Stealing Senator Merkley's Words

I have been ranting for months about the fact that our elected representatives are fine with spending seven tenths of a trillion dollars yearly on military waste but can't see spending one hundred and seventy-five billion dollars yearly (that's way, way, way less than seven tenths of a trillion) on the betterment of our country and improvement of the lives of the American people.

I have made at least three posts to this blog on that subject.

People like the Democratic senator from West Virginia and the one from Arizona and all the republicans are nervous about wasting money on the American people.

But when asked to spend seven hundred billion a year for planes that don't fly in the rain and aircraft carriers that have toilets that cost $400,000 to flush and all the other stuff that is bought yearly by an organization that has an accounting system that is so screwed up it can't, or at least hasn't been, audited in years, or maybe ever; no-one really knows, they vote enthusiastically aye.

And they are going to be fine with spending that (with pre-requisite yearly uplift) next year and the year after and on to infinity.

When I got this email today I was pretty excited: somebody that the people elected actually can think!

 Noel,

Today, the U.S. Senate took up the annual policy bill for the Pentagon. It's generally considered one of those "must pass" bills that "everyone" votes for.

Well, Noel, you know what? I voted no.

In the last century our nation's strength was built on military might. But in the 21st century our success as a nation will be based on investments in infrastructure and education. The countries that do the best jobs investing in those areas will be the countries that thrive.

Consider the choice we face: We're voting on a budget for the Pentagon that is over $750 billion for just one year. And yet the "controversial" Build Back Better plan to tackle the climate crisis, invest in health care and education, and reduce the cost of living is $1.75 trillion over ten years.

On an annual basis, the Pentagon budget is more than quadruple the investment we're making in the American people through the Build Back Better plan.

So, I voted no for more money to the Pentagon. And I'm holding the line on Build Back Better.

Onward.

Jeff