this post was submitted on 13 Jan 2025
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politics

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Summary

House Speaker Mike Johnson stated that federal aid for California's devastating Los Angeles wildfires, which have killed at least 24 and displaced nearly 200,000 people, should come with conditions, citing alleged failures by state and local leaders.

Johnson also hinted at tying aid to debt ceiling negotiations.

Other Republican leaders, including Senators John Barrasso and Ron Johnson, expressed similar views, blaming liberal policies for exacerbating the fires.

Critics denounce these positions as cruel, given the scale of destruction, with over 12,000 buildings lost and massive evacuation orders in effect.

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[–] not_that_guy05@lemmy.world 182 points 1 week ago (3 children)

You know California could just not pay the federal government taxes for a year and we would be back to 100 real quick.

No reason to giving money to other red welfare states that this state earned.

[–] the_tab_key@lemmy.world 82 points 1 week ago (11 children)

I want this to happen soooo bad. Signed, a New Yorker (State, not city)

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[–] takeda@lemm.ee 23 points 1 week ago (3 children)

The thing is that it is us, who pay the federal taxes. We would have to stop paying them and then redirect it to state government. The problem would be how California could change that?

[–] partial_accumen@lemmy.world 20 points 1 week ago (1 children)

The GOP also cut funding to the IRS. Who is going to do that collecting?

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[–] friend_of_satan@lemmy.world 127 points 1 week ago (5 children)

Is this how you Make America Great Again? Is this America First?

[–] MagicShel@lemmy.zip 50 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Yes. When you consider that means making the left suffer. This is exactly what MAGA wants.

[–] whostosay@lemmy.world 20 points 1 week ago

They will eat their own shit to spite us.

[–] Bronzebeard@lemm.ee 16 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (3 children)

Except there's more Republicans living in California than the total population of most red states.

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[–] pyre@lemmy.world 33 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Mexico is helping while "America first" government officials are deliberately withholding aid. Absolute demons.

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[–] Treczoks@lemmy.world 21 points 1 week ago

This is "Republican America First".

[–] Frozengyro@lemmy.world 18 points 1 week ago (1 children)

This is their version of it.... Make white America great again

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[–] BlameThePeacock@lemmy.ca 108 points 1 week ago (1 children)

How much longer do they think California is going to keep paying into the federal government if the federal government keeps pulling this shit?

California is the single largest net contributor to federal spending.

[–] toiletobserver@lemmy.world 72 points 1 week ago (1 children)

That's the neat part, they don't think.

[–] Eldritch@lemmy.world 22 points 1 week ago (1 children)

It's worse than you think. Many of them don't think. But for many of them that's the dream. Without the blue States contributing to federal government you've just starved the Beast that much more and hurt that many more people. It's enough to push them over the edge and make them cum. Thinking about California doing that. It would be handing them exactly what they want.

It's much easier to destroy than it is to build. And they are gleeful little arsonists.

[–] dirthawker0@lemmy.world 24 points 1 week ago (1 children)

They want to knock CA down because it's a wealthy, successful state with mostly Democrats, but they don't think far enough to realize if they succeed in damaging CA's economy then CA can't contribute as much to their red welfare state.

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[–] ExtremeDullard@lemmy.sdf.org 101 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Johnson also hinted at tying aid to debt ceiling negotiations.

Aka "Something terrible happened to you and you need help, so this is my chance to force you to do what I want."

This is just dripping with psychopathy. This is why I could never become a politician or a billionnaire CEO: I just couldn't hold my breakfast in in the morning looking in the mirror.

[–] tiefling@lemmy.blahaj.zone 49 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Psychopathy is a requirement to be part of the American Nazi Party

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[–] ThePowerOfGeek@lemmy.world 80 points 1 week ago

The guy who represents one of the welfare states that takes a lot more money from the union than they give back... is doing this to one of the big blue states that gives to the union a lot more than they get back?

Fucking pathetic, greedy, immoral little shit. I hope his home gets wiped out in the next natural disaster that hits good state.

[–] ZILtoid1991@lemmy.world 62 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I guess California and other blue states should also tie federal taxes to things of their own. Maybe even leave the union altogether, alongside with other states.

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[–] WeUnite@lemm.ee 50 points 1 week ago (10 children)

Democrats: Please remember this moment and when it comes time to the elections constantly repeat this on loop as much as possible. We must never forget this.

[–] Asafum@feddit.nl 34 points 1 week ago

Democrats: we already know they're pieces of shit

Republicans: Fox news tells me California deserves it.

We live in the post truth world, what you believe to be true is predetermined and nothing means anything that comes from outside your chosen propaganda outlet. :(

[–] ElcaineVolta@kbin.melroy.org 15 points 1 week ago

I honestly really admire your optimism.

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[–] kipo@lemm.ee 48 points 1 week ago

California should be like: "We will not negotiate with terrorists."

[–] CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world 45 points 1 week ago

The entire qon thing of "California bad" is just so very fucking stupid. It's clear they are very jealous of California, which is arguably our most important state.

[–] HubertManne@moist.catsweat.com 44 points 1 week ago (2 children)

If you are in california and have nothing to lose remember that you know where mike johnson goes to work everyday.

[–] Wogi@lemmy.world 26 points 1 week ago (5 children)

You know if I lived in California right now I'd be wondering real hard why even be a part of the union? California contributes more than it receives, has vastly different politics than the rest of the country, has a powerhouse economy.

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[–] Bakkoda@sh.itjust.works 41 points 1 week ago (1 children)

None of these people are serving the United States. They need to be removed.

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[–] eugenevdebs@lemmy.dbzer0.com 40 points 1 week ago (2 children)

If I was governor of California:

Sure, go ahead. We'll stop paying Federal taxes. Let the red states crumble as they don't have our funds. You hold us hostage, we'll play by your games. You go low, we go low.

Maybe then we'll have some sort of progress as a nation for the first time in years.

[–] HellsBelle@sh.itjust.works 16 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

California is welcome to become Canada's 4th territory or 11th province (both are equal).

I don't know if we can help you a lot, but we definitely won't treat you like shit.

[–] paperBark 2 points 5 days ago

Ya fuck these US annexation tweets, lets bring back Cascadia talks. The mountains divide us physically and culturally.

BC is tired of having our old growth forests raped, pipelines we don't want or benefit from rammed through our mountains against our will scarring the landscape, and our coastlines littered with trash from Alberta both literal and figurative.

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[–] jaggedrobotpubes@lemmy.world 33 points 1 week ago

Doing something so cartoonishly evil to so many people who so recently lost everything?

I don't know, sounds like a safety issue for him. Hopefully his preservation instincts kick in.

[–] BertramDitore@lemm.ee 32 points 1 week ago

California might as well be in the G7. So go right ahead Johnson, be petty and watch what happens when we stop paying federal taxes. You better believe we’ll be able to fund this kind of shit ourselves if we don’t have to share…

[–] Etterra@discuss.online 32 points 1 week ago

I hate this century so goddamn much.

[–] circuitfarmer@lemmy.sdf.org 30 points 1 week ago

If y'all want to see what happens to the federal budget when California stops paying, keep it up.

Should probably stop giving the free money to moochy red states though.

He's not holding aid hostage, he's holding people's lives hostage.

[–] zbyte64@awful.systems 26 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Climate change comes for all

[–] cabron_offsets@lemmy.world 34 points 1 week ago (2 children)
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[–] collapse_already@lemmy.ml 26 points 1 week ago

Here's hoping Mike meets his Luigi soon.

[–] Gammelfisch@lemmy.world 26 points 1 week ago

The Government of Fucking Putin and their America Last agenda.

[–] pineapplelover@lemm.ee 25 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Tell me republicans, what California policies have the evil democrats done to cause the fires or made it worse?

[–] SulaymanF@lemmy.world 28 points 1 week ago

I was told there would be no fact checking.

[–] ayyy@sh.itjust.works 24 points 1 week ago (1 children)

When can I stop paying federal taxes? I don’t get anything in return for them.

[–] IMongoose@lemmy.world 18 points 1 week ago (3 children)

I honestly think this is going to be the start of hopefully cold civil unrest. GOP will block federal aid, California and maybe other blue states will stop paying federal taxes. Red states start imploding.

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[–] Clinicallydepressedpoochie@lemmy.world 21 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (2 children)

Jesus, wasn't it like a month ago and all Republicans could talk about was how biden was withholding aid from Florida. What's the point of all these arguments if one side decidedly won't argue in good faith?

[–] Doomsider@lemmy.world 15 points 1 week ago

Being hypocritical is something they embrace. It shows weakness to argue with them and they know it. They are essentially terroristic in nature and no one should ever have an actual good faith discussion with them since they have proven time and time again that they are incapable.

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[–] PedroMaldonado@lemmy.world 19 points 1 week ago

What a fucking piece of shit you are, Johnson.

[–] Whateley@lemm.ee 17 points 1 week ago

These fucking ghouls are cartoonish in their villainy.

[–] JeeBaiChow@lemmy.world 15 points 1 week ago

These are the people they always want to apply the 'higher ground' and 'congressional decorum' to. Fuck em.

[–] AbidanYre@lemmy.world 15 points 1 week ago (4 children)

So the next time Louisiana gets fucked like they did during Katrina we all just tell them to suck it?

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