payfor

[Victor Steinbok]

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/12/shutdown-averted-as-dem-gop-leaders-hash-out-payroll-tax-deal.php?ref=fpblg

Short link: http://goo.gl/Ub2jb

> The breakthrough comes just over 24 hours before funding for the
> government was set to run out, though the principals continue to
> squabble over policy measures and payfors attached to the payroll bill.

"Payfor" is not found in most dictionaries--both OED and OneLook strike
out. But I've seen it used as a noun before, most of the time in similar
circumstances of bills and expenditures. It's a piece of jargon that
rarely creeps even into pundits' speech, but is used at both federal and
state levels.

Another from the same piece:

> Outside the payfors, Republicans are still pushing hard for a rider
> that would force the Obama administration to make a swift decision on
> the construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline.

And another:

> To make up the difference, Democrats are insisting that the GOP
> abandon other, conservative payfors, such as greater means-testing in
> Medicare.


It's also in an old tweet by Douglas Holtz-Eakin (exactly the kind of
person who normally uses the term!):

http://goo.gl/GneHA
> Payfors released #badtaxpolicy. Living testament to "tax and spend"
> approach - er, spend now & tax after election #anythingtogetreelected

Title of a post on an energy blog from February 4, 2010:

http://goo.gl/JBMbh
> Re: Oil&Gas Provides "Payfors" For $3.8 Trillion Budget

The same post has a puzzling sentence:

> The Obama punishes the oil industry changes won't do what he says that
> it will.

It might just be a bunch of telegraphic errors. Consider:

> The Obama administration punishes the oil industry with changes that
> won't do what he says that it will.

There are still a couple of coordination issues, but it's more clear.

The original title is from an earlier post: http://goo.gl/auZwl

Another wonky blog post:

http://goo.gl/abmr2
> Now, unemployment insurance payfors must be haggled over. The cost of
> an unemployment insurance extension is $44 billion through 2012.

The language comes directly from Congress-critters. Journalists and
Nancy Pelosi used it earlier today in a press conference. The
terminology originally came from a reporter's question and was met with
some resistance, but not because Pelosi did not recognize the term. In
fact, I suspect, the exchange was caused because she thought the
reporter misused the term.

http://goo.gl/yftZ3
> Q: Madam Leader, so Democrats in the Senate have dropped the surtax.
> What do Democrats want to pay for this thing with? If the Republicans
> have passed something that has some payfors, what do the Democrats
> want to do?
>
> Leader Pelosi. What do you mean they passed something with payfors?
>
> Q: Well, they passed a bill, whether you agree with it or not. So
> what's the Democrats…
>
> Leader Pelosi. Well, what do you call the Republican payfors? You mean
> in the Senate where they say they will pay for it with a 10 percent
> cut in Federal employees?
>
> Q: What's the...
>
> Leader Pelosi. The point is that I think it is a sign of cooperation
> and willingness to remove obstacles to having an agreement by saying,
> okay, that's something that you can't agree to. So I take that as
> progress.
>
> As you know, with the 60-vote requirement in the Senate, this is
> something that's going to have to be worked out. It is something that
> can get 60 votes in the Senate. I think I have great confidence in
> Majority Leader Reid's ability to get that done, without putting any
> suggestions on the table.


VS-)

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