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"To solve our current problems, Washington must lead. But the way to lead is not to raise taxes and put more money and power in hands of Washington politicians. The way to lead is by empowering you - the American people. Because we believe that Americans can do anything.
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"Democratic leaders say their legislation will grow the economy. What it will do is grow the government, increase our taxes down the line, and saddle future generations with debt. Who among us would ask our children for a loan, so we could spend money we do not have, on things we do not need? That is precisely what the Democrats in Congress just did. It's irresponsible. And it's no way to strengthen our economy, create jobs, or build a prosperous future for our children.
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In Louisiana, we took a different approach. Since I became governor, we cut more than 250 earmarks from our state budget. And to create jobs for our citizens, we cut taxes six times — including the largest income tax cut in the history of our state.
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Jindal asks Congress for aid; local levees on the list
Kirsten B. Mitchell
NYT Regional Media Group
Published: Wednesday, September 24, 2008 at 3:00 p.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, September 24, 2008 at 3:47 p.m.
WASHINGTON — Gov. Bobby Jindal returned to Capitol Hill on Tuesday to plead with former colleagues for millions of dollars in federal disaster aid for hurricane-wrecked Louisiana.
Ok, the following is an excerpt from Governor Jindal's speech:
You can read the entire text of the speech here if you want: Full Text of Governor Bobby Jindal’s Response To President Obama’s Speech to Congress…
But basically, its standard small government conservatism. He is advocating for a very limited government, for tax cuts, against saddling future generations with debt, and so on.
So why is it that Gov. Jindal as a congressman and as governor has so many times went to Washington cup in hand for Federal taxpayer money for his state?
Jindal asks Congress for aid; local levees on the list | HoumaToday.com | The Courier | Houma, LA
Jindal bragged in his speech about cutting taxes in Louisiana and talked about the moral imperative to not saddle future generations with debt.
Sounds great huh. Well, he left something out. His gave his citizens a tax break while his state gets back a $1.78 in federal spending for every dollar its citizens pay for federal income taxes (and that does not even count Katrina money). The Tax Foundation - Federal Taxing and Spending Benefit Some States, Leave Others Paying Bill
So basically, it seems that Jindal would rather taxpayers in other states pay for his state's needs, and future generations from other states get saddled with the debt.
So, is he a hypocrite or not? Please explain your answer.
Ok, the following is an excerpt from Governor Jindal's speech:
You can read the entire text of the speech here if you want: Full Text of Governor Bobby Jindal’s Response To President Obama’s Speech to Congress…
But basically, its standard small government conservatism. He is advocating for a very limited government, for tax cuts, against saddling future generations with debt, and so on.
So why is it that Gov. Jindal as a congressman and as governor has so many times went to Washington cup in hand for Federal taxpayer money for his state?
Jindal asks Congress for aid; local levees on the list | HoumaToday.com | The Courier | Houma, LA
Jindal bragged in his speech about cutting taxes in Louisiana and talked about the moral imperative to not saddle future generations with debt.
Sounds great huh. Well, he left something out. His gave his citizens a tax break while his state gets back a $1.78 in federal spending for every dollar its citizens pay for federal income taxes (and that does not even count Katrina money). The Tax Foundation - Federal Taxing and Spending Benefit Some States, Leave Others Paying Bill
So basically, it seems that Jindal would rather taxpayers in other states pay for his state's needs, and future generations from other states get saddled with the debt.
So, is he a hypocrite or not? Please explain your answer.
Why does Jindal ask for Federal money? Because he can. He may be against a lot of it, but face it - If it's there, he'll go for it. So would I. That doesn't mean he can't argue against it. If just about everyone else is getting a piece of it, then why not Louisiana? It does not make Jindal a hypocrite.
Unless I missed something, the report doesn't specify that it excludes Katrina money. It makes perfect sense that several of the highest ranks are southern states who were most affected by the disaster.
So wait, he wasn't even governor yet?Its the fiscal year before Katrina money started flowing.
So wait, he wasn't even governor yet?
Carefully reading the text of Jindal's speech I find nothing that makes me believe he is a hypocrite.
"Who among us would ask our children for a loan, so we could spend money we do not have, on things we do not need?"
I think the rebuilding of a state devastated by something as major as a hurricane is needed. The state could have employed other methods of getting money like nationwide fundraising though, but that is no guarantee to get back enough money to recoup the costs and have enough left over to do the job it is meant to do.
If the money was there in the federal government to help then I say take it. This was an emergency which the state of Louisiana was not at fault and it required assistance. The aid was not needed due to the irresponsibility of a state government.
Its the fiscal year before Katrina money started flowing.
Hurricane Katrina has set the federal government on a spending spree. The total of $62 billion approved by Congress is already more than any amount spent on any previous domestic natural disaster. It's more than the budget for the Department of Homeland Security. And it will be spent within weeks.
He is a politician, so there is a strong chance that he is a hypocrite. Though on this specific case I can see why the hypocrisy exists. One may be against large government, but that money is going out and why not get your State some of the pie especially when it's been wrecked so thoroughly? It takes a strong strong man, stronger than most politicians (almost all politicians...even Obama) to be able to stand on principle alone. His State was suffering, he went after the money that was being thrown out. He may work towards eradicating the irresponsible handing out of money in the future (yeah right...I don't buy that, so maybe he's not a hypocrite, maybe he's just a liar. He is a politician after all).
Either or, I don't expect a lot of integrity and honesty out of government and our politicians, so it's nothing surprising.
The aid was not needed due to the irresponsibility of a state government.
So you're saying the federal government didn't send any aid until the next year??
Additional $51.8 billion OK'd for federal aid package
Does the report ignore spending in September now?
Show me where Jindal had said that states should never, ever accept federal aid, and I'll then agree that he is a hypocrite.
So then why cut taxes for his states citizens when you are still going to Washington and pleading for more taxpayer money? It seems to me that a small government true conservative would want his own state to pay for their needs and only ask the federal government for additional money if his state when his citizens could not afford to pay for it themselves. Right?
You do not see hypocrisy in cutting taxes for your citizens while the federal taxpayers in other states send you 1.78 for every dollar you pay in?
Except you seem to be either misinformed about small government conservatism or just being intentionally naive.
Very few conservatives that I know believe that small government = no government.
The Federal Government is there for a variety of reasons that a singular state can't do well but a group can. Military is one of them. National Disaster assistance is another.
The state struck by a National Disaster is ravaged, its economy turned upside down as are its people. While yes, I fault the city and state for not doing more BEFORE this and preparing to do things immedietely after, in the long run it falls more on the Federal level of things.
If a state is hit with a massive disaster such as this reducing taxes helps put money back in the hands of its ravaged citizens allowing them to get back on their feet and reinvest into the economy.
However, money is still needed to fix that economy. That is where the federal government comes in. That's one of the big purposes of the federal government and is something a Small Government conservative should not have much of an issue with a state seeking money for.
If he was asking money to study the DNA of Louisiana Crocodiles instead of using state money, I'd agree, hypocrite.
If he was asking for money to fund some state mueseum in New Orleans dedicated to the early people who lived there and made the port into what it is today, I'd agree, he's a hypocrite.
But he wasn't. He was asking money for disaster releif, something that the Federal Government should be there to help with even for a Small Government Conservative. You use that money to help rebuild the infastructure and get people on their feet, while also cutting the taxes in your state to spur that economy and put further money in their hands to get back on their feet after a tragic, horrendous, natural disaster.
So you see no hypocrisy in a small government conservative cutting his states taxes, all the while knowing his state gets far more in federal spending that it pays in, and pleading cup in hand for more federal tax dollars.
Either the guy is a hypocrite, or this is perfectly illustrative of just how impractical the conservatism that him and others like him preach is.
You do not see hypocrisy in cutting taxes for your citizens while the federal taxpayers in other states send you 1.78 for every dollar you pay in?
No. What is hypocrisy? you're making a leap in reasoning, an assumption, in order to label him.
yes, he is a hypocrite.
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