021 – HEY YOU 10, “BI-PARTISAN” REPUBLICANS. I THINK YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHERE YOU CAN PUT YOUR PATHETIC COVID RELIEF PROPOSAL. (An Editorial)

So this group makes a counter proposal of less than 1/3^rd of the President’s Covid Relief proposal.  Aww gee whiz, the American people thank you so much for your generous offer.

Among other things that are slashed in their proposal is support for helping public schools become more Covid safe so that children can return safely to schools.  That certainly makes perfect sense.

• Why?  Because that is just somehow pork and unnecessary waste that is only being included because of pressure from the teacher’s unions. 

Unbelievable … only it’s not.

Once again, let’s get real.  Even that slashed counter proposal would never be supported by enough Republicans to pass it, especially since for every Republican who might support it, there are an equal amount of Democrats who will say no friggin’ way.

Here is what the Democrats should do, in my oh so humble opinion.

• Make a few adjustments to lower the income limits for those who would be eligible to receive the stimulus payments.  Why?
  • Not because any Republican who I am aware of has suggested it but because Democrats whose support you need, like Manchin, have requested it.
  • Because it is the RIGHT thing to do.  Who the Hell making over $300,000 per year, and who has probably done OK during this time of Covid, if not actually having benefited due to their investments, should get a stimulus check? 
  • Do not allow stimulus checks to go to those high income families, or any small business aid to go to any large, national chain stores or restaurants.  If any does, you can absolutely guarantee that every one of those situations will be exposed and will be gleefully used as supposed proof of the wasteful spending supposedly rampant in the Covid Relief bill, regardless of how isolated those situations might be.

• Then bring the bill up for a vote – as is.  All Republicans will almost certainly unanimously reject it, even with the lowering of the income limits.

• Then pass the damn bill via ReconcilIation.
  • Assuming that the Covid Relief helps both the Covid situation and the economy the way the President, health care professionals, and economists believe it can, then the Republicans will have absolutely no claim to being responsible for any of its success … and let them choke on the fact that they tried to stop it.
  • I originally thought that inclusion of the $15 minimum wage was an item that might be able to be used as a negotiation tool, and thereby might be expendable.
  • But upon review, that is the same kind of thinking that got Obama and the Democrats to completely water down Obamacare over the course of a year in the hope that they might gain at least some Republican support. 
    

THEY GOT NONE

AND THEY NEVER WOULD HAVE !

Watering down the Covid Relief bill will do nothing more than decrease the chances that it will be effective, and that of course, is precisely what the Republicans wanted to do with Obamacare, and precisely what they are trying to do now.

Pass the damn bill NOW.

VACCINATE ALL TEACHERS.

Then besides continuing to put all your efforts into beefing up actual vaccine injections, also prioritize teachers right away to ensure that they feel safe to return to classroom learning.   After health care workers, police and fire, there is no reason whatsoever that teachers should not absolutely be next in priority.

Do your damn job, Democrats.  I would add to that, with or without Republican support.  But that would be foolish because it will NEVER be WITH Republican support.