Remember, There’s No Such Thing as a Fiscal Conservative

That was $700 million out of the larger stimulus. Texas still takes a whopping sum of education money from the feds. And Texas still accepted billions from the stimulus to balance their state budget. That also despite the rejection of unemployment insurance funds.

Texas also had to borrow money from the feds to replenish their empty unemployment insurance fund last year. They are raising rates on employers this year to help replenish it. So what about Rick Perry’s fiscal policy is exactly laudable?

It was your assertion that Rick Perry rejecting some federal money demonstrates the existence of “fiscal conservatives.” My point is that Texas still ended up taking money to make up the difference.

The stimulus (the state appropriations anyway) was basically an interest-free, bridge loan to the states to help them balance their budgets. I am aware of no federal appropriation that does not come without strings attached. So, Rick Perry refusing portions of it was form-over-substance, political showboating.

What about Rick Perry makes him a fiscal conservative? And what exactly is a fiscal conservative?

Also, compared to other developed countries our tax burden is low. “So much” is, of course, relative.

Remember, a trillion spent on a perepetual war is fiscally conservative! War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength.