Obama Wants $50 Billion More for Teachers, Police, Fighterfighters

Government workers earning almost twice as much as private sector workers is not enough for him.

Wait, is this $50 billion on top of the provisions in the latest jobs bill ($23 billion) and FY2010 Supplemental Appropriations Bill ($25 billion) that would be used to 'save' those same jobs? If it is, Obama wants to give away another $100 billion total for these public union workers.

Obama pleads for $50 billion in state, local aid
(Lori Montgomery, 6/13/2010 Washington Post)

"President Obama urged reluctant lawmakers Saturday to quickly approve nearly $50 billion in emergency aid to state and local governments, saying the money is needed to avoid "massive layoffs of teachers, police and firefighters" and to support the still-fragile economic recovery.

"In a letter to congressional leaders, Obama defended last year's huge economic stimulus package, saying it helped break the economy's free fall, but argued that more spending is urgent and unavoidable. "We must take these emergency measures," he wrote in an appeal aimed primarily at members of his own party.

""I think there is spending fatigue," House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.) said recently. "It's tough in both houses to get votes."

"Democrats, particularly in the House, have voted for politically costly initiatives at Obama's insistence, most notably health-care and climate change legislation. But faced with an electorate widely viewed as angry and hostile to incumbents, many are increasingly reluctant to take politically unpopular positions.

"Obama asks lawmakers to be patient on the deficit, noting that a special commission is at work on a comprehensive deficit-reduction plan.

""It is essential that we continue to explore additional measures to spur job creation and build momentum toward recovery, even as we establish a path to long-term fiscal discipline," Obama wrote. "At this critical moment, we cannot afford to slide backwards just as our recovery is taking hold."" [The article continues.]

I'm sure his commission will come up with a winner. (How about disbanding itself to save money?)

So to summarize: to help save the jobs of teachers at public schools which are not educating kids, and police and firefighters who will retire with fat pensions courtesy of tax payers will spur job creation and boost the economic recovery.

Make sense, doesn't it?

Maybe the 'newly discovered' $1 trillion mineral deposits in Afghanistan will pay for all this and more. (Remember, oil from Iraq was supposed to pay for the recovery of Iraq.)

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