I live in a county where “grants” are considered free money.  If we get a federal grant to hire two new assistant District Attorneys for two years, we jump on it like a fat lady on a milkshake.  I can recall the DA telling the press, “It’s not costing us a thing!” as if somehow the money appeared on the courthouse lawn like manna from heaven.

Phil Gramm - Noted Whiner and Bozo

It appears that our conservative Republican county government can’t make the intellectual jump necessary to realize (1) that we will have to pick up the salaries for those ADA’s after the grant runs out, and (2) it’s ALL our money.

The money from grants comes from the federal government, which gets its money from …. think, now, what happens every April 15th? … you can get this, I know you can … it comes from …. right, the very same magic treasure chest the county gets its money.

Conservative governmental entities play a shell game of passing the buck, and I mean that literally.  The state cuts funds to education and then your local school board has to raise taxes.  Then your state senator claims he cut taxes.  No, he did not.  He cut state taxes and raised local taxes.

Y’all know Phil Gramm and Rick Perry, don’t ya?  The head cheerleaders on the evils of the federal government and that all taxes are bad?  What you don’t know is that they are both tighter than skin on a sausage with Texas A&M University.  So, lookie here:

The University received $23.8 million for the project from a federal grant, approximately 70 percent of the total price tag. Appleton said Phil Gramm, former U.S. Senator and economics professor at A&M, was helped secure the earmark grants for the project.

“This grant was a needed one for the University in order for campus to continue growing,” Appleton said. “Thanks to the grant, the University can use less state and university funds.”

It’s ALL our money, Bub.  It does not matter one iota to me whether the federal, state, local, or university pays for the project — it all comes out of my pocket, dammit.

I do not mind conservatives being stoopid.  Hell, it’s what they do best so let them do it.  What I mind is that they think I’m stoopid, too.

Thanks to Alfredo over at the Dairy Queen who is on a tear this morning about Jack Abramoff, too.