NY Times - Arizonans Want Their Free Restrooms, But No New Taxes!

[TomCADem]

From the land of Kyl and McCain. Tea Partiers demand cuts in spending, lower taxes, but revolt when their free restrooms are taken away. So, in the land of Barry Goldwater, what exactly do they mean when they say cut government spending when they can't even close down rest stops?

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/05/us/05reststop.html?hp

Arizona has the largest budget gap in the country when measured as a percentage of its overall budget, and the state Department of Transportation was $100 million in the red last fall when it decided to close 13 of the state’s 18 highway rest stops.

But the move has unleashed a torrent of telephone calls and e-mail messages to state lawmakers, newspapers and the Department of Transportation deploring the lost toilets — one of the scores of small indignities among larger hardships that residents of embattled states face as governments scramble to shore up their finances.

“People in this state are mad about this,” said State Representative Daniel Patterson, a Democrat from Tucson who has sponsored a bill that would allow other entities to reopen and maintain the rest stops. “This bill may have the broadest support among members of any bill this year.”

Some residents see something sinister in the closings. Betty L. Roberts, who lives in Sun City, west of Phoenix, said the topic was a hot one among her friends.

“I honestly think they are setting us up because they want to do a tax increase,” Ms. Roberts said. “I think by shutting down things people want, they will give us one.”

[sasquatch]

1. Stupid is as stupid does.

[imnKOgnito]

2. We're getting the same kind of stupid in Seattle right now...

over a heavily travelled bridge that's all but ready to fall down. There's no money to replace it, so if engineers decide it's too unsafe here in a few weeks, they're going to have to close it, or even tear it down. Of course, the teabagging idiots that have voted against tax increases for roads for the past 20 years think it's a plot to raise taxes.

You can't fix stupid.

[SpiralHawk]

13. These are the same kind of irresponsible RepuliClowns who elected chickenhawks Bush-Cheney

who then BORROWED AND SPENT America's economy into the crapper for decades to come.

I have to laugh (ruefully) whenever I hear them refer to themselves as republicon 'conservatives' What a load of crap.

[Lasher]

3. Reality is conspiring against them. n/t

[Are_grits_groceries]

4. Somebody needs to put up

some outhouses by the signs that the rest areas are closed just to drive home the point.

[raccoon]

10. Yes, and "Let 'em use newspaper!" to paraphrase Marie Antoinette.

Or bring their own toilet paper, as you have to do in Third World countries.

[Cirque du So-What]

5. No socialistic potties for you!

What do rugged individualists need with a contrivance so effete & snobbish as a water closet anyway? Just keep an entrenching tool in the trunk & dig your own privy whenever you feel the need! I guess teabaggers believe toilet paper grows on trees or something...oh, wait...

[stray cat]

6. Sounds like all of those who are complaining with shock that their favorite programs face cuts

Education, Police and Fire forces, health care. Get real everyone seems to think they should be the only one exempt from the loss of revenue for states but no one is willing to add more of their money to save anything

[RainDog]

7. GOP = Give 'o Pony. want the benefits of taxes without paying them.

that makes them welfare queens, huh?

[Odin2005]

8. Apparently people DO think money grows on trees.

[Blue_Tires]

9. now motorists can use the money not spent on taxes for empty bottles

lots and lots of empty bottles!

[JPZenger]

11. Va. GOP Governor: Reopen Rest Stops, Slash School Spending

The new GOP Governor of Virginia, O'Donnell, came into office. His first two actions were to reopen the highway rest stops and slash spending for public schools.

[unblock]

12. republicans want government goodies just like the rest of us, but they STILL don't want to pay

rich republicans want "access" and loopholes and deregulation and so on because it pays for itself in spades.

poor republicans want things like excess spending for the military because the military means jobs and a path to college and a respectable career for their kids.

but they always want other people to pay for it.

[Uzybone]

14. the American way

more services, less taxes

[Jkid]

15. Arizonans can't have both things.

The main problem is that Arizonians need tax increases. Problem is that they don't want any new increases. Even if they increases would toward the wealthy in the state, they would still oppose it.

[TalkingDog]

16. I think they should join: www.angrytownhall.com In fact, we should all join

They've got a FaceBook Page.


And for the irony and humor impaired: It's satire.

[hatrack]

17. They can stuff their undies with the dollar bills they've saved on their taxes . . .

Otherwise, they can just stuff it.

[HopeHoops]

18. Logic isn't real high on the agenda in a state that elects the likes of McCain.