Thursday, December 9, 2010

More bad news re Planet Kasich

OUR VOW TO keep you up-to-date on news re Planet Kasich comes to you today via the Columbus Dispatch. Although Gov-elect Kasich is not yet Gov. Kasich, he's already cost the state thousands of jobs and $400 million. The paper reports that Gov. Strickland has received word from Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood that money designated for a high-speed passenger rail system in Ohio has been has been shifted to several other states in the wake of Kasich's avowed opposition to the plan.

Kasich says he will pursue his own job-creating agenda, which he never defined in his campaign and still doesn't. Said Strickland of the setback to Ohio's struggling economy: : "Today is one of the saddest days during my four years as governor."

Kasich's behavior is looking more like the bull in the China shop. No surprise there.



18 comments:

Anonymous said...

400,000 is a fraction of the amount of jobs this guy is going to cost the state. At least the unemployment offices will be busier than ever on the watch of Governor Kasich.

FoxNewsFan84 said...

God bless John Kasich for taking a stand and rejecting the high speed rail. The easy thing would have been to accept the federal funds and leave future generations to be on the hook for all the costly subsidies that go with it. Thankfully, Kasich is staying true to his principles of a smarter, smaller government. That is the definition of leadership.

About a month ago, the ABJ ran a piece by Robert Samuelson addressing alot of the myths regarding high speed rail. I highly reccomend everyone read it.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/23/AR2009082302037.html

joe Hill said...

Superstition aside, rejection of $400 is an act of a fool. The only principles seeming established by Kasich are those grounded in a failed ideology. Quoting a liar like Samuelson comes as no surprise. Like all your missives on this site, this post is devoid of fact or common sense and is loaded with your normal bullshit. Do us all a favor go crawl back under your rock and leave the adults to contemplate how we get out of this mess that assholes like Kasich are have created.

Mencken said...

Interesting fact that Samuelson never votes in any elections. Apparently he floats above the democratic process.

I'm ambivalent about the high speed rail as I don't think there's a compelling need for it in Ohio, and I think the projected cost is way too low.

$400,000,000, while a lot of money, is only 1/3 the amount of money Jerry Jones & taxpayers spent to build the new Cowboys stadium. Taxpayer contribution was $425,000,000.

No one can convince me that a high speed rail can be built for 1/3 the amount it took to build a football stadium, no matter how much wretched excess was involved in paying $1.15 billion for a stadium. Original estimates for the stadium were in the $600 million range.

Killing the high speed rail was low-hanging fruit for Kasich. Now comes the really difficult part for him;
cutting existing programs and services and generating jobs as he waterboards Ohio's educational system.

Kasich wrote a check his ass can't cash. It will be interesting, but not that fun to watch Republicans scramble to protect their district's interests without looking like hypocrites.

God, this is gonna be ugly.

Elena LaVictoire said...

It is going to be ugly.

But it has to be done.

When your household is debt and the money coming in doesn't cover the money going out you have to cut stuff and try to bring in more money. Good God, my 11 and 12 year olds grasp that concept. Why do adults have such a problem with it?

Mencken said...

I trust your children explained to you that spending a trillion dollars in Iraq and borrowing the money from the Saudi's and the Chinese while cutting taxes was bad fiscal policy as well. And of course they told you that Wall Street and the banks practiced the fiscal slight of hand that contributed mightily to this recession.
And they told you that the Bush Administration gutted regulatory oversight that let that happen and meanwhile staffed the judicial system with loyalist lackeys to cover their asses.

Even my collie grasps that reality. Did you?

Elena LaVictoire said...

Yea Muchkin - I got it.

And while it was a nice little dance you tried to do with your friend the strawman, it doesn't change the basic fact that you can't spend what you don't have.

Anonymous said...

Hey, a model country with the ideal government type of the small government clan and lots and lots of guns can be found in Africa - Somalia.

Mencken said...

My point Elena is that I'm absolutely certain none of those things I mentioned elicited the same kind of indignation you parse out here. I'll be happy to put the strawman to bed when you go on the record telling me where I'm wrong.

Anonymous, great point about Somalia.

Mencken said...

Also, spending what you don't have is also known as a car loan, MasterCard, Visa, student loans, and a mortgage/home equity loan. It's done every day Elena.

FoxNewsFan84 said...

From the sound of it, John Kasich will also be taking on the public sector unions here in Ohio, much like Chris Christie is doing in New Jersey. Here is hoping that he follows through and is successful.
Perhaps fiscal responsibility and common sense are indeed making a come back.

Menchken, the fact that spending what you don't have is done every day does not make it a good thing. Our country, both privately and publicly, is drowning in too much debt. We need to boost our savings rates and reduces unnecessary consumption to get out of this mess. As usual, Elena is right and you are wrong.

FoxNewFan84 said...

No offense, but there is a big difference between limiting government to its proper roles as conservatives advocate and the complete anarchy found in a country like Somalia.

Get real, people........

Mencken said...

"As usual, Elena is right and you are wrong".

Thanks for today's chuckle.

Would you care to define unnecessary consumption ?

I asserted that the trillion dollars spent in Iraq was unnecessary? Now for the record, was I right or wrong?

Grumpy Abe said...

As long the subject is on the table, may I mention the new Bush Era American embassy that opened in Baghdad in January 2009 at a ridiculous cost of more than $736 million. It is by far the costliest project in embassy history. By the way it was built with money we don't have and free of the maelstrom of complaints that we are now hearing about feeding the underclass in America. How soon you forget when it's convenient to forget!

Mencken said...

For the record FNF84, the Somalia comment was a joke. I mean really, humor is completely lost on you.
I'm embarrassed for you that point even has to be clarified.

But Abe's point should resonate with you; over $700 million spent on the Baghdad Embassy and not for a moment does it register with you as waste of your tax money. Your tunnel vision really hurts your credibility.

FoxNewsFan84 said...

Menchken,

It is amazing how you think that you know my views on every issue. The truth is that I think the Iraq war was a tragic mistake and wish we had never invaded that country. It was definitely not worth the price our country paid in terms of money and more importantly lives.

Now what Iraq has to do with John Kasich cutting spending in Ohio I still can't figure out. Elena is right, you do a good job of creating strawmen and going off on tangents. You don't want to discuss issues at hand, all you want to do is mindlessly bash Republicans. It is quite pathetic.

Mencken said...

Your current position on the war in Iraq was constructed well after the fact, with the benefit of hindsight. When the war started, you weren't blistering the blog sites with your antiwar sentiments were you?

Yes or no?

Your memory is short. Just days ago I stated my position on the high speed rail as a bad idea. Yes?

I mindlessly bash Republicans? Examples?

Tam said...

Seriously Abe you are so out of touch......once again. That ridiculous high speed rail idea was a money pit. Im so proud of Kasich for standing up for the taxpayers and saying no way to the high speed rail (fyi to call it a high speed rail is funny in itself)Strickland should be saying his worst day as governor was deciding he'd run for re-election!