Rep. Kingston Doesn’t Mention The Stimulus When Handing Out Stimulus Funds
Rep. Kingston Doesn’t Mention The Stimulus When Handing Out Stimulus Funds
Earlier this year, Congress passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) — commonly referred to as the stimulus — without a single Republican vote in the House of Representatives. Since then, a whole host of legislators who opposed the stimulus have jumped at the opportunity to personally deliver stimulus funds to their cash-strapped districts.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that not a single Georgian GOP legislator who voted against ARRA has turned down stimulus funds for their district. The paper notes one congressman, Rep. Jack Kingston (R-GA), has managed to get away with this hypocrisy by hiding the source of the funds he is doling out:
On July 28, Kingston’s office issued news releases announcing $245,187 combined in funding through the federal Office of Community Oriented Policing Services for the Alma and Jesup police departments. The money will pay the salary and benefits for one entry-level police officer for each department for three years, according to Kingston’s news releases, which did not mention the funding was made possible by the federal stimulus program.
“We’ve seen from experience that local initiatives go a lot further toward solving local problems than policies set in Washington,” Kingston said in his release about the funding for Jesup. “This funding will provide tax relief by saving local tax dollars.”
In February, Kingston said the recovery act is “fundamentally flawed and doesn’t represent the change we deserve or the stimulus we need.” His spokesman said Kingston, who remains opposed to the stimulus, routinely announces all types of federal funding for his district without identifying the legislation that created it.
“We are very cautious not to take credit for it in those releases,” Kingston spokesman Chris Crawford said.
Last week, ThinkProgress noted that Kingston’s colleague Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-GA) — another ardent opponent of the stimulus — handed a giant, stimulus-funded check to the city of Cedartown, Georgia to help fund community development projects.
Gingrey — who remains opposed to the Recovery Act — was forced to release this statement explaining his hypocrisy: “If the Democrats are hellbent on spending an astronomical sum of money, it is my job as a member of Congress to see that the communities I represent receive consideration for the federal funds that the Democrats are spending, whether I agreed with its allocation or not.”
Topic Cloud
ArchivesBlog Roll
Gingrey — who remains opposed to the Recovery Act — was forced to release this statement explaining his hypocrisy: “If the Democrats are hellbent on spending an astronomical sum of money, it is my job as a member of Congress to see that the communities I represent receive consideration for the federal funds that the Democrats are spending, whether I agreed with its allocation or not.”
October 19th, 2009 at 9:57 amWhich shows just how few principles these people hold.
As an add-on to my previous statement, for everyone who opposed the stimulus, that’s fine, it’s an opinion you are most certainly entitled to, but don’t turn around and spend the damn money just because it’s there!
October 19th, 2009 at 10:01 amCaption:
Hi! I’m using this T-Shirt that was paid for by some unkown funding source to hide this girl’s chest from the camera!
October 19th, 2009 at 10:02 amWe did not vote for it.
but by golly we will dam sure make sure we get our names on it went it benefits us.
October 19th, 2009 at 10:02 amThe repugs have no principles — only self-interest.
They are hypocrites who voted to see their people continue to suffer; now they reach out to grab what the government offers, and take credit for it.
Instead of confessing that they were mistaken, used short-sighted judgment and were politically motivated, but now have had a change of heart and recognize that their suffering constituents need assistance, they present a convoluted defense, which exposes them as incorrigible.
October 19th, 2009 at 10:04 amHmmm….just another in a long line of repiggie swine…
October 19th, 2009 at 10:04 amMust be hard being wrong.
October 19th, 2009 at 10:15 amYet, the dumbasses they represent will re-elect these hypocritical morons next year.
October 19th, 2009 at 10:20 amRep. Jack Kingston (R-GA) = fascist, stupid, phucktard, RePugniScum that’s grabbing cash to promote his own agenda.
No morals or ethics. Typical RePugniTard.
October 19th, 2009 at 10:23 amMr Bungle its just as hard being right then watching those who were WRONG win and steal elections then screw everything up. Nothing worse than seeing a disaster coming, doing everything you can to stop it, have it hit THEN GET BLAMED FOR IT
October 19th, 2009 at 10:24 amWhat was the (legitimate) alternative offered by repubs for the second coming of the Great Depression?
Or the (legit) alternative offered for every major problem facing the US? Tax cuts???
They didnt vote for the recovery act, they have no ideas, and the fully expect to get traction from handing out checks like this to the mob.
I would love to see a survey of their brand ratings before and after hading out the check — esp among their actual supporters…
October 19th, 2009 at 10:27 am10. EugeneDebs says:
October 19th, 2009 at 10:29 amWell of course! Remember no good deed ever went UNpunished. If I’d known this is what life was all about when I was growing up, I doubt I’d have spent so much time wishing I was an adult.
“R.I.P Constitution”….t-shirt made in China.
October 19th, 2009 at 10:30 amUSNclerk
Boy I HEAR that
October 19th, 2009 at 10:30 amMy late wife used to say the one unforgivable sin was BEING RIGHT
October 19th, 2009 at 10:31 amI suppose that they could get away with saying that the stimulus is socialism at work for most of America but for their hometowns it’s just a bit of a windfall that has come their way. The incurious constituencies that elect guys like Kingston won’t bother to consider the hypocrisy of the GOP grand standers.
October 19th, 2009 at 10:33 amStrip them of the stimulus money! Jindal, Perry, all the Repugs who denounced it shouldn’t get one friggin penny. Then see how fast their ‘Constituants’ flee. The Tea-Baggers, Birthers, 912ers, all of them shouls put their money where their mouths are.
October 19th, 2009 at 10:39 amP.D. says:
——————————————————————————–
Strip them of the stimulus money! Jindal, Perry, all the Repugs who denounced it shouldn’t get one friggin penny. Then see how fast their ‘Constituants’ flee. The Tea-Baggers, Birthers, 912ers, all of them shouls put their money where their mouths are.
October 19th, 2009 at 10:42 amI like the idea, but be realistic, the moment someone tries, they’ll have at least a top 10 list of BS reasons that would be “unconstitutional” and we both know it. [sigh]
Shorter Gingrey: I didnt get the money thru earmarks most people never see!
October 19th, 2009 at 10:43 amCollege student Ashleigh Kenny(in picture) is causing controversy because of a t-shirt she designed and is selling that reads “R.I.P. The U.S. Constitution” on the front and Ronald Reagan is quoted on the back: “In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem, government is the problem.”
Ashleigh defends her t-shirt, saying “Our government is getting too big. How big can be debated, but the truth is, the government is bigger than the people. Therefore, the constitution is under attack. No matter which way you look at it, it is.”
That’s nice, I don’t remember this girl making T-shirts(and Money) and complaining during the last administration.
October 19th, 2009 at 10:46 amUSN@18, Yeah, you’re right. And lets face it. The bozos who vote for these idiots have no idea the money is from the stimulus anyway. They are illinformed and ignorant. They probably think these Repugs wave a wand around and ‘Poof’ here’s some moolah!
October 19th, 2009 at 10:47 amIs there an asshat school that all of these repubs have to attend?
October 19th, 2009 at 10:49 amwisdom@22, Yeah. It’s called the Jerry Falwell college!
October 19th, 2009 at 10:52 amSo Kingston’s office “routinely” lies? They not only covered up where the money came from, they lied about it. None of it is from “local” sources; it’s all from the president.
http://www.political-buzz.com/
October 19th, 2009 at 10:53 amWhy…OF COURSE he doesn’t, you silly libs!!
He’s a hypocrite/Republican, after all, isn’t he? DUH.
October 19th, 2009 at 10:55 amIt’s called racist concern. It only matters if there is a black man in the oval office.
October 19th, 2009 at 10:55 amIt’s incredible that, with all their lying, hypocrisy, & hateful attacks on others, Republicans CAN still live with themselves. They apparently have no remorse nor shame about all the dishonesty they exhibit every day. Repubs are disturbing, uncaring, & frightening
October 19th, 2009 at 10:56 amYou have to be kidding me! This bozo isn’t even hiding the fact that he’s intentionally deceiving his constituents!! How pompous and self-serving can someone be?
October 19th, 2009 at 10:56 amCaption: I helped cause a worldwide economic depression, and all I got was this lousy t-shirt.
October 19th, 2009 at 10:57 amGet him on Bill Maher again. Orchestrate a you tube moment exposing the truth of the matter. His constituents may be largely ignorant but they still maintain their low intellects through heavy use of the Internet just like the rest of us.
Problem solved.
October 19th, 2009 at 10:59 am“In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem, government is the problem.”
Its like a Fox saying “The henhouse is not the solution to our problem, the hens and the henhouses are the problem”
Seriously tho I hear people mimick this talking point all the time but if you look back and look at spending..sorry, Reagan didnt spend less.
October 19th, 2009 at 11:01 amBill Maher is not going to be doing his show until the first of the year I think. So Jon Stewart will have to handle it.
October 19th, 2009 at 11:02 amSo Kingston “routinely announces all types of federal funding without identifying the legislation behind it” because he doesn’t want to be perceived as “taking credit for it”. Yeah but explain how the “local initiative” even comes to fruition WITHOUT the federal dollars? I hate to break it to you, moron spokesperson, but the state and local levels can’t “go it alone” without the assistance of the feds.
October 19th, 2009 at 11:02 amNo ppatt. His base of dumbass redneck wingnuts are incapable of understanding that concept. They are programmed to believe that their Republican leaders would not spend federal money. Therefore, no matter what you do, they will continue to believe that the money came from the rugged individualist local people.
October 19th, 2009 at 11:02 amShe is obviously a libertarian, and is upset because there is nothing in the Constitution which says a black man can be President.
October 19th, 2009 at 11:06 amI dont care what her tshirt says its just that people shouldnt wear things around that make them proud of their alternate reality.
October 19th, 2009 at 11:06 amThe problem with calling out Republicans on their hypocracy is that the charge of hypocracy doesn’t sting for them. They’ve changed the paradigm so that any criticism, however justified, is automatically outrageous because it they immediately express outrage at being criticized. Like Duke Cunningham, they maintain their imperviousness to shame right up to the point when they are convicted. At this point, they flip completely and are contrition personified.
When Alan Greyson says that Republicans are heartlessly protecting the status quo of a health care system that permits the death of thousands of Americans every month for lack of health insurance, they respond with outrage that we would attack them. They do not answer his charge, though; they continue to obstruct reform without offering any solutions.
For hypocracy to sting, you must feel some responsibility for your words or your actions. Republicans take responsibility for nothing.
October 19th, 2009 at 11:09 amKingston’s always been an empty-suit, religious zealot, reactionary rightist.
You know, the kind that finds no hypocrisy in decrying the stimulus, only to dole out its funds. The kind that demands the unborn be protected by the 14th amendment…but voted for a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. A pol so devoid of human compassion, he voted for a measure that would tip off immigration services if an illegal immigrant had to use emergency room services.
Just another fine person representing the state of Georgia.
October 19th, 2009 at 11:12 amThe problem with calling out Republicans on their hypocracy is that the charge of hypocracy doesn’t sting for them
Well, when you have five sockpuppets you dont have to be responsible for fing..sockpuppet A beliefs/actions which might appear as hypocrisy to others.
October 19th, 2009 at 11:17 amAshleigh defends her t-shirt, saying “Our government is getting too big. How big can be debated, but the truth is, the government is bigger than the people. Therefore, the constitution is under attack. No matter which way you look at it, it is.”
That’s nice, I don’t remember this girl making T-shirts(and Money) and complaining during the last administration.
_____________
Apart from that… Ashley’s comment doesn’t make any sense…
As Judge Land told Orly Taitz whilst dressing down the Hon Ms Taitz in court recently, “This is not ‘Alice In Wonderland’… just because you say it’s so, it doesn’t make it so’.
It must be nice to live a life untroubled by ‘facts’, or ‘logic’, or ‘rationality’…
October 19th, 2009 at 11:27 amIt is even worse than that. They have done this so often for so long, that they convince themselves that any anyone who criticizes them is automatically a far leftist, and therefore the criticism is unjustified. Whether or not the criticsm has merit is not an issue. This gives them the uncanny ability to completely ignore any facts, no matter how obvious they are.
October 19th, 2009 at 11:34 amAshleigh defends her t-shirt, saying “Our government is getting too big. How big can be debated, but the truth is, the government is bigger than the people. Therefore, the constitution is under attack. No matter which way you look at it, it is.”
That’s funny. After seeing this quote, I went and read the Constitution, but I couldn’t find the part where it tells us how big the government is supposed to be. I better read it again. I must have just missed it.
October 19th, 2009 at 11:39 amiRi, you will feel much better if you find out how much stimulus money your district received and call your Congressman to demand that he return it to Washington. That will do your heart much more good than posting unrelated whining about the plight of the poor military industrial complex.
October 19th, 2009 at 11:49 amIt is up to the Obama administration to call these congressmen hypocrites. The administration has ways for making sure the people know where the money came from. This should be done in every district where the stimulus was opposed. It makes it easier for these representatives to be challenged in elections. If enough of these people are defeated, the Republican party will not be able to reorganize in the House and Senate.
October 19th, 2009 at 11:53 amiRi says:
Republicans take what was offered and get bashed while Democrats steal from our troops and nothing is said. Obama is proud of you TP’ers.
Kind of like you, and other people’s words?
http://www.obamaers.com/senators-divert-funds-for-troops-to-pet-projects/
Too pathetic.
October 19th, 2009 at 11:54 amI guess the political wilderness was too scary for IRI. That’s why he’s here, sniffing out a scandal – or perhaps his own rear…
October 19th, 2009 at 11:56 amiRi sez:
Senators diverted $2.6 billion [ blah blah blah... woof woof woof... meow moew...] according to an analysis.
The only ’source’ I could find for this horrible, horrible scandal was The Washington (Moonie) Times… it would appear every other site on the Internet that posted it got from them.
NO other major, CREDIBLE news site touched it… wonder why?
It’s about reconciling a spending bill in committee, and that’s all. The Admin asked for $156 BILLION and the Senate only gave them $153.6 BILLION, and then clipped $655 MILLION from an additional $81 BILLION request…
Hardly robbing the troops the way the Moonie Times, iRi, and the rest of the Howling Mad Wingnutosphere™ so desperately want to pretend it is…
You’re not doing so well here this morning, iRi…
October 19th, 2009 at 1:18 pmIt sounds like iRi is for big government and wasteful spending.
October 19th, 2009 at 1:57 pm“Rep. Kingston Doesn’t Mention The Stimulus When Handing Out Stimulus Funds”
Stay classy there, Kingston.
October 19th, 2009 at 2:09 pmYeah, this makes a whole lot of sense. In other words..he is against spending the money but had his hand out ready to take his his cut. That’s pure hypocrisy. If he was against it he should have refused anything that was offered. Then again, this is the GOP we’re talking about where hypocrisy goes hand in hand with God, country and mom’s apple pie.
October 19th, 2009 at 2:46 pmshoeless says:
It sounds like iRi is for big government and wasteful spending.
It’s how Republicans redistribute wealth. Take 56% of federal income taxes and redirect them to your “buddies” in the defense industry. Then you “shield” them from being prosecuted for gang rape for good measure…
October 19th, 2009 at 3:43 pmTo me, the ultimate irony of this ommission of “the stimulus” from the announcements is:
Under Bush II, every penny released had a picture of Bush attached. Every dollar had a video showing how this was straight from Bush.
October 19th, 2009 at 4:13 pmfdgsd
October 20th, 2009 at 11:31 amfghdxfgd
October 20th, 2009 at 11:33 amaaron
FOAD
October 21st, 2009 at 3:09 amThank you for your sharing.!
October 23rd, 2009 at 4:25 pmEarlier this year, Congress passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA estetik)– commonly referred to as the stimulus — without a single Republican vote in the House of Representatives burun estetigi. Since then, a whole host of legislators who opposed the stimulus have jumped at the opportunity to personally deliver stimulus funds to their cash-strapped districts gögüs büyütme ameliyatlari. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that not a single Georgian GOP legislator who voted against ARRA has turned down stimulus funds for their district gögüs estetigi. The paper notes one congressman, Rep. Jack Kingston (R-GA gögüs küçültme ameliyatlari), has managed to get away with this hypocrisy by hiding the source of the funds he is doling out vajina daraltma ameliyatlari: The Republican National Committee “figure is far higher than what experts estimate it should have cost, and five times the amount its Democratic counterpart spent to host and maintain Democrats.org. lazer epilasyon” You can have a website up and running for the fraction of what you spent karin germe estetigi. just hire a shut in teenager and he will do much better design that that awful looking “what up” site estetik. You can save the millions on Potato salad, fried chicken and watermelon to attract people to the RNC as Steele said it himself. Fiscally irresponsible GNOP karin germe estetigi. Wasn’t there a similar complaint about how much the party spent last year to dress VP Sarah Palin even though they were trying to portray her as a regular woman saç ekimi. Also, didn’t you, Ben, blog a few months ago, about complaints against RNC Chair Michael Steele’s spending habits.
October 24th, 2009 at 4:36 am