Man that is a rough 49. EPA chief Scott Pruitt went to Capitol Hill Thursday for some might-as-well-get-it-over-with House hearings, and wow, does that man have a talent for bullshit. The hearings were ostensibly on the EPA's budget, but of course congresspeople had to go and ask him about all those other things, like his travel scandal, the $43,000 secure phone booth in his office, and his incredibly expensive 20-person security detail, not to mention his charming efforts to dismantle the agency he heads and silence EPA employees who get too mouthy about the existence of climate change. Did we say "congresspeople"? We meant Democrats, as Republicans mostly spent their question time asking why Democrats were being so rude as to bring up all these tiny matters about which no one cares. A few highlights:
^THIS^. I'm convinced these guys all have bolt-holes under the Arctic tundra or some such, all mod cons, state of the art off the grid etc. So when the polar bear excrement finally interferes with the machinery, they can carry right on living like oligarchs do, while watching us peons kill each other over the last can of outdated dog food.
Isn't it interesting how these take-charge, I'm-the-boss-here guys are suddenly completely ignorant about anything going on in their agency, even if it's happening right in their office. They don't know nothin' 'bout birthin' no babies, and they sho nuff don't know how that cone of silence got installed in their office. "What'd it cost? It wasn't free?! Boy, I'm p-i-s-t mad about that, you betcha!"
Gauge the intelligence accordingly of any of your friends or family members who swallow this line of bullshit.
I know you're on your way home in January, but I thought you could forward these thoughts from a Texan who sits through a fuck ton of state budget hearings and maybe you guys could have a movie night to see what I am talking about here.
see, back in 2015, many stories had come out about grifty bastard Kyle Janek, then head of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. let's set aside how weird it is that we elect the RR (ENERGY), Land and Ag commissioners, but not the commissioners for the larger health and education agencies in this state and focus on the fact that Janek and his staff did some grifty fuckin' shit.
how much grifty shit? enough to spend a whole day first hearing from the State Auditor's Office and LBB about contracting practices and then 5.5 hours of ripping the bastard to pieces over contract inflation (one of which went from $3M to $108M like OOOOPSIE!), his COS stealing money to help low level staffers pay off their student loans to pay for his graduate degree upfront and then quit, the hiring of Erika Stick who'd been fired by several other agencies, the subsequent hiring of Jack Stick who had also been fired from several other agencies and then doubling his salary, and fucking up OVSOM so back that we had to replace it with TCCO because he made us feel bad for felons who had several violent sexual assaults on their records.
THAT IS BAD. that is also too equally as bad as what Pruitt is doing. and budget hearings are exactly where you talk about how an agency is misspending tax dollars--you know, tax dollars, those things you don't like so much unless they are your own salary.
the hearing was so bad that comprehensive contracting reform was passed in a VERY BIPARTISAN MANNER and Janek quietly resigned. but the agency has not been let off the hook, there is constant scrutiny and a recent contracting fuck up has led to the resignations of at least 5 people at the agency.
if we were to do that the way you assholes are doing it in Congress, Dems would need a majority in the state legislature or the governor who appointed the commissioner would need to be a Democrat. however, the governor, as you know, is a Republican and the lege, as you also too know, is controlled by Republicans. however, these Republicans don't feel like they automatically have to defend agency heads who were appointed by a member of their party (who even served in the state senate as a member of your party) when they truly screw the pooge on budgeting matters because they would not be able to look their constituents in the face and call themselves "fiscal conservatives" were they to do that.
apparently, you guys have no problem doing that to your constituents, but you should. I recommend that you guys get some fuckin' popcorn and watch both parts of the TX Senate Finance Committee's hearing on 2/18/15 to find out how to be better fucking appropriators.
signed,while I don't get to decide everything you do with my taxes, this shit pisses off tax payers of all political stripes
Every time I see Joe Barton, I’m reminded that this is the asshat who literally apologized to BP because they were forced to pay for the cleanup of the worst oil spill in history.
And leave it for the Democrats to clean up, so they can come back in a few years and say "See how all the meanie Dems made you tighten your belts and eat your vegetables? Well, we won't do that!"
You're right, it's ugly and inflexible. I never wanted to be on it, but if I had, that would have put me off. I find it annoying that everyone assumes that you're on it, and leaves you cut out of things, as Fukui says. Fortunately for me, my personal contacts understand, but when it comes to certain groups, like writing or political contacts, I just have to skip it. I won't even make up a fake account.
^THIS^. I'm convinced these guys all have bolt-holes under the Arctic tundra or some such, all mod cons, state of the art off the grid etc. So when the polar bear excrement finally interferes with the machinery, they can carry right on living like oligarchs do, while watching us peons kill each other over the last can of outdated dog food.
Isn't it interesting how these take-charge, I'm-the-boss-here guys are suddenly completely ignorant about anything going on in their agency, even if it's happening right in their office. They don't know nothin' 'bout birthin' no babies, and they sho nuff don't know how that cone of silence got installed in their office. "What'd it cost? It wasn't free?! Boy, I'm p-i-s-t mad about that, you betcha!"
Gauge the intelligence accordingly of any of your friends or family members who swallow this line of bullshit.
dear Joe Barton,
I know you're on your way home in January, but I thought you could forward these thoughts from a Texan who sits through a fuck ton of state budget hearings and maybe you guys could have a movie night to see what I am talking about here.
see, back in 2015, many stories had come out about grifty bastard Kyle Janek, then head of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. let's set aside how weird it is that we elect the RR (ENERGY), Land and Ag commissioners, but not the commissioners for the larger health and education agencies in this state and focus on the fact that Janek and his staff did some grifty fuckin' shit.
how much grifty shit? enough to spend a whole day first hearing from the State Auditor's Office and LBB about contracting practices and then 5.5 hours of ripping the bastard to pieces over contract inflation (one of which went from $3M to $108M like OOOOPSIE!), his COS stealing money to help low level staffers pay off their student loans to pay for his graduate degree upfront and then quit, the hiring of Erika Stick who'd been fired by several other agencies, the subsequent hiring of Jack Stick who had also been fired from several other agencies and then doubling his salary, and fucking up OVSOM so back that we had to replace it with TCCO because he made us feel bad for felons who had several violent sexual assaults on their records.
THAT IS BAD. that is also too equally as bad as what Pruitt is doing. and budget hearings are exactly where you talk about how an agency is misspending tax dollars--you know, tax dollars, those things you don't like so much unless they are your own salary.
the hearing was so bad that comprehensive contracting reform was passed in a VERY BIPARTISAN MANNER and Janek quietly resigned. but the agency has not been let off the hook, there is constant scrutiny and a recent contracting fuck up has led to the resignations of at least 5 people at the agency.
if we were to do that the way you assholes are doing it in Congress, Dems would need a majority in the state legislature or the governor who appointed the commissioner would need to be a Democrat. however, the governor, as you know, is a Republican and the lege, as you also too know, is controlled by Republicans. however, these Republicans don't feel like they automatically have to defend agency heads who were appointed by a member of their party (who even served in the state senate as a member of your party) when they truly screw the pooge on budgeting matters because they would not be able to look their constituents in the face and call themselves "fiscal conservatives" were they to do that.
apparently, you guys have no problem doing that to your constituents, but you should. I recommend that you guys get some fuckin' popcorn and watch both parts of the TX Senate Finance Committee's hearing on 2/18/15 to find out how to be better fucking appropriators.
signed,while I don't get to decide everything you do with my taxes, this shit pisses off tax payers of all political stripes
I agree.
“The greatest sin you’ve committed, if any, is you’ve actually done what President Trump ran on, won on and what he’s commissioned you to do.”
So you guys are saying he needs to be locked away for good? Because doing just what his defender says he did is horrible.
That’s more of a pamphlet.
Every time I see Joe Barton, I’m reminded that this is the asshat who literally apologized to BP because they were forced to pay for the cleanup of the worst oil spill in history.
They'll probably take all the potable water with them, too.
The alternate reality I want to live in is one where Ambassador Stevens postponed his visit to the Benghazi consulate....
And leave it for the Democrats to clean up, so they can come back in a few years and say "See how all the meanie Dems made you tighten your belts and eat your vegetables? Well, we won't do that!"
And then they'll be voted back into power.....
“Pruitt Eschews Eshoo’s Shoes, Achoos.”This is why I read Wonkette. FACT
What, you expect the wildlife to clean up after Pruitt's oil slicks?
They'll pull out and let the riff-raff clean up their mess like a common Paul Ryan.
Were Eshoo’s shoes ecru?
You're right, it's ugly and inflexible. I never wanted to be on it, but if I had, that would have put me off. I find it annoying that everyone assumes that you're on it, and leaves you cut out of things, as Fukui says. Fortunately for me, my personal contacts understand, but when it comes to certain groups, like writing or political contacts, I just have to skip it. I won't even make up a fake account.
Zeee bestest groaner all week.