Wow, here we are barely two months after the election, and I see where Mike Thompson is already back in campaign mode, taking personal credit for federal spending (“Congressman Thompson Announces Funding for Solar Panels”).
Of course, there is an alternate point of view.
First, the term “grant funding” is a misnomer. The only way there could be “grant funding” would be if the government actually gave us money. This does not occur. Instead the government merely returns part of the money they took from us in the first place, so the headline would have been just as accurate if it had said: “Mike Thompson announces a partial return of taxpayer money.”
Second, since the government is running a huge deficit, a large part of federal spending is with borrowed money, so the headline could just as easily have read: “Thompson announces the addition of still more debt to future generations.” Finally, it is simply degrading to the proper role of a Congressman to have someone who thinks their job consists of bragging about whatever small crumbs are spent in the district.
Maybe Thompson didn”t notice, but yesterday Nancy Pelosi ceased to be speaker of the house. I, for one think it is time for Mike Thompson to shift gears, and start thinking about ways he could brag about saving taxpayer money, instead of spending taxpayer money.
Mark Cabaniss
Kelseyville
