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Boehner selective on deficit reduction; Oren M. Spiegler; Beaver County Times; February 20, 2011.
Mr. Spiegler is such a prolific letter writer the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review gave him a little tribute back in 2003. Google “Oren M. Spiegler” and you’ll get more hits than you know what to do with. Unfortunately, prolific is not a synonym for competent. Mr. Spiegler claims to be a Republican. In my critique of “Breathing more freely,” I cited reasons why I was “beginning to believe Mr. Spiegler is simply another Republican impersonator,” but he sealed the deal with “Greatest foreign policy debacle.” Subsequent letters have been more confirmation, including this one. The group of local Republican impersonators also includes Messrs. William A. Alexander, Arthur Brown, William G. Horter, Edward J. Hum, and George Reese, all claiming to be disgruntled Republicans.
Below is a detailed critique of the subject letter.
“The rank hypocrisy of House Speaker John Boehner is on display for the nation to see as we examine his failed push for funding to produce a second, duplicative engine for the military’s F-35 joint strike fighter.”
[RWC] Going back to January 2007 when she became House Speaker, my records indicate Mr. Spiegler didn’t mention Mrs. Pelosi (D-CA) once in all the letters (at least 48) he sent to the Times. Mr. Boehner is Speaker less than two months, however, and Mr. Spiegler is already attacking him. That’s relevant because Mr. Spiegler claims to be a Republican, and a real Republican would have serious problems with just about everything Mrs. Pelosi supports.
FYI, the Pentagon frequently uses multiple sources for equipment in an effort to encourage competition and lower prices. The multiple sources also provide backup should a supplier have problems. In this case, there were at least two problems. First, the F-35 is already considerably over budget without an alternative engine. Second, while the short-term costs of the alternative engine are known, the claimed savings are uncertain because they wouldn’t happen until way down the road. Given we have severe long- and short-term deficit/debt problems, right now it makes sense to cut the cost we know.
“All one needs to know in evaluating the worthiness of this project is that the Pentagon does not want the second engine and has inveighed against it, but since it creates jobs in Boehner’s district, his insistence on significant deficit reduction becomes highly selective.”
[RWC] Though I’m not up to speed on all the facts of this issue, I have to admit being disappointed Mr. Boehner chose to support something the Pentagon said it didn’t want. I hope this doesn’t become a trend.
“How is the make-work program Boehner endorses any different from spending money the nation does not have on the welfare programs that he abhors, or on continuing to fund government positions that he considers to be unnecessary?”
[RWC] If he had any credibility on this issue, Mr. Spiegler lost it in claiming the alternative engine was a “make-work program” no different from “welfare programs.” With the alternative engine project, at least taxpayers would have received engines in return. “Welfare programs” simply “rob Peter to pay Paul” with nothing in return for taxpayers.
“Boehner’s credo is obvious: ‘We are broke; we cannot continue to spend money that we do not have unless it benefits my district, in which case, we will do whatever is necessary to find the money. Let us continue to borrow from the Chinese or whoever will serve as our debt enabler.’
“What a disgrace!”
[RWC] Contrary to Mr. Spiegler’s claim, I’m not sure the alternative engine funding would have affected our deficit and debt. From what I’ve read, it appears the funding would have come at the expense of other F-35 spending and/or other Pentagon projects and that’s why the Pentagon opposed it. Regardless, Mr. Boehner should not have supported something the Pentagon did not want.
If there’s anything positive here, I have seen no reports Mr. Boehner resorted to buying votes as did Mrs. Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) did (Cornhusker Kickback, Louisiana Purchase, etc.) in ramming Obamacare through. Come to think of it, according to my records Mr. Spiegler didn’t complain about Obamacare or the way in which Mrs. Pelosi and Mr. Reid got it passed. “What a disgrace!”
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