These Piggies Get to Feed at the Trough for Free

Congressional Democrats made a big deal that the bank bailout should impose constraints on certain activities, such as paying executive bonuses.

But the $825 billion "stimulus" bill has state and local governments seeking $200 billion in federal aid. Neither Congress nor the Obama administration has discussed insisting that the states have limitations imposed on them, such as spending constraints. Instead, such aid will reward those states which increased spending in the good times only to find themselves pinched today.

For example, New York state could take its $12 billion deficit and have a $5 billion surplus if it spent per person the same as the average for the rest of the states.