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When the fox gaurds the henhouse taxpayer theft is redefined as National Defense

From the Washington Post

Gates continues to struggle with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle who are loyal to existing military programs benefiting contractors that provide jobs and large campaign donations.

Roughly $2.75 billion of the extra funds -- all of which were unanimously approved in an 18-minute markup Monday by the House Appropriations Committee -- would finance "earmarks," or projects demanded by individual lawmakers that the Pentagon did not request. About half of that amount reflects spending requested by private firms, including 95 companies or related political action committees that donated a total of $789,190 in the past 2 1/2 years to members of the appropriations subcommittee on defense, according to an analysis by Taxpayers for Common Sense, a nonprofit watchdog group. 

From the Wall Street Journal:

Member of Congress in both parties defend the use of earmarks and say that they are often for worthy projects.

Some of the earmarks placed in the "Defense Spending Bill" :

$18.9 million for the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the Senate sponsored by Sen. John Kerry (D., Mass.); a $23 million item for the Hawaii Healthcare Network, sponsored by Senate appropriations Chairman Daniel Inouye (D., Hawaii); a $20 million appropriation for the National World War II museum in New Orleans, by Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu and Republican Sen. David Vitter of Louisiana; and $5 million for a Heritage Center at San Francisco's historic Presidio, an item included by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in her "community funding requests."

Apparently we have lost touch with the definition of defense unless one can defend oneself by heaving an Hawaiian Healthcare Network at the enemy?

One of the larger spending items is a $300 million appropriation touted by Reps. Jim Moran (D., Va.) and Chris Van Hollen (D., Md.), among others, to improve their region's overstressed transportation system. The road widenings are justified by expanding operations at area military facilities, including new hospital facilities.

"Congress is committed to building world class facilities for our wounded warriors in the national capital region, and these funds are an integral part of that effort," Mr. Van Hollen said.

From "Broken Government":

According to a 2003 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, veterans were forced to travel long distances to receive care — about 25 percent of the vets lived more than a 60-minute drive from a VA hospital. They also had to endure long waits for appointments, especially in regions like Florida, home to a large number of aging veterans. Nursing homes for veterans were notoriously understaffed, making it difficult to keep up with the increasing population of older vets who need care. But the strains imposed by new veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan exposed a whole new litany of problems for the VA and the military. Citizens and lawmakers were outraged after The Washington Post exposed dismal conditions for veterans at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in 2007. Several high-ranking Defense Department officials were fired or stepped down under pressure, and stories soon emerged about other medical facilities where veterans were placed in rooms teeming with fruit flies, slept on broken hospital beds or faced unprofessional staff. A subsequent investigation of 1,400 hospitals and other facilities for vets found more than 1,000 incidents of substandard conditions. The VA has also struggled to deal with the many young veterans complaining of mental health problems, especially post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Treatment for PTSD was found to be inadequate in 2005, when only half of VA medical centers had a PTSD clinical team. Congressional testimony indicated that VA examiners felt pressure to conduct exams of veterans in as little as 20 minutes. The larger problem is that the VA’s patient workload has nearly doubled in the past 10 years; there are now 7.8 million enrollees in the VA health system. The VA “has faced difficulties in managing its resources” in the face of this rising workload, concluded the GAO. While the agency has dealt with challenges in recruiting and retaining health care professionals, it has also encountered problems in its internal budget process, the GAO found. Those issues have been exacerbated by an often-unpredictable Congressional appropriations process, which has frequently been late in delivering a finalized VA budget. The result is considerable confusion and inconsistency in the timely delivery and quality of care. A VA spokesman did not respond to a request for comment, but Gerald M. Cross, acting principal deputy under the secretary of health, told Congress in 2007 that the department is committed to “providing timely, high-quality health care to those who have helped defend and preserve freedom around the world.”

Hmmm, how is Mr. Van Hollen coming along when he says:

"Congress is committed to building world class facilities for our wounded warriors in the national capital region, and these funds are an integral part of that effort," Mr. Van Hollen said.

From Fox News.com

In all, Congress added in 1,720 pet projects, including:
∙$5 million for a visitors center in San Francisco, ∙$23 million for indigent health care in Hawaii ∙$18 million for the Edward Kennedy Policy Institute in Massachusetts, ∙$1.6 million to computerize hospital records in Oakland, ∙$47 million for anti-drug training centers around the country, ∙$20 million for the World War II Museum in Louisiana, ∙$3.9 million grant to develop an energy-efficient solar film for buildings ∙$800,000 for minority prostate cancer research, ∙$3.6 million for marijuana eradication in Kentucky, ∙$2.4 million for handicap access and a sprinkler system at a community club in New York

It is  my hope that the rest of America feels as defended as I knowing now that Kentucky will get 3.6 million to eradicate the Marijuana in their state???

Yes I know there may be some foolish enough to question the wisdom calling a New York Community Club "sprinkler system" a "defense item" however I think we can all agree on the urgency of protecting America from "cannabis crazed Kentuckians"!

My God I can picture it now, hordes of pot intoxicated Kentuckians spilling over the borders into neighboring states to spread the plague of Kentucky weed and weed smokers.  Obviously they must be hard at workbased in the Smokey Mountains and as such we will probably have to blow them up as well.

I mean like after all, whats a missing mountain or two if such action might protect Americas innocent from heathen Kentucky Pot Pagans in pick up trucks  stoned out of their gourds munching on peanut butter and cheese doodle sandwiches?  After all we have a countries morals at stake here. I mean like West by God Virginia we must pull out all stops and apply all taxing resources constitutional or not to insure the rest of America does not go the way of Kain and able tucky!

Keep in mind now if you can find whats left of somebody's hemp saturated braincells and find your way to the links to the stories quoted that the DEFENDERS of America making the decisions re: our defense will insure that though broke, hungry, homeless, and bankrupted in such a manner as to insure their retirements and the lack of any for our next 10 generations of children that we will be, by somebody's definition anyway, "safe" or "defended" if you will. That said defensible safety will have been provided us by "BOTH" republicans and democrats who, although unable to determine whose brand of poison is most toxic have apparently agreed in principle that the best defense the utter and complete destruction of this nation through and by those who have been elected to strengthen it.

But then when given the keys to the candy store and permission to rip it off validated by the lack of any consequence for placing selfish self centered desires above law and social concise it should come as no surprise to find ourselves ruled/governed by spoiled rotten children who have well learned their parents mantra, do as I say and not as I do.Add to Technorati Favorites

Bruce's Arnolds New Years Resolutions

Bruce Arnold of Bruce-n-RC's Biker Forum
has passed on some suggested News Years resolutions. We re-post them here asking you to pay special attention to the first number 5.

During the last election, knowing as many of the things we do it would be akin to pissing in the wind, we advocated for this option.

We have become convinced that those who still believe that their is honor among thieves are naive.  That the organized extortion ring that comprises the military/industrial complex, or my favorite term, corporate/government alliance will not rest until you are totally under their control. Wait a second, we aren't?

Recommended New Year's
Resolutions for 2010

###
RECOMMENDED NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS FOR ALL AMERICANS

1. Remove Cloudmark Authority from all email servers.
2. Really investigate 9/11, beginning with the truth about WTC-7.
3. Repeal the Patriot Act, and restore our Bill of Rights.
4. Repudiate all wars for profit, and recall our troops.
5. Require single-term limits, and RE-ELECT NOBODY.

###
RECOMMENDED NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS FOR ALL MOTORCYCLISTS

1. Stop forwarding unverified chainmails.
2. Stop giving to others until we've cared for our own.
3. Stop lobbying for "feel-good" legislation.
4. Stop fighting for funds that will eventually be raided.
5. Stop complying with unjust mandates.

###
THE MAGNIFICENT AFGHANISTAN by Johnny Punish
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-dGHwe6COM
Click "more info" link for lyrics and commentary.
###
URGE TO SHARE by Ron Greenstein
Brief observations of the United States of America during 2009:
Afghanistan: surge
Financial institutions: merge and splurge
The Middle Class: purge
Domestic manufacturing: dirge
Healthcare debate: regurge
Ignorance, arrogance and greed: scourge
###
HAPPY NEW YEAR...
Bruce Arnold
Bruce@LdrLongDistanceRider.com
Follow me on Twitter @ironboltbruce
Co-Moderator, Bruce-n-RC's Biker Forum
Mile Eater Gold Member, Iron Butt Association (IBA)
Sustaining Member, Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF)
2009 Chairman's Circle, American Motorcyclist Association (AMA)
Author and Publisher, LdrLongDistanceRider.com|911TruthBikers.com
Signatory, 911 Truth Statement|Petition (911Truth.org|ae911Truth.org)
Say No to Cloudmark Content-Based Big Brother CensorshipAdd to Technorati Favorites

the Monument 2010

Are New Years days really anything more than new days through which we relive past wounds, dreams, friendships hopes,  forgotten and abandoned by some,
embers stoked and kept alive by tired unrelenting dreamers
encouraging new breath be gifted this fire of a dream called freedom.

Guaranteed through birth to those who will ride every road paved or not until it is found, to give honor due those whose existence proved it's existence.

Four years ago the morning was still wet and cold. Mike and Julia's future looked to be in Texas, Cowgirl, Red and Tilex were preparing to meet the monument for their first time on the day set aside to pay respects to the ashes that requested their comfort at it's mossy base at the foot of an old oak as their final resting place.

While it yet remained unknown to Z and TZ as it's existence yet remains unknown to the many but it's message has echoed across all the lands through all the times.

Freedom is the name it whispers
in the field kept company by a never empty bottle of Tequila to be shared with old friends,
the home made bell that must be struck gently for fear of it's power
the age tarnished name tags of old in formation with tags the new yet worn off.

Biker Bill's boot knocked off him by the van that crossed the center line taking his life as he wanted it taken stands sentinel with his faith.

This is not who we were it says through the dirt splashed up on it by a morning rain, but who we are, who we dared to be and who we always shall be

FREEDOM and it's brothers and sisters, FREEMEN and WOMEN.

dirt and ashes cloaked in the Humble anonymity of a simple statement made by simple men and woman who lived for the wind.

This is where I will lay my voice,
this is where, thanks to the foresight of Papa John, the vigilance of Cap, the red and the black and others who pass through this way
freedoms voice shall ever reign – in the wind...........................



Thanks to Z for the pictures
Click here for more pics of the MonumentAdd to Technorati Favorites