Selling out to socialists in a shiny new car

Rick Fabrizio, Managing Editor of the Portsmouth Herald, has a tongue in cheek (we think) article about buying a new car through the Cash for Clunkers program.

By RICK FABRIZIO
August 30, 2009 2:00 AM

I am the proud driver of a shiny new car, purchased with $4,500 of government aid through its "Cash for Clunkers" program.

My purchase was quick and easy. So, I drive happily along as a big fan of the economic/environmental stimulus package. When I see other shiny new cars on the road proudly adorning temporary license plates, I give the drivers a thumbs-up, maybe even a wink depending on the driver.

It's like the 1990s when everyone was making scads of cash and were buying SUVs and German sports cars. Well, it's not exactly like the '90s in that there were no public dollars for those rides, but if you think about it, the '90s cash was just as fake as the federal dollars being churned out today. (more)

Portsmouth Herald- "Poorly vetted state budget must be axed"

Portsmouth Herald columnist Rick Fabrizio urges lawmakers to reject the state budget, and the haphazard budget process that created it:

If Lynch wanted to effectively guide his Democratic-controlled Legislature, he would have called on it to focus on the budget in January instead of a slew of social issues. Pols spent three months on the death penalty, gay marriage and transgender rights, and only intensely focused on the budget in the past three weeks.

It has been suggested that the select few who guide the legislative session opened it with social issues by design, creating a buzz of involvement among residents that tapered off when it came time to focus on the budget. And what has a larger impact: A death penalty study committee, medical marijuana and gay marriage or a slew of increased taxes or fees?

Some reaction to this suggestion was that these legislative leaders were not that manipulative. Either that was the case though, or representatives and senators allowed themselves to get caught up in the passion of social issues instead of an arduous budget process that should have taken months of concentrated efforts, not weeks.

Why should the House and Senate reject this budget despite warnings from Lynch that a continuing resolution could cost the state $11 million a month? Because they failed to allow affected stakeholders to debate tax and fee increases that will have an impact on their lives and livelihoods.

Worn to a nub calling for fiscal reality and accountability

Portsmouth Herald columnist Rick Fabrizio writes that's he is sick of hearing how a large increase in spending came after "tough cuts" to the budget:

Call me irresponsible if you must, but I still prefer a zero-increase budget from the state. Call me irresponsible, but I didn't propagate that the Senate "held the line on spending" with a record-setting general fund budget filled with cost shifting accounting gimmicks.

I believe current levels of government salaries and benefits, unwieldy and inefficiently administrated programs, along with waste, are breaking the back of sustainable government spending, endangering us all.