SHAFTWAXER

I love my government, and this time, I’m going to blast both the Republicans and the Democrats, because frankly, right now, they both fucking suck. The Republicans just happen to suck more.

Two massive bills went through congress just before the break, and ramming shit through congress before the break is a great way to not only pass lots of stuff without drawing the attention of watchdog groups or the media, but in the haste to pass all that shit, lots of really bad laws also manage to get passed.

The first offender would be the so-called energy bill that really does virtually nothing for our current energy situation. In fact, even though oil companies are experiencing record breaking profits every quarter (well into the billions), we are going to give them even more monstrous tax breaks and government incentives. Because really, at this point, how they are managing to make ends meet with the MASSIVE BILLIONS IN PROFITS THEY ALREADY ARE RECEIVING EVERY QUARTER is completely beyond me. And since we supposedly really care about finding alternatives to oil or increasing fuel efficiency in our vehicles, they took the bold step in making some adjustments to how the government offers incentives to car manufacturers for selling and developing gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles. And before you think that they are rewarding companies for doing the environmentally sound decision, you will be glad to know that they are doing just the opposite. There is now a ridiculously low cap on the number of vehicles car manufacturers can receive a kick back on. So the manufacturers who are forward thinking and taking the lead in finding ways to lower our dependence on oil are almost getting penalized. Awesome!

But it gets better.

They also rammed through the highway bill. This happy little nugget of love contains a record level of pet projects. So if you had the strange thought that the federal tax on gas you were spending was going to fill in the pot hole down the street, I’m sorry, you are grossly mistaken. No, your money is instead going to pay for a multi-million dollar bridge in Alaska that connects to an island with 50 people on it. Your money is going to fund a bike path in North Carolina. Your money is going to fund a trolley museum. This is disgusting and absolutely shameful. I’m not saying that all of these things shouldn’t happen, but not in a federal highway spending bill. This is waste and corruption at a monstrous level, and both the Democrats and Republicans should be called on and held accountable for their wasteful arrogance. Only 4 senators had the guts to vote against the bill, and I think only 8 representatives did the same. Everybody wanted a piece of the greed. Therefore everybody is at fault for allowing horse shit like this to continue.

Shameful.

But not as shameful that as the following 2 items. I’m not nearly as concerned about Iran starting up nuclear operations as I am about terrorist groups getting their hands on already existing weapons that are currently unsecured in the former Soviet Union. Fortunately for us, less nuclear proliferation has taken place after 9/11 than before. If you’ll recall, during the debates Bush said that this was one of his highest priorities. Apparently not nearly as high of a priority as increasing profits for business. Years ago the government told rat poison manufacturers that they had to put a nasty bitter agent into the poison to help discourage small children from eating it and thinking that it was candy. They also put a dye in it to help distinguish it when they were taken to the doctors. Those 2 restrictions were lifted from the poison manufacturers when the Bush administration came into office. To save money, they no longer but the dye or the bitter agent into the poison because it’s decidedly cheaper to not do it. Besides, what’s more important? The safety of the children or an increase in profits?

PS: Child deaths from rat poison have risen for the first time in years.