One of the laziest constructions in our political dialog is the assertion that “both sides do it.”
Yes, if you want to point out something like “both Barack Obama and Mitt Romney are raising millions from Wall Street”, then yes, it makes sense. But something like “both sides use the filibuster” when it’s been used so much more by one side is just letting folks off the hook for the sake of maintaining some standard of “objectivity.”
It’s even sillier for politicians to do it, especially when it’s used by someone in the majority party. It is a way for them to absolve themselves (and their fellow partisans) of responsibility while trying to make out like they are criticizing the system.
Take Vic Williams (with apologies to Henny Youngman). Michael Chihak had him on last week to talk about fund sweeps. I didn’t get a chance to watch Chihak’s show, but KUAZ played a bit from his interview on transportation funding earlier this week.
I’m glad to see that Williams is concerned about sweeps of HURF money. Of course, the cynic in me wonders if this concern over local government is timed to coincide with his running for county supervisor. Still, I’m glad he’s working on this.
Unfortunately, I can’t find a link to the audio of the show or the excerpts that were used in the shorter piece. However, Williams made the assertion that the sweeps have been used by legislatures of both parties to make up for budget gaps.
Hmm. Legislatures of both parties.
When did a Democratic controlled legislature do this? Was there even a HURF all those decades ago when the Democrats last controlled the legislature?
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Vic is right. Batshit insane Republican legislatures and merely cruel and assholish Republican legislatures have done this…
I don’t know if that transformation always happens. Sylvia Allen is now running for our county board of supervisors and she’s still on the same kick she was in in the legislature saying that local (including county) governments have primacy in deciding local land issues. I went to a forum she was at (though I think it was Gosar who said) that county supervisors and sheriffs have the authority to kick federal agents off any any land in the county, including national forest land.
Still just as crazy.
Welcome back!
I believe that the reference was to the year when Gov. Napolitano, with a couple of moderate Republicans and the Democratic caucus in the state house and state senate, passed a budget over the objections of the Republican leaders and a majority of each Republican caucus.
Maybe its me but I immediately thought of joni mitchell.
This could, in fact, be my new mantra…
But now it’s just another show
You leave ‘em laughing when you go
And if you care, don’t let them know
Don’t give yourself away