DISABILITY
FUND
For payment to the Foreign Service Retirement and Disability
Fund, as authorized by law, $157,100,000.
(Foreign Service Retirement and Disability? What about our OWN military? And why in the HELL did Obama close down Guantanamo Bay? Stupidest decision ever.)
CONGRESSIONAL-EXECUTIVE COMMISSION ON THE PEOPLE’S
REPUBLIC OF CHINA
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
For necessary expenses of the Congressional-Executive Commission
on the People’s Republic of China, as authorized, $2,000,000,
including not more than $3,000 for the purpose of official representation,
to remain available until September 30, 2010.
(Comission on the PRC? This scares me a bit, since right now China is holding our purse strings and we're in pretty big debt to them. Plus that's where some of our stimulus money went- to the banks who invested in firms investing in businesses in China and India.)
DEMOCRACY FUND
(a) For necessary expenses to carry out the provisions of the
Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 for the promotion of democracy
globally, $116,000,000, to remain available until September 30,
2011, of which not less than $74,000,000 shall be made available
for the Human Rights and Democracy Fund of the Bureau of
Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, Department of State, and
not less than $37,000,000 shall be made available for the Office
of Democracy and Governance of the Bureau for Democracy, Conflict,
and Humanitarian Assistance, United States Agency for International
Development.
(b) Of the funds appropriated under this heading that are
made available to the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and
Labor, not less than $17,000,000 shall be made available for the
promotion of democracy in the People’s Republic of China, Hong
Kong, and Taiwan, and not less than $6,500,000 shall be made
available for the promotion of democracy in countries located outside
the Middle East region with a significant Muslim population, and
where such programs and activities would be important to respond
to, deter, or prevent extremism: Provided, That assistance for
Taiwan should be matched from sources other than the United
States Government.
(c) Of the funds appropriated under this heading that are
made available to the Bureau for Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian
Assistance, not less than $19,500,000 shall be made available
for the Elections and Political Process Fund, $7,500,000 shall be$10,000,000 shall be made available to provide institutional and
core support for organizations that promote human rights, independent
media and the rule of law.
(d) Funds appropriated by this Act that are made available
for the promotion of democracy may be made available notwithstanding
any other provision of law. Funds appropriated under
this heading are in addition to funds otherwise made available
for such purposes.
(e) For the purposes of funds appropriated by this Act, the
term ‘‘promotion of democracy’’ means programs that support good
governance, human rights, independent media, and the rule of
law, and otherwise strengthen the capacity of democratic political
parties, governments, nongovernmental organizations and institutions,
and citizens to support the development of democratic states,
institutions, and practices that are responsive and accountable to
citizens.
(f) Any contract, grant, or cooperative agreement (or any amendment
to any contract, grant, or cooperative agreement) in excess
of $1,000,000 of funds under this heading, and in excess of
$2,500,000 under other headings in this Act, for the promotion
of democracy, with the exception of programs and activities of
the National Endowment for Democracy, shall be subject to the
regular notification procedures of the Committees on Appropriations.
(Democracy Fund? The hell? Funny, I thought that's what the Iraq war was about. [/joke])
INTERNATIONAL FUND FOR IRELAND
For necessary expenses to carry out the provisions of chapter
4 of part II of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, $15,000,000,
which shall be available for the United States contribution to the
International Fund for Ireland and shall be made available in
accordance with the provisions of the Anglo-Irish Agreement Support
Act of 1986 (Public Law 99–415): Provided, That such amount
shall be expended at the minimum rate necessary to make timely
payment for projects and activities: Provided further, That funds
made available under this heading shall remain available until
September 30, 2010.
(What, does someone in congress have voters in Ireland? Oh, that certainly raises my IRE. Bad pun, worse bill.)
PACIFIC COASTAL SALMON RECOVERY For necessary expenses associated with the restoration of Pacific salmon populations, $80,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2010: Provided, That of the funds provided herein the Secretary of Commerce may issue grants to the States of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, California, and Alaska, and Federally-recognized tribes of the Columbia River and Pacific Coast for projects necessary for restoration of salmon and steelhead populations that are listed as threatened or endangered, or identified by a State as at-risk to be so-listed, for maintaining populations necessary for exercise of tribal treaty fishing rights or native subsistence fishing, or for conservation of Pacific coastal salmon and steelhead habitat, based on guidelines to be developed by the Secretary of Commerce: Provided further, That funds disbursed to States shall be subject to a matching requirement of funds or documented in-kind contributions of at least 33 percent of the Federal funds.
(This should be a state thing. We should be paying for our own eco-nazis, not mooching off the whole nation's taxpayers to save a few salmon. If we really cared about this stuff we'd have our states foot the bill. This is a state issue, not one that the federal government should have their nose in.)
ASSISTANCE FOR EUROPE, EURASIA AND CENTRAL ASIA
For necessary expenses to carry out the provisions of the Foreign
Assistance Act of 1961, the FREEDOM Support Act, and
the Support for East European Democracy (SEED) Act of 1989,
$650,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2010, which
shall be available, notwithstanding any other provision of law,
for assistance and for related programs for countries identified
in section 3 of the FREEDOM Support Act and section 3(c) of
the SEED Act: Provided, That funds appropriated under this
heading shall be considered to be economic assistance under the
Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 for purposes of making available
the administrative authorities contained in that Act for the use
of economic assistance: Provided further, That notwithstanding any
provision of this or any other Act, funds appropriated in prior
years under the headings ‘‘Independent States of the Former Soviet
Union’’ and similar headings and ‘‘Assistance for Eastern Europe
and the Baltic States’’ and similar headings, and currencies generated
by or converted from such funds, shall be available for
use in any country for which funds are made available underthis heading without regard to the geographic limitations of the heading under which such funds were originally appropriated: Provided
further, That funds made available for the Southern Caucasus
region may be used for confidence-building measures and other
activities in furtherance of the peaceful resolution of conflicts,
including in Nagorno-Karabagh.
(Where in the hell is Nagorno-Karabagh? Why should us taxpayers pay for assistance for the Southern Caucasus region and "peaceful resolution of conflicts" there?)
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I don't know about you folks, but it scares me how much money the government is spending on pet projects. Seriously, salmon conservation? Guys, that's a state budget thing. Then again, CA is in the shitter and that's where the money for that goes. Either way, this isn't how Congress should be running things. And Obama should have lived up to his campaign promises and vetoed this bill.
Congratulations. My generation has just helped elect the worst case of drunken sailor spending in the entire history of America. He's spent more than Bush has spent on Iraq in 8 years, in HIS FIRST THREE MONTHS.
"The Era of Big Govermnet is Over."
Yeah. Right.
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| http://www.geoffmetcalf.com/200805190647.html
Seriously, look at all the crooks and lobbyists Obama's appointing to his cabinet. This isn't change. Not in the slightest.
Doesn't anyone else see that?
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| http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJuQQcXKLWM
Do yourselves a favor and watch every bit of this documentary. The sad part is that it's more likely than not all true, my tenure throughout the school system has shown me such bias and obvious censorship occurs quite frequently.
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| http://radicalislam.org/content/anne-korins-oil-solution
Certainly a realistic and fair argument for alternative energy. We still need to be able to drill our own oil so we can implement these changes without hurting "the folks," as Bill O'Reilly would say.
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| More proof that we made the wrong choice.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081111/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_guantanamo
So he wants to bring terrorists from our exterior prisons to receive trial like American citizens?
There are several things wrong with this-
First off, these are TERRORISTS we are talking about here. Suspected or confirmed. Moving these guys could be incredibly dangerous- we could have organized raids on the transport and we'd have a prison break the likes of which we've never seen before. For instance, we would be putting trials in a civilian court, where some of the more ridiculous laws would be put in effect like not being able to torture suspects for more information about current terrorist plots. This would seriously handicap our interdiction efforts. And furthermore the aforementioned transport and "fair" trials will require hefty transport costs and payment of the veritable legion of lawyers the ACLU and other such liberal death squads are likely to send in. The trials would hardly be "fair" at all, at least not fair to the American people and our fighting men and women who fought and died putting them there.
Not to mention a bunch of them will be released without any trial at all. I for one believe this to be a major security risk.
I've already ranted about Obama's stance on gun control (naturally, more of it and quickly, and since he has the backing of Congress it's all but inevitable.), so I won't retread old ground in this regard.
Not to mention, Obama's campaign promises appear equivalent to the Second Coming (Five million jobs by investing in green tech? Come ON, get your head out of the clouds...), and since I believe that his plans to drop Iraq in sixteen months (impossible, unfair to Iraqis and likely to incite further hatred against the US for not propping up the government properly before we leave) is frankly unfeasible. Then we have his plans for tax cuts to the middle class. This I like, however why did he go for the 850 BILLION DOLLAR bailout bill for the banks? It was stupid and dumb, and in one pen stroke we spent more than the entire amount we've spent in Iraq. If more measures like that get past with Obama's support (such as, to speculate, universal health care and citizenship rewards for illigal aliens) he could very well bankrupt the country.
Since we're on the subject of the small bits of Obama that I do actually find likable, we go to his plan to stop the tax breaks for corporations that send jobs overseas. This would be beneficial, however if he begins to tax businesses and the wealthy as much as I think he will, then he will only drive businesses away from America anyway and we'll all still get screwed.
This entry? This hopefully will be a more impartial analysis of some of the things that Obama plans to do, rather than my previous post that was the equivelent to the NIN "Broken" EP release. Thus here it is, my "Year Zero" to compliment my intense rage over America's flawed choice in the presidency.
Let's pick better candidates next time, shall we? And get rid of election fraud brought on by corrupt poll workers and easily hacked touch screen voting machines. Please. The way we hold elections, particuarly primaries, with the candidates travelling across the country with varying times is wasteful and time consuming. We should definitely reform this fundimentally flawed electoral process.
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In other news I got Far Cry and Crysis the other day. Downloading Crysis will likely take up most of the evening. Far Cry is already on my computer and it's a very fun experience. However the ability of the AI to spot me across a lake on a cliff under some brush and start shooting me from almost a half a mile away makes me wonder-
How fucked would I really be if I got trapped on a deserted island with a bunch of mercenaries hunting me down? Extremely fucked, is what I'd be. I died in my first twenty minutes of play. And the load times on this game can be downright atrocious at times. Even the Crysis pre release demo loaded faster than this game. I wonder if Vista is fucking up the experience for me.
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