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What are they buying? (Thomas Sowell)
Jewish World Review ^ | January 27, 2009 | Thomas Sowell

Posted on 01/26/2009 6:27:58 PM PST by jazusamo

Everyone is talking about how much money the government is spending, but very little attention is being paid to where they are spending it or what they are buying with it.

The government is putting money into banks, even when the banks don't want it, in hopes that the banks will put it into circulation. But the latest statistics shows that banks are lending even less money now than they were before the government dumped all that cash on them.

Even if it had worked, putting cash into banks, in hopes that they would put it into circulation, seems a rather roundabout way of doing things, especially when the staggering sums of money involved are being justified as an "emergency" measure.

Spending money for infrastructure is another time-consuming way of dealing with what is called an immediate crisis. Infrastructure takes forever to plan, debate, and go through all sorts of hearings and adjudications, before getting approval to build from all the regulatory agencies involved.

Out of $355 billion newly appropriated, the Congressional Budget Office estimates that only $26 billion will be spent this fiscal year and only $110 billion by the end of 2010.

Using long, drawn-out processes to put money into circulation to meet an emergency is like mailing a letter to the fire department to tell them that your house is on fire.

(Excerpt) Read more at jewishworldreview.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Editorial; Government
KEYWORDS: bailout; bho2009; economy; obama; sowell; thomassowell; tsbo
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1 posted on 01/26/2009 6:27:58 PM PST by jazusamo
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To: abigail2; Alia; Amalie; American Quilter; arthurus; awelliott; Bahbah; bamahead; Battle Axe; ...
*PING*
Thomas Sowell

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Please FReepmail me if you would like to be added to, or removed from, the Thomas Sowell ping list…

2 posted on 01/26/2009 6:29:05 PM PST by jazusamo (But there really is no free lunch, except in the world of political rhetoric,.: Thomas Sowell)
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To: jazusamo

As long as the emergency lasts long enuff to get obamalamadingdong re-elected, no problem.


3 posted on 01/26/2009 6:29:35 PM PST by dynachrome (Barack Hussein Obama yunikku khinaaziir)
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To: jazusamo

Leave it to a clear thinker to make the perfect analogy: “Using long, drawn-out processes to put money into circulation to meet an emergency is like mailing a letter to the fire department to tell them that your house is on fire.”


4 posted on 01/26/2009 6:35:44 PM PST by MHGinTN (Believing they cannot be deceived, they cannot be convinced when they are deceived.)
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To: jazusamo

Kudos once again to Dr Sowell for a great column. His comment on public works is particularly sharp. The last thing this Congress wants is to give money or power back to the people. This is why I was so disappointed in Sen. Tom Coburn of Oklahoma for geting hustled along with the “it’s a crisis - pass the bailout(s)!” rhetoric. He should have been smarter than that.


5 posted on 01/26/2009 6:36:03 PM PST by Puddleglum (this space for rent)
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To: jazusamo

As is usually the case, Dr. Sowell nails it. He’s the best.


6 posted on 01/26/2009 6:36:29 PM PST by Pearls Before Swine (Is /sarc really necessary?)
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To: Pearls Before Swine
For all the gals out there (like me) Tom's ...dreamy too bad I'm married!
7 posted on 01/26/2009 6:44:31 PM PST by 4Liberty (Discount window +fractional reserve banking = moral hazard + bank corporate welfare + Inflation tax)
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To: jazusamo
This administration and Congress are now in a position to do what Franklin D. Roosevelt did during the Great Depression of the 1930s— use a crisis of the times to create new institutions that will last for generations.

The Raw Deal.

8 posted on 01/26/2009 6:46:20 PM PST by swordfishtrombone
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To: MHGinTN

You’re correct, it’s right on the money.


9 posted on 01/26/2009 6:47:12 PM PST by jazusamo (But there really is no free lunch, except in the world of political rhetoric,.: Thomas Sowell)
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To: 4Liberty

Thanks, that pic is from a few years ago. :)


10 posted on 01/26/2009 6:48:29 PM PST by jazusamo (But there really is no free lunch, except in the world of political rhetoric,.: Thomas Sowell)
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To: swordfishtrombone

I shudder to think how long the about to be enacted giveaways are going to be with us, my grandchildren probably won’t see the end of them.


11 posted on 01/26/2009 6:52:21 PM PST by jazusamo (But there really is no free lunch, except in the world of political rhetoric,.: Thomas Sowell)
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To: jazusamo
I honestly believe that the banks will continue not loaning money in hopes of obtaining another bailout from the TARP funds. Easy money and these jacka@@ on the Obama team just don't get it.
12 posted on 01/26/2009 7:00:12 PM PST by Logical me (Oh, well!!!)
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To: jazusamo

Bump for morning coffee. Good night! :


13 posted on 01/26/2009 7:03:15 PM PST by Diana in Wisconsin (Save The Earth. It's The Only Planet With Chocolate.)
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To: jazusamo

Quite a return on 750 million dollars of other peoples money spent to buy the presidency.

Who will buy the next one?


14 posted on 01/26/2009 7:04:51 PM PST by listenhillary
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Comment #15 Removed by Moderator

To: thereisno
Here is what he is saying. He says it best and he needs no interpretation.

What are the Beltway politicians buying with all the hundreds of billions of dollars they are spending? They are buying what politicians are most interested in— power.

16 posted on 01/26/2009 7:16:38 PM PST by listenhillary
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To: thereisno

I bet somehow this ties into the “affordable housing vs. open space/smart growth/etc” Sowell has often preached about.


17 posted on 01/26/2009 7:16:58 PM PST by the OlLine Rebel (Common sense is an uncommon virtue./Technological progress cannot be legislated.)
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To: jazusamo

Why is our government so backasswards?


18 posted on 01/26/2009 7:17:06 PM PST by freekitty (Give me back my conservative vote.)
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To: jazusamo; 4Liberty

Thomas Sowell (born June 30, 1930)


19 posted on 01/26/2009 7:21:35 PM PST by Graybeard58
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To: freekitty

I suppose a good part of it is very few are in Washington for the good of our country, it’s shameful.


20 posted on 01/26/2009 7:22:23 PM PST by jazusamo (But there really is no free lunch, except in the world of political rhetoric,.: Thomas Sowell)
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