Rep. Kristi Noem is hollering from the sidelines again, mouthing platitutdes without offering any concrete suggestions or leadership formualting actual policy. In the process, in classic Noem "not listening to the words coming out of my mouth" style, South Dakota's lonely Congresswoman ends up acknowledging that government really does create jobs, and should continue to do so.
The congresswoman said she is watching the impact of federal budget negotiations in Washington. The inability to reach an agreement will automatically trigger cuts, including the military, she said.
"If the joint select committee doesn't come up with a bill, then we go into sequestration, which includes huge cuts for defense," she said.
"The Army doesn't have enough projects for major cuts, so you are looking at personnel (as a prime target)."
Under that scenario, the Army would cut 200,000 soldiers — and that's only one military branch, Noem said."We can't afford to have that happen," she said.
The reduced manpower could have a particularly devastating effect on those in the service planning a military career, Noem said.
"It's not right," she said [Randy Dockendorf, "Noem Warns of Possible Troop Cuts," Yankton Press & Dakotan, 2011.11.12].
We can't cut the military, because hundreds of thousands of Americans want to make a career out of working for the government. What a nice thought! Perhaps the Congresswoman would like to apply her "thinking" here to the hundreds of teachers who perhaps wanted to make a career serving South Dakota's K-12 education system but who were forced out of their jobs by the Daugaard budget cuts.
As for reasonable cuts the military could make, Jon Hunstman can identify one major project the Army could cut. The press is ignoring Huntsman, but since Noem tells Dockendorf she wants to bring our "boys and girls" home, perhaps she'll be endorsing Huntsman shortly... as long as the Army can find make-work jobs for all those soldiers when they get back. As Noem will tell you, it's not fair that we take rational policy action that puts good people out of government jobs.
Related: I'm sure Kristi Noem will tell you that Ronald Reagan was job-killing, security-undermining scum as well for signing off on the Base Realignment and Closure Act in 1988.
Also related: On withdrawal from Afghanistan, Noem mouths the usual tripe about supporting plans that the generals devise. But Noem seems perfectly willing to contradict the Joint Chiefs of Staff to score political points of her own. The Joint Chiefs testified Thursday that a Congressional proposal to give the chief of the National Guard Bureau full JCS membership is a bad idea. However, Noem joined a unanimous vote in the House earlier this year in support of Rep. Nick Rahall's amendment to do exactly what the generals don't want. So does Noem believe in civilian control of the military or not?
She knows not what she speaks.
If the two parties in Congress would get their act together we would not be facing dramatic automatic budget cuts. Blame both parties and not our soldiers risking their lives in service to our country.
Veterans deserve the support needed to transition out of their military jobs and into the civilian workforce.
While I may not always agree with the foreign policy of my country, I deeply respect the men and women that would give up time away from their family and travel around the world to serve in the military.
It is true that teachers lost jobs and had to make changes. The state balanced its budget. The legislature made hard choices. People suffered, but again we faced the pain unlike Congress. They can't figure out that we have only so much money...
Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen six, result happiness.
Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pound ought and six, result misery.
- Charles Dickens, David Copperfield
Noem's biggest problem is that she voted to let a disfunctional congress enact these cuts. It's not the super committee that makes these cuts. It's Noem and the stupid deal she supported to raise the debt cieling. If these cuts happen conservatives should call her out.
I cannot believe that Noem would vote for the super committee idea. That was absolutely dumb!
Mike! That's right! Noem voted for Senate Bill 365 that created the supercommittee and set up the sequestration! It's her baby!
Cory, why do you only blame Noem when they ALL are at fault?
Michael, because Noem is the one making the silly statement under discussion.
I will vote against Tim Johnson the next time I get the chance also. Noem is a total hypocrite.
Mike, I'll deal with your anti-Johnson vote later. For now, I'll just be happy if you explain to your friends why hypocrisy like the above shows why they should not vote for Kristi in 2012. One thing at a time!