President Romney's first week in office....

The votes are in, the tally set, Mitt Romney is our President, inaugurated a week or so ago. Have to give him credit, he sure hit the ground running. With the House and Senate all locked up in GOP hands, it has been easy to make the changes the right wing has been wanting and fighting for years. 


As a recap, what has happened in the last week. 


The Ryan budget finally became law, austerity and lower taxes on business, a voucher plan for Medicare to mention a few things. 


A 20% increase in the defense budget. 


The biggest changes coming the regulatory environment. EPA, FDA, Department of Education all defunded. New laws rescinding Federal mandates in virtually all areas of regulation, replacing them with recommendations or suggestions to the states. States now will be responsible for their own environment, education, food safety and immigration. 


Virtually all Federal education, social programs, education programs, loan guarantees are abolished, leaving it up to the states to fund their own social programs, if they choose to have them at all. Medicaid and Food Stamps are eliminated on the Federal level. 


The NLRB too was defunded and the question of labor relations to be answered by the states, the national minimum wage being rescinded, also left up to the states. Revenue sharing is being phased out so as not to share the wealth between the states. 


Each state will be losing about 1/3rd of their budgets due to Federal cutbacks, leaving the states to replace that funding from other sources. 


As promised, the entire Affordable Care Act was revoked and the Federal mandate that any hospital MUST treat a person on an emergency basis, insured or not, is also repealed. 


Congress is now considering repealing the American with Disabilities Act, all laws regarding discrimination, workplace safety and equal pay and protections. 


To reduce the liability of Social Security, Social Security Disability program is terminated. 


The military will no longer allow gay's to serve, gay right's are being purged and national laws are under study to remove state responsibilities and authorities on this issue. 


There is also a new cabinet post, the Department of Moral Responsibility. This department will provide moral guidance to all areas of Federal responsibility, to provide litmus tests for appointees.


The first week was not without controversy too. Vice President Jindal had to step down a few days after taking the oath of office. The Congress passed a law making a person a person at the moment of conception. Mr. Jindal's mother was 6 months pregnant when she emigrated to the US which disqualified Mr. Jindal since he was a 'person' created in India. Mr. Jindal was replaced by Paul Ryan as Vice President. 


And this is just the beginning.......

The hypocrisy of Jeb Bush

Yesterday it was reported that Jeb Bush, the former Governor of Florida found 'unforgivable' the acceptance of Federal stimulus funds by current Governor Charlie Crist. The amount of the awards to the state of Florida have totaled, $9 Billion dollars.

The hypocrisy factor is quite apparent when you consider Florida received $5.6 Billion in Federal Disaster Aid in 2004 alone due to the plethora of hurricanes striking the Sunshine State. Hurricane Ivan brought $1.5 Billion in aid. The Governor at the time? Jeb Bush.

If I understand the basic philosophy about states rights and the concept of not sharing the wealth of other states, the whole idea of Federal Aid for any reason is an anathema to the Republic Party, yet the all beg for aid when their own resources and unwillingness to plan for their own disasters falls short.

The failures of states to live within their means and to properly prepare for potential disasters along with the knowledge that the Feds will bail them out makes this an unending cycle.

The stimulus package was designed to avert a crisis looming that was going to bring us all down, not a natural disaster but a man made one. Everyone is guilty of indifference and greed. Be it the Wall Street moguls or the folks who took on loans they knew they could not afford, we are all guilty. The system is the problem.

Governor Crist is the Governor for ALL Floridians, not Republic or Democratic ones or Independents. The stimulus funding is for ALL Floridians, not just the few. Take a look at Recovery.gov to see where your money is being spent, right down to the zip code.

Next time you criticize the current Governor, just take a look at your own hands for begging for disaster relief from the Feds. I suppose it did not hurt matters that your brother was President at the time.