DMN: Sessions requested Stimulus funds NINE times!

I suppose its a classic case of, "I opposed it before I supported it" that we should be used to from my Republican Primary opponent by now. He pulled the same game when he voted against the Medicare D expansion, following that vote up by voting to override President Bush's veto, effectively passing the legislation!

Well, now it turns out that U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions has followed up his "principled opposition" to the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) 'Stimulus' legislation by requesting stimulus funding for North Texas projects nine times!

The Dallas Morning News reports that my opponent requested funds for such projects as DART, police in Irving and Grand Prairie, the cities of Dallas and Carrollton as well as the Big Brothers and Big Sisters club.

Oh, remember that "bipartisanship" that DMN and Sessions both gushed so effervescently about in their endorsement of the 14-year incumbent? Sessions used his strong cross-the-aisle ties to secure a $51 million tax credit for Texas Instruments so they can outsource some more high-paying American jobs, and a $350 million clean coal project in West Texas. He was, however, unsuccessful at securing $3 billion for NASA.

I just love this quote:

"What I have not done is allow my strong, principled objection to the bill to prevent me from asking federal agencies for their full consideration of critical infrastructure and competitive grant projects for North Texas," Sessions said.

Let's talk about these funds. I have discussed the value and detriment of debt spending for projects like these elsewhere. In brief, building aircraft carriers and freeways is one thing. But funding the Big Brothers? That should be coming from private contributors not government debt.

The short and skinny of it is that we will be repaying this debt--and make no bones about it, with a deficit of $1.3 Trillion last year, this is debt!--for the next thirty years! Not to mention the interest that will actually make the cost of these projects more like 2 1/2 times what we are paying for them.

ON A POSITIVE NOTE...

Voters in District 32 have an alternative in the Republican Primary. My name, David Smith, is literally the TOP name on the ballot in early voting (continuing through Friday) as well as the Republican Primary Tuesday, March 2nd.

I opposed this stimulus package spending on infrastructure projects during the 2009 Texas Legislative Session in analysis that I provided on freeways to Texans Uniting for Reform and Freedom (TURF), Terri Hall's San Antonio-based citizens' activist group. I said that if the toll roads that TxDOT and Governor Rick Perry are pushing amount to double taxation (tolls on taxpayer-funded roads), then Federal stimulus funding would actually amount to quadruple taxation! Here's why.

We pay gas taxes, which are supposed to fund freeways. A portion of those funds is used for freeways and tolls will pay the rest. Hence "double-taxation." Adding Federal spending, were it cash, would be triple taxation, since we also pay Federal taxes. However, Federal Stimulus funds are borrowed funds, meaning that they are accruing interest and will thus be paid for long into the future. Quadruple taxation.

Thanks, Pete!

But I have already staked a position as a citizen lobbyist against such fiscal irresponsibility, and our Congressman has a long history of spending excesses. It is truly time for a change in CD32!

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/politics/state/stories/DN-stimulus_20nat.ART.State.Edition2.4c030fc.html


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