Symptom of the Disease

Local budgets depend on state and federal grants for larger and larger portions of their funding. State budgets depend on federal hand-outs even more so. Soon, those grants become unfunded mandates. The finger is pointed at the federal government for leaving states and communities high-and-dry as politicians demand even more money to replace lost funding.

This – for lack of a better term – is our disease. Our politicians in Washington are rated on how much money they can steal from the residents of other states to be redistributed back home. This continues while most of you don’t even know the names of representatives on your town’s finance committee.

The following posts are from our Symptom of the Disease category, and these symptoms (posts) can easily referred back to our country's disease.

Senate GOP caving on government health care option? Update: Video, Nelson says yes

By Steve McGough | October 7, 2009 |

Political junkie Erik Erickson who blogs over at Red State hears from a reliable source that during meetings today, Republican members of the Senate became agreeable to the government health care option.

White House using NEA funding to promote Obama policies

By Steve McGough | September 21, 2009 |

As an update to yesterday’s post, here is the link to the Big Hollywood expose by Patrick Courrielche on the National Endowment for the Arts using federal funds to promote Obama administration policies and projects. Is this a blockbuster? You make the call…

Symptom of the Disease: Axelrod still getting paid by Obama’s marketing firm

By Steve McGough | August 18, 2009 |

Nice gig if you can get it. David Axelrod, adviser to President Obama and White House spam director, sold his Chicago-based Democrat-exclusive consulting and marketing firm in December. The sale included a deal where he would still get paid $2 million the firm owes him – or he owes himself – while serving as senior…

Compare ‘promote’ and ‘provide’ in your dictionary and get back to me

By Steve McGough | August 17, 2009 |

I have not been blogging as much as I would like lately and there is no one good reason. It’s summer and I’d rather be out riding my bike, I’ve been busy at work, have a couple of other projects in the works and, well, it’s summer. That said, sometimes I feel like a broken…

Courtney health insurance reform meeting in Woodstock tonight

By Steve McGough | August 6, 2009 |

If you can muster the courage, Rep. Joe Courtney (D-Conn.) is having a Town Hall-type meeting tonight in Woodstock. Look, yelling at these meetings and showing your anger will get the movement nowhere. If you expect the media to “like” conservatives it’s not going to happen. Come with facts and good questions. Your roll should…

Symptom of the Disease: Federal government paying for local cops

By Steve McGough | July 29, 2009 |

Fiscal responsibility is dead. Well, it probably died years ago but can we bring it back? The city of Akron, Ohio – along with other cities in the state – will be able to hire and pay 23 police officers for three years thanks to federal stimulus dollars. Of course, the string is the city…

Symptom of the Disease: Obama not familiar with pending health care legislation – Update: Video Added

By Steve McGough | July 21, 2009 |

Continuing with our Symptom of the Disease series, we’ve got President Obama admitting that he is not familiar with what is included in the current version of the House health care legislation. He has not read it, Congressional leaders don’t read it, party leaders don’t read it. But you know what? Bloggers like our own…

Social Security Administration spends $700,000 on empowerment conference Update: Video added

By Steve McGough | July 16, 2009 |

Yup, just another symptom of the disease. It was imperative that all 675 managers meet in person at the Arizona Biltmore – part of the Waldorf Astoria Collection.

Symptom of the Disease: Federal funding of abortion (5)

By Steve McGough | July 13, 2009 |

Back in April during budget votes, Senate Democrats and a few Republicans got together to block an amendment to the main budget bill to ensure health care providers would not be forced to abort babies and violate their moral and religious convictions. What do you think about taxpayer funded abortion in upcoming health care legislation?

Symptom of the Disease: Stimulus funds directed to Obama counties (4)

By Steve McGough | July 9, 2009 | Comments Off on Symptom of the Disease: Stimulus funds directed to Obama counties (4)

There are plenty of ways writers can spin recent details on how stimulus dollars – at a more than two to one ratio – are being directed to counties who voted for Obama/Biden as compared to McCain/Palin. It’s another sexy story, but just another symptom of the disease.