A personal journal about teaching the Bible and ancient Near Eastern history/theology/religion/archaeology to university students in New Orleans, and whatever else happens to be on my mind.
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Wednesday, December 21, 2005
I Hate You Ted Stevens!
Today the Senate has a very hard decision to make. They have to vote on a $453.3 billion defense bill handed to them by the House of Representatives. Of this, $29 billion was for a hurricane recovery package. But Senator Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) at the last minute attached a controversial provision to allow drilling for oil in the ANWR (Arctic National Wildlife Refuge). Thus, it seems that the defense bill and hurricane relief, two things which would have easily passed, are now in jeopardy of failing. Also, just when it looked like it would pass Congress, the Baker Bill which would have helped avert thousands of mortgage foreclosures failed due to opposition from the White House and banking lobbies. Basically the plan put forth by Richard Baker (R-Baton Rouge) would have formed a corporation that would have bought hurricane/flood damaged property, and in the end people would have received about 60% of their lost equity. Without it many people, including us, are considering faulting on our mortgage as an option, leaving us with very bad credit. What looks like it will pass the Senate easily is a $39.7 billion budget cut, reducing student loans, cutting Medicare and Medicaid, and making pensions less secure. Merry Christmas America. I wonder if I would like this crowd better if I were rich?
Ugh... They love to add soo much red tape on something so simple.
ReplyDeleteHate Stevens?
ReplyDeleteGrow up, Homan. Most Alaskans are sick and tired of people in the lower 48 interfering in our state. Ted Stevens is fighting for Alaska and those in the United States that want a little less dependence on Arab oil.
Ted Stevens is a crybaby senator that kicks and screams when he doesn't get what he wants.
ReplyDeleteWell, Bob, that was an intelligent comment. Have you been paying attention to other politicians. Most of them are not exactly manly!
ReplyDeleteDid he or did he not scream and yell, "NO!" over and over when his supposed bridge to 50 people was threatened with getting axed? If that's all you ever saw of someone, what would you think? If you saw me screaming and yelling "No!" if I didn't get my way, would you think I was being childish? I would think yes.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with bob at large. Senator Ted Stevens also was the one to introduce getting rid of the Net Nutrality act, something that any blogger should also me inflamed about. And as to the comment made by the other Anonymous, you can't say that you are tired of us other people interfering with your state. First of all, we are all part of the same country, unless you alaskans want to cecede. Secondly, getting government funding for something does not qualify as a state issue, especially when there are much better things to spend millions on bridges that wouldn' really do much. Third of all, if you want less dependence on Arab oil, a better route to go down would be to invest money in alternative energy sources, not scarr a beautiful landscape (which yes, i have visited) for a small amount of oil that wouldn't even do much to get rid of our dependence on arab sources of oil.
ReplyDeleteYou certainly cannot call a man childish for being passionate when the government is about to pointlessly take away something important to his constituents.
ReplyDeleteAlaska has more oil than America would know what to do with. It would certainly curb our dependence upon middle eastern oil while we found a better alternative.