To Comfort The Afflicted
And Afflict The Comfortable

To Comfort The Afflicted And Afflict The Comfortable

Thursday, November 7, 2024

Observercast

Oklahoma’s ‘Slippery Seven’ Can’t Hide Their Lyin’ Eyes

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Just because Donald J. Trump was and is a congenital liar doesn’t mean he should be a role model for our congressional delegation to emulate.

Hell, Sen. James Lankford ran the Southern Baptist Falls Creek camp for 20 years where kids are reminded truth-telling is one of the pillars of life. Also every other word out of the mouth of the senior Sen. Jim Inhofe and House members seems to be something tied to God, Christianity, service to their constituents, doing the right thing for the right reasons, always telling the truth even when it hurts … blah, blah, blah.

So why does our stable of seven stalwarts lie to us all the time just like Trump? Answer: Because they think we’re so stupid we won’t notice it. But as a group, they have finally gone too far.

The Silly Seven are proudly lying to you about President Biden’s $1.9 trillion relief plan passed in the House and signed into law by the president on Thursday, March 11, in the Year of the Lord 2021.

This bill is the most important one produced in Congress since Medicare was created in 1965 and because of that you should know how the money is spent, on whom and for what programs. So let’s start with the main mis-truth repeated over and over by Republicans as they unanimously voted no in both in the House and Senate.

Big Lie No. 1: Only 9% of the plan deals with the nightmare of COVID-19. If that were true I wouldn’t be for Biden’s package either, but this is a bald-faced fib.

To come up with the nebulous 9, our blasphemers used only the amount of money that goes directly to buy and deliver the vaccines for insertion in arms of Americans. As Paul Harvey would say here is the rest of the story.

A. There is also money to provide you $1,400 … more if you are married and more again if you have kids. About 90% of Americans will benefit. You are getting this money because of the wreckage caused by COVID. This totals $989 billion when you include items B and D below.

B. For those who have lost their jobs during the pandemic, they now will receive $300 a week in unemployment benefits until Sept. 1 to help them survive until jobs come back. There are 11 million more people out of work in America this March compared to March 2020, the first month such data was kept related to COVID. The money to cover this cost is included in A above.

C. Schools will receive significant money to help them comply with the demands of keeping our kids, educators and support personnel safe. Masking, distancing, air circulation and ventilation are not free. This cost is included in F below.

D. Money will be provided to feed families because one in every five kids go to bed hungry at night in the wealthiest country in the world – America. This will reduce child poverty by 50%, the greatest reduction of this human tragedy in the history of our nation. If you are against this write back and give me your name. I’ll turn it over to God so He can deal with you. See A above for costs.

E. Small business first, and then larger ones second, will get direct help in reopening and staying open through loans and grants. The money is targeted to the hardest hit industries first … restaurants, travel, hotels, etc. This item totals $658 billion. And by the way, Oklahoma U.S. Reps. Kevin Hern and Markwayne Mullin both received such monies in the Trump relief plans [fast-food franchisee Hern about $2 million and plumber Mullin $1 million] and undoubtedly will apply for more in Biden’s although they voted no and will continue to criticize it … all the way to their banks.

F. Schools, city, county and state governments have all lost enormous amounts of revenue and endured increased costs over the past year. Money is included in the Biden plan to help with sewer, water, police, fire, ambulance and other critical services people demand and expect, as well as money for education to make our students safe physically back in the classrooms. Yes, there is a tiny amount included even for the arts. Bitch about that if you want. Our delegation does but I’ll bet none of them have ever turned down free tickets to the Kennedy Center. Ask them. I have and received no answers. Item F totals $515 billion.

In summary, 54% of the total goes to households – you and your families.

Importantly the lowest quintile of Americans would see an increase of 20% in their income and these are families that make less than $25,000. The highest quintile, families that make over $164,000, would receive a 1% increase. If you want to know why Inhofe, Lankford, Frank Lucas, TomCole, Mullin, Hern and Stephanie Bice aren’t for the Biden Plan it is in this paragraph.

The wealthiest folks, those who received 85% of the 2017 Trump tax cut, didn’t get their usual fat hog bonus this time and are trying to divert your attention to the 9% lie.

When and if our slippery seven come home and have a Town Hall meeting or two, don’t let them repeat the bu%#&#tt they’re peddling. Just keep this post with you and if they refute it, deny it or try to fudge on it, they will be lying to you again.

It is that simple.

Cal Hobson
Cal Hobson
Cal Hobson, a Lexington Democrat, served in the Oklahoma Legislature from 1978-2006, including one term as Senate President Pro Tempore.