ANOTHER HALF-T ... WHY NOT?

Roman Around ^ | 2 December 2008 | Andrew Roman

[andrew roman]

As David Letterman used to say, back when he wasn't so bitter (and actually funny), "Wake the neighbors, phone the kids..."

It's Stimulus Package time - starring Nancy Pelosi and the Cap-Hill Gang!

Can I get a great big "yippee?" Or an arm-waving "woo hoo?"

Here we go ... tossing around "billions" like I throw remote controls at the TV set watching the New York Mets play (or the Jets this past Sunday).

Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, is talking $500 billion - or half a trillion, if you want to exacerbate your disgust.

From Reuters, via Yahoo:

U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi met leading governors on Monday to discuss the size and shape of an economic stimulus package that one Democratic aide said was likely to cost around $500 billion.

The aide, who asked not to be identified, said the legislation would include a middle-class tax cut, billions of dollars for road, bridge and mass transit construction, expanded aid to states and investments in renewable energy.

Speaking to reporters earlier, Pelosi said she hoped the job-creating legislation, which she did not detail, would be ready for President-elect Barack Obama to sign when he takes office on January 20.

"We'd like to have it ready for the president-elect," Pelosi told reporters before meeting Govs. Ed Rendell, a Pennsylvania Democrat, and Jim Douglas, a Vermont Republican. "I think we will be coming to some agreements today."

...

At $500 billion, the measure would dwarf the $168 billion economic stimulus that was enacted last February, which consisted mostly of tax rebates for families and small business tax benefits.

Yes, the first stimulus package (government issued checks) did so much to remedy the economic ills of the United States, didn't it? What a brilliantly conceived plan that was.

So, where are we now in terms of total bailout, stimulus, band-aid money? Six trillion? Eight trillion? I lost count when the mayors of American cities were crawling in for handouts.

And what's this about "job creating legislation?"

The federal government is going to be in the job creating business? That's how we make things better?

Government job creation?

Oh, Lord ... help us.

[Dr. Ursus]

That’ll buy a lot of botox!!!

[weegee]

I’m going to get in line this time and ask for $120million. I figure even if I only get $120,000 it’ll be more than enough to cover the taxes I will have to pay for all of these bailouts.

[Attention Surplus Disorder]

That face...is like the front end of a car made in some Eastern bloc country in the mid to late fifties.

[taxcontrol]

At one time something that was unusually large as to be beyond comprehension was said to be “astronomical”. This was based upon the idea of Billions and Billions of stars. Now the treasury is printing trillions upon trillions.

Perhaps we should invent a new word to replace “astronomical” perhaps “treasurical” or “debitish” to mean some fiscal policy that is beyond all reason or sanity.

[CIDKauf]

Ginoromical from the root word ginormous