Dammit, where's mine?
Three big city mayors asked the federal government Friday to use a portion of the $700 billion financial bailout to assist struggling cities.
The mayors sought help with their pension costs, infrastructure investment and cash-flow problems stemming from the global financial crisis.
The mayors — Michael Nutter of Philadelphia, Shirley Franklin of Atlanta and Phil Gordon of Phoenix — made their request in a letter to Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson.
I'm only half-kidding. Once the automakers get theirs, the line will start forming. Some are asking how Congress will know which ones to say no to. Don't think they will. Handing out lots of federal money with lots of strings attached is what Congress likes to do. Any of us who don't try to get in on it are just being stupid. I've seen this described elsewhere as a "reverse John Galt." Instead of finally turning our backs on the takers and letting them fend for themselves, as the protagonist of "Atlas Shrugged" did, we simply join their ranks. "Hey, I know this is risky, but I don't care. Obama's got my six."
(I had to explain to a friend, not familiar with aviators using an imaginary clock face to orient themselves, that having somebody's six meant protecting their rear. At first, she thought it was one of the most fascinating locutions she'd ever encountered. But she thought about it a minute and said, "I've got your six -- but it'll cost you eight." Smart woman.)
