Randy Shannon – 4/30/08

This page was last updated on May 1, 2008.

Altmire must back pull out; Randy Shannon; Beaver County Times; April 30, 2008.

In 2006 Mr. Shannon penned a letter to the editor entitled “The [Beaver County] Times is a tool of the GOP,” and he was serious.

For background info about Mr. Shannon, see my notes on his speech of October 16, 2004, in front of the Beaver County Courthouse.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject letter.

“At public meetings in New Castle and Shaler, U.S. Rep. Jason Altmire promised that future military operations would be paid with new taxes or cuts in other spending.

“He said the Democrats’ pay-as-you-go fiscally responsible budgeting would replace the Republicans’ continuing resolutions that have plunged us into debt.”

[RWC] Let me get this straight, we weren’t in debt before the Iraq war?

“Nevertheless, another continuing resolution to provide $172 billion more for the Iraq occupation will soon come to a vote in the House. Altmire voted for the previous continuing resolution. Will he now keep his promise of fiscal responsibility to his constituents and vote no?

“Altmire voted against a bill last year to fully fund withdrawal of U.S. troops. He will again get to vote on fully funded withdrawal of U.S. troops in House Resolution 5507. His claim that voting to continue the occupation and against withdrawal is ‘supporting our troops’ is dishonorable. Thousands of U.S. service members have returned home from Iraq with traumatic brain injuries as a result of his votes to keep them in Iraq.

“The Iraq occupation costs $12.5 billion every month. Altmire is lobbying for the Crows Run upgrade and the Interstate 376 corridor, increasing the transportation budget for Pennsylvania by $2.5 billion a year, a measly six days of Iraq spending. The Maglev project for $3.5 billion, which would add long-term jobs, decrease gasoline usage and pollution, costing only eight days of Iraq spending, is deemed ‘too expensive.’

“Thirty-nine percent of Pennsylvania bridges are structurally deficient, and 46 percent of major roads are in poor condition. Half of all U.S. locks are obsolete. All are repairable for one year of Iraq spending.

“The Pentagon is burning 1.7 million gallons of fuel per day in Iraq and consumes 180 million barrels of oil per year, wasting a declining resource.

“Altmire should vote for fully funded withdrawal. Empires crumble from within.”

[RWC] If you’re familiar with the positions Mr. Shannon espouses when speaking in front of like-minded persons, you know Mr. Shannon cares not one whit about government debt, “fiscally responsible budgeting,” the welfare of our troops, infrastructure, or “wasting a declining resource.” The above is solely a red herring.

Mr. Shannon revealed his true colors in the last sentence. Mr. Shannon considers the United States of America to be an empire and he wants to “crumble” the USA “from within.”