Shutting it down

A last minute scramble has given Congress two more weeks to work out something to avoid a government shutdown. The scramble saw Reboobicans cut some of the federal budget, but not enough for their tastes while Damnocrats are complaining about the cuts.

Shut it down, I say.

The poll I link to shows more people think Reboobicans are responsible for a government shutdown that Damnocrats. I agree. Reboobicans are making a token attempt, make no mistake it is a token attempt and that is all, to cut federal spending. Damnocrats haven't even offered that.

Shut it down.

Will it hurt? Oh yes. There will be much pain.

So?

The government version of No Pain No Gain. We get the pain. It gets the gain.

Shut it down. It's time the baby got weaned. It's time the American people learned something about self-sufficiency and how to operate without Big Brother looking over our shoulders and telling us where to move and how to move.

It's time to start living within our means. It is time for the people of this nation to take back the government, take back the rights abrogated over the years and demand accountability on the part of the people in office.

If it takes shutting down the government to restore sanity, so be it. Shut it down.

No need to apologize. When government shuts down it is not taking my money.

Since a shutdown seems unlikely, as much as I'd like to see it, how about some cuts?

A great example of the cuts which need to be made is to the Community Development Block Grant Program. (CDBG) You may think you've never heard of CDBG, but you have. You just forgot about it. The county where you live has received CDBG money before. Most likely a LOT of CDBG money.

A CDBG is a federal grant that goes to low to moderate income neighborhoods for infrastructure improvements - road paving, drainage, sewer and water system improvements, etc. Gerald Ford started the program in the 70s. Communities can receive a grant of up to $500,000 every two years. They can apply every year until they get one.

Between the county and cities where I live, we've received probably $10 million or more in CDBG money since I moved here 17 years ago.

The grant is competitive, sort of. Communities have to apply and there is no guarantee they will get one. But it is a pretty stupid governing board that can't tweak an application to make it a successful CDBG application.

Do not hire this person to write a CDBG application.

CDBGs have made a HUGE, HUGE, HUGE positive difference to poor communities across the nation. I am not kidding. It has really, really helped. Again, I am not kidding.

I've seen the differences it has made.

So why do I say cut it?

Because the CDBG program has turned so many communities to leaning on the federal government instead of their own resources to take care of needs in the community. It's also unfair to the people footing the bill, you and me,

Why should residents of Kalifornia pay to pave an isolated dirt road in the county where I live? Why should I pay to install larger water lines in a rural community in eastern Oregon?

If your community has needs, your community should fund those needs.

If you have a need in your home, you must take care of it OR find someone who is willing to extend the hand of charity to help you out. Charity is voluntary. Taxing is not voluntary.

If you willingly give money to someone, that is your choice and legal. If someone takes money from you against your will, that is robbery.

Unless it is the government. In which case failing to pay up makes you the criminal.