Governor Coxwomble's $pending $pree

Cox: Hmm...how should I spend all this FREE money?

First, let's get that title out of the way.

I've taken to calling Utah's executive "Coxwomble" because I recently came across the term "Cockwomble," which is a British word that means

"A person, usually male, prone to making outrageously stupid statements and/or inappropriate behavior while generally having a very high opinion of their own wisdom and importance."

Seems appropriate.

Now, let's talk about this special session of the Utah Legislature that he's called, that's convening tomorrow to take up a few issues. Will they focus mainly on protecting your rights against medical tyranny? Nope. Will they primarily be looking to protect your rights by establishing Second Amendment sanctuary status? Nope. Banning Marxist indoctrination in our public schools? Nah. Ol' Spencer's got some cash burning a hole in his pocket. Cox's main objective for this session is to take the filthy lucre he's accepted from the federal government and spend it like a drunken sailor. 

They call it "COVID-19 relief dollars from the American Rescue Plan Act," but we all know what it really is: a not-so cleverly hidden redistribution of wealth agenda. Those billions of dollars have to come from somewhere. They come from you and me. First, via regular ol' taxes, and second from the hidden taxation scheme called "printing more money." Every time the fed runs those printing presses, they're doing it upon your back and mine, because they're not creating wealth; they're dividing up the existing wealth among more worthless pieces of paper. And that means inflation, and that means your paycheck is worth less than it was — which is the same thing, in effect, as a tax increase. 

(Please note: I am not advocating the idea of a fixed pie of wealth. I've stated before that that's a fallacy, because the total wealth of the nation increases as we are economically active in creating goods and services. But in the snapshot of time when the money is printed, there is only so much wealth at that moment that the currency is supposed to represent, which is why that "new" money is instantly devalued — it doesn't represent anything of actual value.)

So...Cox is taking your money and mine — money with federal strings attached, making us more and more beholden to Washington DC and their agenda — and he's got big plans for it, oh yes, oh yes. *governor rubs hands gleefully*

According to KSL: 

The biggest item on lawmakers' [special session] agenda will be tackling budget changes and how they plan to spend over $1.6 billion in the latest round of federal COVID-19 relief dollars from the American Rescue Plan Act. The Executive Appropriations Committee on Monday endorsed a plan to only initially spend about $574 million of those funds."

Oh, how wonderfully restrained of them to not spend it all in one place! They'll start by only nuzzling into that trough to the tune of about one-third of all that lovely gift money from rich Uncle Joe. Now, they could go all "stimulus" style and give every man, woman and child in the state about five hundred bucks. But you know they know far better how to spend your money than you do!

So, they're dividing the $1.6 billion into "buckets." Senate President Stuart Adams said that putting it in buckets helps them "make a better decision as to whether that's an appropriate spot to spend state money." Just in case your Newspeak translation app is not updated, "state money" means "YOUR money." (Creating buckets, of course, also hides the wealth transfer that's happening.)

Here are the proposed buckets:

• $720 million for infrastructure and unemployment solvency
• $115 million for ongoing response to the pandemic
• $65 million in grants to businesses impacted by the pandemic
• $280 million for water infrastructure
• $175 million for broadband internet expansion
• $80 million for education
• $110 million for emergency preparedness
• $35 million to address backlogged courts
• $70 million for housing and homeless

Let's examine that sweet sweet wish list, shall we?

* * * * * * * * * * * *

$720 million for infrastructure and unemployment solvency

As you have learned from the fake president, "infrastructure" is Newspeak for "whatever the heck I want." So, of course it's the biggest chunk. As for unemployment solvency, this is a classic case of government using OUR money to fix the problems that THEY created. We wouldn't have unemployment issues in Utah if the government had not put so many people out of work through their Draconian and unnecessary "pandemic" response.

$115 million for ongoing response to the pandemic

What the heck does that even MEAN? Are they planning to pour more gasoline on the fire they started? More cowbell? Ongoing meddling and ongoing rights violations? A big "no thank you" to that!

$65 million in grants to businesses impacted by the pandemic

How gracious. What they really mean is businesses impacted by the government response. Once again, fixing problems of their own creation.

$280 million for water infrastructure

There's that magic word, again! Infrastructure this, infrastructure that. Don't you worry your pretty little head about it, citizen. They've got it all under control. I mean, it's infrastructure for crying out loud! Who could be against that?

$175 million for broadband internet expansion

Seems like this is something that should be left to the private sector. Oh, I get it! They're going to pay the private sector to do internet stuff. So, another case of gov(pub) and gov(priv) working together for the greater good with no possible negative side effects or unintended consequences. Because, you know, every time the government gets involved with stuff, it just gets cheaper, more efficient, and higher quality!

$80 million for education

Okay. How much of my money will be going toward school choice? How much toward Marxist indoctrination? How much toward administrator salaries? Can you break that down for me a bit?

$110 million for emergency preparedness

Like, toilet paper? Or more opportunities for the executive to usurp power? Please explain.

$35 million to address backlogged courts

Are they going to hire 200 more judges? If not, where is all that dough going?

$70 million for housing and homeless

Like, building houses for the homeless? What? 

* * * * * * * * * * * *

It must be great to have a nice bunch of money to spend, with no regard for the sacred nature of those funds. Every dollar the government calls "state money" represents the lives of the citizens, because the money they take from us is derived from us spending our time and effort — our lives — earning it. Yes, the government needs money to function. We agree to provide funding via our tax dollars...that's how society works. 

But we the people have only authorized government to do a very specific, extremely limited list of enumerated functions. It's not some free-for-all where they just confiscate money and then do what they think is best. I don't care what they think is best. Elected officials should bend over backwards to stay constrained to the tiny box in which we've allowed them to exist. Every time they step outside that box, with illegal rules and restrictions on the people, and with profligate spending on non-essential, extra-constitutional endeavors, they are stepping on us. They are stealing from us. They are betraying their oath of office.

And we are watching.

God is watching.

There will be a reckoning.