Ted Cruz’s rainy day socialism: How a right-wing fanatic learned to stop worrying and love redistribution
When New Jersey was underwater, Cruz slammed federal relief spending. Now he's asking for some of his own.
BOB CESCA
For the first time ever, I agree with Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Tex., and Gov. Greg Abbott, R-Tex.. Specifically, as deadly floods drown parts of Texas, I absolutely agree that President Obama and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) ought to spend taxpayer funds redistributed from citizens in other states, including from leftists in Massachusetts, New York and California, to help with flooding relief in Cruz and Abbott’s sovereign state of Texas. Indeed, many of us generally agree that when the chips are down, it’s important to have (what’s that phrase?) a safety net, in case a particular crisis is seemingly insurmountable. It would be unfair and inhumane to demand that Texas pick itself up by its bootstraps — or, in the GOP’s favored parlance, to stop being so lazy and to get back to work.
Who knew these guys were such uniters?
Yes, Cruz and Abbott, who each vaulted to their lofty stations on small-government, taxed-enough-already Tea Party platforms, have requested federal relief funds and services from the Obama administration. Abbott, for his part, has already met with Obama to discuss the deployment of disaster relief to flood-stricken areas. Meanwhile, Cruz was explicit with his demands this week:
Said Cruz:
It’s Friday as I’m writing this, so I might be a little slow on the uptake, but a system in which taxpayer money that’s pooled into a common fund and redistributed fairly to other citizens and states in need… there’s an “-ism“ for that. (And it for sure isn’t “laissez-faire capitalism.”) What do they call it when everyone pays taxes into, say, the treasury of Cruz’s birth nation of Canada and, drawing from those commonly pooled resources, everyone gets free healthcare or federal relief when they need it?
When New Jersey was underwater, Cruz slammed federal relief spending. Now he's asking for some of his own.
BOB CESCA
For the first time ever, I agree with Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Tex., and Gov. Greg Abbott, R-Tex.. Specifically, as deadly floods drown parts of Texas, I absolutely agree that President Obama and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) ought to spend taxpayer funds redistributed from citizens in other states, including from leftists in Massachusetts, New York and California, to help with flooding relief in Cruz and Abbott’s sovereign state of Texas. Indeed, many of us generally agree that when the chips are down, it’s important to have (what’s that phrase?) a safety net, in case a particular crisis is seemingly insurmountable. It would be unfair and inhumane to demand that Texas pick itself up by its bootstraps — or, in the GOP’s favored parlance, to stop being so lazy and to get back to work.
Who knew these guys were such uniters?
Yes, Cruz and Abbott, who each vaulted to their lofty stations on small-government, taxed-enough-already Tea Party platforms, have requested federal relief funds and services from the Obama administration. Abbott, for his part, has already met with Obama to discuss the deployment of disaster relief to flood-stricken areas. Meanwhile, Cruz was explicit with his demands this week:
Said Cruz:
“The federal government’s role, once the Governor declares a disaster area and makes a request, I am confident that the Texas congressional delegation, Sen. Cornyn and I, and the members of Congress both Republicans and Democrats will stand united as Texans in support of the federal government fulfilling its statutory obligations, and stepping in to respond to this natural disaster.”
It’s Friday as I’m writing this, so I might be a little slow on the uptake, but a system in which taxpayer money that’s pooled into a common fund and redistributed fairly to other citizens and states in need… there’s an “-ism“ for that. (And it for sure isn’t “laissez-faire capitalism.”) What do they call it when everyone pays taxes into, say, the treasury of Cruz’s birth nation of Canada and, drawing from those commonly pooled resources, everyone gets free healthcare or federal relief when they need it?
