Opinion

Nancy Pelosi and the height of hypocrisy

Martha Zoller Contributor
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“We have to pass the bill so you can see what’s in it.”  Nancy Pelosi, Speaking Tuesday to the 2010 Legislative Conference for the National Association of Counties.

Yes, she said it.  The Queen of the World, Nancy Pelosi, said, “We have to pass the bill so you can see what’s in it.” Saying it was bad enough, but saying it to the National Association of Counties was even worse.  I don’t care what the politics of this group is.  For the last year, most counties, cities and states have been taking furlough days to balance their budgets.  The Feds have not.

Nancy Pelosi still gets flowers in her office, her staff is growing by leaps and bounds and Federal employees will get a 2% raise this year as well as add employees at a time when we are facing trillion plus dollar deficits as far as the eye can see.  In fact, the average federal government worker is making about twice what the average private sector worker is making.  The Feds say it’s because the jobs in the government are so complex.  Sure, they are.  When you have to move the shells around as fast as you do in the federal government, it takes real skill to keep up.

Part of the bill that Senator Bunning of Kentucky so valiantly opposed was not just unemployment benefits as the mainstream media said, it was money to keep federal workers from taking furlough days. It is the height of hypocrisy inviting the Speaker of the House to a group of people who by and large are making less money this year by taking days without pay and Nancy is telling them in essence, “Trust us, give us your money and we’ll manage it well. “

The Federal Government ought to be taking furlough days.  Heck, the Congress and the Senate ought to, too.  It’s a good day for the American people when the Congress Is not in session.  Over the last two weeks the legislature has taken the time to meet with all parties and department to look at our budget shortfall and how to fill it.  All parties were included in the negotiations and everyone, including the Governor, in state government has taken at least 6 furlough days.

As we fight this battle for our soul, not just for health care reform, we must not lose sight of the hypocrisy of the “ruling class.” She showed her hand in this speech.  “We need to pass the bill so you can see what’s in it, “Nancy Pelosi said on Tuesday.  That should be all you need to know to motivate you to keep up the fight.