A Brilliant Idea

Good Morning, Breakfastpoppers. Today is Sunday, September 17, 2017. We have a new friend in the insect kingdom, and his name is Brown. He is a beetle by birth and an intellectual by design. Please join Brown this morning for a delicious serving of Egg Nog French Toast, one of Brown's specialties. Our new friend would like to discuss Senator Rand Paul's idea about how to fund disaster relief. I believe you may find the Senator's plan interesting. We hope to see you soon.

Thanks so much for joining me and Pop this morning. Hurricanes Harvey and Irma have opened a path of destruction across our nation. Digging out from these disasters is going to be difficult and costly. A breath of fresh air has seen the light of day. Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky) has proposed an amendment that just might solve the overwhelming amount of money we are going to need to help the victims of these and future disasters. The Senator has suggested that we fund disaster relief with foreign aid money. After all, the U.S. pours billions of dollars into the coffers of other countries with very little return for our generosity. In fact, some of the recipients of this aid enjoy biting the hands that feed them. Those hands belong to you and me. Foreign aid is a bit like helping out some needy relatives who quite openly hate you. The gesture isn't appreciated and the money goes who knows where. We send millions of dollars to Mexico and Mexico sends us Gang members. If we used much of the money wrapped up in foreign aid to relieve our problems, our growing national debt might get under control. Now that would be the true meaning of "killing two birds with one stone." I'll probably get picketed by PETA for that remark, but I'll take my chances.

Not everyone is on board with this proposal, but there is no surprise there. Senate Majority Non-Leader Mitch McConnell has already made a motion to table Paul's proposal. That shouldn't come as a shock to anyone. Senator McConnell knows how to waste money, and apparently he is intent on continuing the practice. He wasn't alone in his disdain for the proposal. McConnell's proposal to kill the bill passed 87-10. Had the American people been the deciding factor in implementing this proposal, I believe it would have passed. Most people are sick and tired of seeing their hard earned tax dollars fall into the hands of dictatorships that would love it if we fell off the earth and disappeared.

Washington pretends to be horrified by the amount of debt we are shouldering. They are used to giving away our money with great abandon. They are also used to giving away money that doesn't really exist. This insanity has to stop. Sen. Rand's plan is loaded with common sense. Sadly, Washington doesn't understand common sense approaches to problems. It is possible that President Trump does, because he is deliberately holding back refilling jobs in Washington in an effort to downsize government. Unfortunately, he is only one man, and those who oppose him are on both sides of the aisle. Rand's proposal should make sense to our president. He can fund the wall by eliminating much of the wasted aid we give to Mexico. He can, at least, hold back the amount required to fund the wall. Sounds like a plan to me.

As far as governments are concerned, foreign aid is a voluntary transfer of resources from one country to another. There are a variety of reasons why such a transfer takes place. Among them are bolstering an ally, rewarding a government for behaving like we want them to, or supplying humanitarian aid. Years ago, such aid was provided to stop other countries from turning into communist entities. The practice didn't work then and it certainly isn't working now. Why not keep the money here and help those who really need our assistance? Imagine the concept, if you will, of Americans helping Americans. I like it. Do you?

Brown's Song

Don"t know when I've felt so down

Money wasted out of town

Don't it turn my brown eyes blue