Nice round-up. I've enjoyed Congressman Earl's take on the bike issue as well. I can't wait. Wish I could follow this thread, but I can't take anymore Republic rhetoric, whether from the Congress or Parker or "billy".

It would be nice if once they tried to rationalize, not their objections, but why it is so important that they have to be so insufferably rude at every juncture, discussing it. Where does this attitude come from? It can only be that they are so very threatened. They're trying to control us more than the other way around; we just want space. There are so many bigger tax burdens to pick on; I just don't get it.

I know I've had enough of it though.

a bunch of the male legislators down in Salem are growing shaggy beards in honor of Oregon's impending 150th birthday next week.

Same thing happened during the 1959 Centennial, all of the men at my father's shop looked like Castro's revolutionary's.

The Bus Project work is phenomenal. As we discuss filling statewide offices, we need to start to develop a deep bench of young people outside Portland who can be in position to run in the future. The Bus Project activities in Eugene are a great start.

"With this latest attempt to strip bike [funding] from the recovery bill, Republicans have once again demonstrated how out of touch"

My take to Earl would be if this is so compelling to the other members of Congrees why not sell it under a separate bill? If it looks and oinks liek pork, it is. If you let every rep lard this thing up just because hiding $500M in a $800B bill is easy, you're asking for trouble.

"it's gonna contain some spending."

I am sure spending is not a problem. Remind me again how tax breaks for wooden arrow makers helps the economy recover. Multiply the number of reps and senators by $100M (or whatever their sum total of each of their pet projects is) and you get an idea of how much focus this is losing. However, it is getting to sound more and more like Reagan-era trickle-down economics, so maybe it will work.

Remind me again how tax breaks for wooden arrow makers helps the economy recover.

When the dems take away your guns, all you'll have left is your bows and arrows. Better stock up!

Add-ons are a perversian of democracy, period. Fine, have your consent package, but be honest about it and stick them all into a bill and entitle it Session xyz Consent Package Appropriations, or whatever. The simple truth is that they are attached to bills that obscure their scrutiny and to leverage political capital that the issue does not have. You can not have business being done by a few that think their issue is so important that the ends justify the means. I'll bet almost no one on this blog knows and the few that do care NADA that the reprehensible anti-rave bill, soundly defeated at every hearing, was passed by virtue of its being attached at the 11th hour to the Amber Alert law.

Could we have a run-down on the costs and effectiveness of that one? Italy is facing a constitutional crisis because we allowed the Senate to poke us all in the butt with Terry Schiavo. Nancy Pelosi has reneged on every campaign promise to not do business like DeLay. Read the polls. Americans are tired of the way the Congress does business, full stop. "The Reps have learned nothing". True enough, but the laugher and finger pointing from the other side of the aisle shows they have no monopoly.

Talk to a business owner. It's a funeral. Right as you may be, no one appreciates an "I told you so relative" showing up at the funeral to ridicule the dead person with tales of how they should have listened to good advice. Do you attack the aggressor or defend the victim? At this point the victims aren't best pleased and would appreciate the attack on the Reps more if it led to an improvement in their suffering. As it hasn't this constant triumphalism is only reinforcing the perception that no one represents the people. You're happy- posts on BO have been ecstatic- but we aren't. That says that you aren't us.

"According to the National Sporting Goods Association, the number of Americans who bike "frequently" -- 110 days a year or more -- fell almost 10 percent in 2007 to 3.7 million people."

There are over 300,000,000 people in the U.S. That means about 1% of Americans ride their bikes consistently, for reasons other than recreation.

So unemployment is skyrocketing and Blumenauer thinks building bike paths is a priority and will create long-term, family-wage jobs? Maybe Blumenauer needs leave the safety-belt of the metro area and take a long, hard look at the reality of life in other places.

"it is exactly the kind of investment the American people want. ..."

Really, Congressman?

Jason, do you have a clue what the difference is between leading and following? Good point though. As the bike appropriation is less than 1% of the bill, it should be raised! Only someone raised in a rickety old majority-take-all democracy would dismiss 300,000 people out of hand. This is why you're all so pro-breeding? All your blanks reduce the influence of anyone that thinks differently? I love it. No more disembodied tyranny of the majority; it has a voice!

What a new power in government! Party operatives will want to sign these important blocks up for their agenda ASAP. By all means, let's lead by the numbers!

Americans that think Joan of Arc was Noah's wife: 10% Americans that think the sun revolves around the earth: 22% Americans that think the Congress tells the truth: 6% Americans only accepting "total honesty" from a pol: 40% Americans that think Elvis is alive: 8% Americans that will read nothing from a book this year: 38% Americans that think foreign language ed. is not important: 33% American college graduates that never read for pleasure: 33% Americans that think we should defend Palestinian rights: 6% Americans that think cars pollute more than business: 44% Americans sure that Saddam personally planned 9/11: 33% Americans sure the Constitution established a Xtian nation: 55% Americans that think TV "is too real": 75% Americans believing the fiscal crisis was caused by Iraq: 71% Americans that think O's closing Gitmo is "plain stupid": 58% Americans that approved of Cheney's results: 34% Americans believing all film is controlled by Jews: 20% Americans that want US forces on the ground with Israel: 50% Americans that think the media has been indulgent of BO: 38% Americans that would drill "wherever there's oil": 51% Americans wanting greater US military presence overseas: 15% Americans saying rudeness and stupidity are big probs: 80%

But 99% agreed with baby Bush's actions after 9/11, according to a White Souse Horse.

I know I go on; I haven't changed with the times. Average Presidential soundbite length in 1968: 43 seconds Average Presidential soundbite length in 2008: 6 seconds

Don't bother to dispute the numbers, look it up. It's an education. Sorry, mean to suggest something offensive.

Always enjoy reading Blue Oregon. Intelligent, thoughtful, thought provoking. Thanks.

"being the dittohead you are"

Wow, didn't take long for the name-calling to begin.

I am not for propping up make-work jobs if they make no economic sense. However, you don't address the larger issue of 5 lbs of pork for each ounce of actual economic stimulus. I am not seeing much diff between this and the panic and mindset that caused the TARP bill was my main point.

"Americans saying rudeness and stupidity are big probs: 80%"

Really not getting the list of stats. How about:

Portlanders who voted for Sam: 60%

Really not getting the list of stats. How about:

If 1% are to be ignored, simply because they're 1%, then these people should be paid attention to, simply because they have numbers, would be the point.

It goes to the point about leading.

Wooden Arrow Taxes. Repealing a stupid tax on arrows is not a bailout. The real question is, who the freaking hell thought up a tax on arrows? Screw your tax. That is simply government revenue generation at the expense of everyone. THAT is a democrat commandment, revenue, revenue, revenue. Stop the god damned spending and we will not need arrow taxes, tidlywink taxes, and soon snot taxes.

There's the debate in a nutshell:

"each ounce of actual economic stimulus."

What is the definition of stimulus:

"Tax cuts create jobs therefore stimulus means tax cuts" after 8 years of being told that followed by 9% unemployment?

Putting skilled tradespeople (plumbers, electricians, carpenters, etc.) to work on jobs that need to be done? Or would that be an admission that tax cuts don't provide the needed maintenance on bridges, sewer systems, old buildings which need electrical/weatherization upgrades?

Here's the bottom line for me. Few people who blog have a personal memory of FDR. But there is a WPA project in Oregon which many Oregonians have visited at one time or another. Can we at least agree that Timberline Lodge was an investment which stood the test of time and was not "pork"?

<h2>Are you saying that, by definition, "pork" has to be bad? Can their be obvious pork that worked out well? Not a comment, as I'm a firm believer that the meaning of a term is it's use, I'm just trying to get clear on how people use the term.</h2>