FEMA Disaster Aid The Real Story Electric Cars

As the flood waters start to recede in the Wyoming Valley the political pundits will start their typical barrage of misinformation against Congressman Lou Barletta about his position on disaster aid and budget cuts. Nancy Kman already took a shot when she interviewed Barletta yesterday. Here is the real story about federal disaster aid. So Gort, why don't you ask your fellow Democrats including Senator Robert Casey why THEY are the ones playing politics with federal disaster aid.

From the Wall Street Journal

Democrats Hold Disaster Relief Hostage Until Republicans Approve Electric Cars

Rahm Emanuel may have decamped to Chicago, but Democrats in Washington still won’t let a good crisis go to waste. Their current gambit is to use Hurricane Irene as a pretext to prevent spending cuts to one of Washington’s most notorious boondoggles.

This week the left-wing press has been attacking House Majority Leader Eric Cantor for holding disaster relief funding “hostage.” A more accurate way to put this is that Senate Democrats won’t approve new funding for disasters unless they get the funding they want for corporations that make electric cars.

Here’s the story: In June, House Republicans passed the 2012 Homeland Security appropriations bill, which included an amendment adding $1 billion to the Disaster Relief Fund of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). In a sensible move for taxpayers, the amendment offsets this new disaster funding by cutting spending on the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program. This may ring a bell with readers as the funding conduit for one of Washington’s adventures in crony capitalism.

In 2009, the Department of Energy announced that it would loan more than half a billion dollars through this program to a California-based company, Fisker Automotive, to make luxury electric cars. About a month after the loan package was conditionally approved, CEO Henrik Fisker and Joseph Biden appeared in the Vice President’s hometown of Wilmington, Delaware to announce that Fisker would now be making some of its cars at the city’s old General Motors factory.

At the event, Mr. Biden described many “long talks” he’d had with Mr. Fisker. The Vice President’s office later said that Mr. Biden didn’t make any direct appeals to Energy before the loan was approved, but Delaware’s chief of economic development told the Journal that Mr. Biden was the state’s “secret weapon, except there is nothing secret about Joe Biden.”

All of this is background to say that the GOP has found the federal program that is arguably the most deserving of a cut to free up funds for disaster victims. But Senate Democrats refuse to pass the House bill and Mr. Cantor has earned their ire this week by continuing to press for cuts in corporate welfare.

Perhaps unwilling to defend the indefensible, some have taken to claiming that the Republican bill cuts cherished liberal entitlements. In an email seeking donations for an anti-Cantor advertising campaign, the group Democracy for America exalted, “We’re hitting Eric Cantor hard—exposing his call to hold Hurricane Irene disaster relief hostage to more cuts in vital programs, like Medicare and Social Security—with in-district ads all next week.”

In the Senate, Illinois Democrat Dick Durbin seems unwilling to accept even the idea that the government might set priorities and choose to fund disaster aid instead of other claims on the federal fisc. “If [Mr. Cantor] believes that we can nip and tuck at the rest of the federal budget and somehow take care of disasters, he’s totally out of touch with reality,” said Mr. Durbin.

One reason the House bill has less funding for Democratic priorities is because, even before the hurricane, Republicans had decided that the President’s budget didn’t have enough money for the Disaster Relief Fund. So they funded it at $850 million above the President’s request. Then as they realized that the damage in places like Joplin, Missouri would put additional strain on the fund, the GOP added the amendment that provided still more disaster assistance and cut funding for Mr. Biden’s beloved electric cars.

The White House hasn’t asked for more funding, though White House budget director Jacob Lew wrote to lawmakers Thursday suggesting it could be well north of $5 billion. But so far Mr. Cantor is being blamed for opposing disaster relief because he has been trying to spend more than the President, and to place that above other spending priorities.

By the way, this political theater is having no impact on victims in need of help. The MSNBC gang may like to pretend that Mr. Cantor is stealing blankets from homeless flood victims, but the Washington debate is largely about funding for construction projects that may be years in the future.

Yes, FEMA has warned that its disaster fund is running low, a warning it issues almost annually. And the agency has said it won’t approve new municipal construction projects until it gets more funding. But rebuilding, for example, a bridge in Vermont likely couldn’t happen for months or years anyway as the locals debate designs, approve plans and conduct environmental reviews. The agency’s emergency assistance—water and generators, or money for new windows or clothing—continues without interruption.

To have any hope of controlling spending, Congress has to make choices. That means having the fortitude to give up more corporate welfare to finance more urgent disaster relief.

My Cow Died Last Night So I Don't Need Your Bull.

After all the stories surrounding the courthouse scandal in Luzerne County one would think that every person elected or employed by a government entity would be vigilant in the performance of duties to take care not to cross the line that would bring even the slightest suspicion.

Not so in Wilkes Barre it seems. The city’s deputy director of public works decided to use a city backhoe to remove debris from his yard. Brightest bulb in the socket, not. If his brains were TNT they wouldn't be enough of it to tip over a bottle cap. Really, what was this guy thinking especially with a salary of $$68,414 per year.

What amazes me about such an incident is the perception by the public that "these things go on". If the public would put its foot down and turn their voices up maybe our hard earned dollars wouldn't go to support such intolerable actions.

Look at this editorial by Senator Dayton Leach of Pennsylvania critical of the Grand Jury report about the need to restructure state governement. The culture that pervades his editorial is exactly what leads to behavior by a city deputy director of public works.


With respect to the Grand Jury who spent countless hours hearing testimony he states The methodology, conclusions and recommendations of the report are, in many respects, dead wrong.

He then goes on to explain:

First, let me concede that bashing the Legislature is effortless. Like any profession, we have our bad apples and it is lazy but easy to generalize their conduct to everyone. Further, because virtually every citizen is unhappy with some of our policy decisions, it's not difficult for a candidate for governor or other office to glean votes by pandering to those who think that only people who are corrupt or stupid could make the decisions we make.

That said, it is important that the following also be said: The overwhelming majority of Pennsylvania's legislators, on both sides of the aisle, are extremely smart, hard-working, completely honest people who are doing their level best to make Pennsylvania a better place.

If that is so Senator Leach start electing leaders who want to lead the fight to make your statements shine, not some half-baked attempt at legislative reform. Don't stop half-way go all the way. Reimbursement for actual expenses shouldn't be voluntary it should be expected.

This statement is really paving new ground.
The notion that legislators are, (except for rare exceptions) corrupt in any way is plain false. And thus any "reforms" based on this notion are ill-grounded. Sir, you get to make the rules. The public does not have a say in your rules. So you make the rules that benefit your elite then hide behind them and state "there is nothing illegal being done." My cow died last night so I don't need your bull.

He makes the claim An example of a sloppy factual assertion is that an "overwhelming majority" of legislators care more about serving themselves than serving their constituents. How many legislative aides were charged in bonusgate? Obviously Bonusgate and the related investigation into the misuse of taxpayer funds for political purposes has clearly demonstrated that these hires were for political campaigning, not constiuent services.

The rant continues
For example, a part-time Legislature is a terrible idea. We make decisions affecting tens of billions of dollars in complicated policy areas such as transportation, health care, criminal justice and economic development. In some matters, such as abortion, the death penalty and access to medical care, our decisions literally have life and death consequences. Senator, with all due respect, there are 50 states in this great Union of ours. Only nine of those states are labled to support full time legislatures according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. At least 17 states are characterized as having part time legislatures. I guess the people in those states don't have complicated policy areas such as transportation, health care, criminal justice and economic development. My cow died last night so I don't need your bull.


State. Sen. Daylin Leach, D-King of Prussia, represents the 17th District in Montgomery and Delaware counties. So how many public works people in Philadelphia do you think use city equipment for personal gain? My cow died last night so I don't need your bull.

Mayor Leighton Has His Own Scandal

Tom Leighton tried to make an issue with John Yudichak about Bonusgate that has by all measures blown up in his face. Yudichak is no more tied to Bonusgate than happy hour is tied to a Betty Ford clinic. There's a southern saying "Don't insult the alligator before you cross the stream."

Leighton shouldn't pick on Yudichak until he vets his own record. This editorial that appeared in the Times Leader on October 9, 2009 represents that journey across the stream.

By The Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
Publication: The Times Leader (Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania)
Date: Friday, October 9 2009

Oct. 9--IN THE INTEREST of transparency and good government, Wilkes-Barre city officials should post all city-owned properties available for sale on its Web site. Ditto for city employment opportunities.

The issue of public access to information, or more precisely the lack thereof, emerged last week when it became public knowledge that Mayor Tom Leighton brokered a deal to sell the former Old River Road Bakery site to a buyer who also happens to be a campaign donor.

The 1.14-acre business property, assessed at $478,300, is slated to change hands for $38,000. Another potential buyer said he might have paid more if city officials had let him know the property was available.

Despite the mayor's assertions, the availability of this property apparently was not widely known. A cash-starved city that found it necessary to raise property taxes by 31 percent this year should optimize every opportunity to maximize returns.

Adding the Web postings to existing advertising in newspaper and real estate publications will aid in that effort while not imposing a hardship or cost to the city. City Council should take the lead on this front and make it happen.

With a widespread federal corruption probe in full swing, all Northeastern Pennsylvania school districts and municipalities should strive to make more information and documents readily available to the public -- a step to help ensure operations remain clean and above board. Ideally, job postings, meeting minutes and upcoming agenda items should be listed on every public body's Web site.

One would think that a Mayor who owns a real estate firm with an appraisal arm would know the true value of a property and seek that value for the taxpayers. It may not be Bonusgate but it sure smells of "Donorgate."

Leighton made this claim at a debate held at the Burke Auditorium in the McGowan School of Business at King’s College.

“I closed that budget deficit,” he said. “I identified problems and found solutions. I made difficult decisions even if they were politically unpopular. I believe in an open government and accountability.”

Yes, Tom you did close the deficit and your solution was a 31% tax increase. On the issue of open government and accountability I would watch out for those alligators.