BY
BILL CLEARY
(cnbnews.net)Whenever
there is an election involving a seat in Congress or in the White House
you can bet your bottom dollar it will be a big
year for federal grants to be given out. Even though the national debt is $16
trillion and climbing the "Washington Elite" doesn't care, after all
it is not their money they are spending.
For example in May a list of 25 towns
across the United States receiving money to help pay the salaries of firemen or
to rehire firemen was released. The funds were awarded through the Staffing for
Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) program of the Department of Homeland
Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), a program that provides
$400 million in grants nationwide for rehiring laid-off firefighters and
retaining those whose jobs are in jeopardy due to budget constraints.”
Some of the local communities to receive monies
from that program in May were Gloucester City ($598,000), Camden City ($5
million), Passaic ($1.5 million), and Scranton PA, ($8 million).
Just this week Congressman Andrews announced that
Voorhees will receive a $334,000 boost from the same program to hire
firefighters in that township.
Here is something everyone should keep in mind: the
money to hire these individuals eventually runs out. What happens then?
You wont have to think too hard, remember 2010 when the city of Gloucester City had
to lay off 8 firemen because the community was broke.
Because of that turmoil in 2010 I
was surprised that Mayor James and Council accepted this recent SAFER grant.
Come to find out, if truth be told, the City hired Triad Associates to apply
for the money. Go figure, we are still in the middle of a recession and
unemployment in New Jersey is still higher than most states.
New Jersey’s Republican Governor Christie, in a
speech last week (July 9, 2012) at the Brookings Institute, a liberal
Washington think tank, said he doesn’t want anymore monies to hire public
employees.
When Christie was told President Obama was pushing
to send states another dose of stimulus money to hire teachers, firefighters
and police Christie said, “No more public workers -- please!”
"Please
don't send me any more money to hire more public employees. Please don't,"
begged Christie.
"I've
got plenty as it is, and I don't need any more. They are extraordinarily
expensive and extraordinarily difficult to manage!" said the governor.
Temporary
federal aid to hire permanent state and local workers, he argued, only leads to
huge budget shortfalls or layoffs when the stimulus money runs out.
"I
have the highest property taxes in America to begin with," said Christie.
"Where's this money going to come from to pay these folks
afterwards?"
“If the president and the Congress want to spend
money on something that will create jobs, then spend money on infrastructure,
which builds private-sector jobs," he said.
Here is a further notion you might want to
consider. The money the “Washington Elite” and local politicians so freely
spend funding the SAFER program and the stimulus is coming out of your pocket.
Think about it. They are trying to influence you to vote for them using your
own money.
The vivacious boxing promotor Don King said it
best, ‘Only in America!’
Governor Christie: Please Don't Send Me Any More Money To Hire
More Public Employees
http://youtu.be/oSmVD2_aTec
