The Kenai Sucks (off of the Federal Gov't Teat)

In case you haven't figured it out, there's a slight left-of-center bent to the ramblings on this blog. Yep, I'm a do-good, bleedin'-heart, tree-huggin' liberal.  Treating others like you want to be treated and cleaning up your mess are the basic philosophies that guide what I say and do.  What's so funny about peace, love and understanding?

And here I am smack in middle of the land of ACT,  the Nikiski Militia, SoundOff and KSRM, tea-baggers galore and a population that voted overwhelmingly for Joe Miller, one of the sleaziest, most hypocritical, bullies to come around these parts since Jerry Ward. You know, Joe the lawyer and tea bag favorite who applied for a hardship hunting and fishing license while he was paying a contractor $280,000 to build his house.  The same Joe who was collecting a federal gov't subsidy for farmland in Kansas while blasting federal spending. (BTW, did you see that Joe is going to run for Mark B's US Senate seat in 2014?)

Anyhoo, one would think my fellow Kenai Peninsula residents would spit in the eye of taking any sort of federal aid.  Don't Tread On Me! Cut the entitlements to welfare queens and illegal immigrants.

But then I saw this chart published in the NYTimes that broke down the amount of Federal assistance we Americans receive by county.

Well, seems a lot of the welfare queens are right here in river city and the rest of the peninsula. 

Nationwide, the average person receives around 17.5% of their personal income from federal handouts.  Here on the Kenai, it's 19.25% of the per capita income for a total of more than $7,800 each per man, woman and child. 

Wait, you might think that because we have a high percentage of retirees, it's just the old folks getting back the money they paid in. Actually, local SSI  payouts come in just under the national average.

I don't begrudge anyone who is desperately in need of assistance. Remember, I'm a liberal and I'm down with what Jesus said: What you do to the least of these, you do to me.

But I guess I have a problem with the folks who collect the dough and then shoot their mouths off about how we have a welfare state.  I'm reminded of Mrs Ted Spraker who stood up during Murkowski's town hall meeting at the Sports Center about the health care bill. She railed against the socialism of government health care, but carefully omitted the fact that she herself has health care funded by taxpayers. 

The accompanying news story in the NYTimes also notes that an increasing number of people who accept government handouts are the same ones who complain about all of the people getting government handouts. And a lot of them claim they don't really need it.

Just for the record, this liberal, tree-hugging leftie receives exactly $0 in federal handouts.   My taxes are carrying a lot of your asses.  If you are truly in need, good luck to you and I hope your life gets better.

If you are raking in the handouts and are voting for Republicans, supporting the tea party, and bashing Obamacare, have some dignity and integrity and don't bite the hand that feeds you.  Of course, the official republican motto in Alaska is the same one they have at 'Koot's bar in Anchorage: We cheat the other guy and pass the savings on to you.

Think About It: John Davis Doesn't Think

Radio Kenai's five stations dominate the local commercial airwaves. John Davis, the radio media magnate, has infused right-wing propaganda through most of the syndicated shows that he broadcasts. John, and his partner in opine, Joe Nicks, offer their own profundities in the Think About It series. At best, their ideas are insipid, but more often they are, in the satirical way Rush uses the word, retarded.

Let's look at a sampler of what they want you to think about.

Joe wants to keep anyone over 60 from running for political office. They're too out of touch with the youngsters. So no Bush I, Reagan, Ford, Eisenhower or Truman. I think we all would have preferred the old George over the youngster W.

He also wants to give one-time tax credits for those who quit smoking or enroll in weight-loss programs. Simple...or maybe just simple minded. Ok, so you quit smoking, take your tax write-off, and celebrate by lighting up? Is the gub'mint going to put their spies out to make sure you really quit? The same for weight loss credits. Does he want the Feds to come and weigh you to make sure? And if you gain the weight back, do you pay the credit back? If not, what's the point? This is how you propose we solve the health care issue? How about we give those ideas at least a couple minutes more thought Joe?

But it is Mr. Davis who really demonstrates what little thought he is capable of. John gussies his platitudes with faux-folksy tales of his past and equates old-time parental discipline as a sure way of getting the Feds back in line. Well, he's a little short on specifics, but those might confuse him. The government has chipped away at gun rights over the last 100 years. Well, we can't own atomic bombs, so I guess he's right. John, what specific laws are you talking about?

He also rails against the Patriot Act, just one of the many doublespeak laws passed in W's watch, but there are no specifics, just his cutesy musing wondering what type of soap the government will use on those who speak out. I don't think the government should do warrant-less phone taps on citizens, force librarians to turn over the titles of books that citizens check out and etc., but why does he complain now and why did he remain silent when some of those laws were passed and why the silence when W's justice department violated the existing rules on wiretapping and torture?

I did get a big laugh over his delineation of liberals and conservatives. A liberal vegetarian wants to outlaw meat. A liberal wants to surrender gracefully to Osama Bin Ladin. An atheistic liberal only wants to promote 'foreign' religions. A liberal person of color only sees himself as a victim.

John, if you need to believe all of this to feel good about your ignorance, that is your right. But if you call that thinking,maybe you should think again.