by our estimate only $90 billion out of $825 billion, or about 12 cents of every $1, is for something that can plausibly be considered a growth stimulus.
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Posted on 01/28/2009 11:50:31 AM PST by kellynla
So said White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel in November, and Democrats in Congress are certainly taking his advice to heart. The 647-page, $825 billion House legislation is being sold as an economic "stimulus," but now that Democrats have finally released the details we understand Rahm's point much better. This is a political wonder that manages to spend money on just about every pent-up Democratic proposal of the last 40 years.
APWe've looked it over, and even we can't quite believe it. There's $1 billion for Amtrak, the federal railroad that hasn't turned a profit in 40 years; $2 billion for child-care subsidies; $50 million for that great engine of job creation, the National Endowment for the Arts; $400 million for global-warming research and another $2.4 billion for carbon-capture demonstration projects. There's even $650 million on top of the billions already doled out to pay for digital TV conversion coupons.
In selling the plan, President Obama has said this bill will make "dramatic investments to revive our flagging economy." Well, you be the judge. Some $30 billion, or less than 5% of the spending in the bill, is for fixing bridges or other highway projects. There's another $40 billion for broadband and electric grid development, airports and clean water projects that are arguably worthwhile priorities.
The Opinion Journal Widget Download Opinion Journal's widget and link to the most important editorials and op-eds of the day from your blog or Web page. Add the roughly $20 billion for business tax cuts, and by our estimate only $90 billion out of $825 billion, or about 12 cents of every $1, is for something that can plausibly be considered a growth stimulus. And even many of these projects aren't likely to help the economy immediately.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
After you’ve given $700 billion to the Hamptons crowd, it’s kind of hard to argue against what they want to give away now.
no problemo...
Prediction: Obama will be Jimmy Carter redux...one & done!
The GOP has an excellent opportunity to retake the Senate & start retaking the House in 2010 “if” they get their collective act together and get a testicle & spine implant in the meantime.
Unfortunately, I agree with Rush Limbaugh;
presently, there is not ONE conservative politician on the national level.
And pie? Where's the pie?
” I’m beginning to wonder what it will take to remind these boobs whom they are working for. “
Elections aren’t going to do it — not so long as the prevailing voter philosophy is “No matter who it is, no matter what they have - or haven’t done, hold your nose and vote for the ‘R’ for no other reason than that they aren’t ‘D’”
The vast majority of congressional incumbents were overwhelmingly re-elected, after - repeat AFTER - they enacted the $700bn boondoggle over the strong objections of some 70% of the voting populace....
“I’m from the government and I’m here to help you” (or “We’re from the government and we’re here to help you”) is a line from the mid-1970s, usually grouped with other great fabrications such as “The check is in the mail.” The word “federal” is sometimes added: “I’m from the federal government and I’m here to help you.”
President Ronald Reagan called the phrase “the nine most terrifying words in the English language” in 1986. The phrase and Reagan’s comments are still cited today, especially by conservative media commentators such as Sean Hannity.
I wonder how long it will be, after Obama, Pelosi and their revoltingly socialist ilk double the federal deficit, that inflation will hit. Let’s say it is 2010.
Will the googly-eyed worshippers of Obama arrive at the conclusion that a year or so has passed...and things really haven’t gotten better? The “stimulus” didn’t create any private sector jobs that they know of, and costs at the grocery store, gas pump and everywhere else are leaving precious little from that welfare/unemployment/SSDI kiss-in-the-mail that arrives every other week. And the cell phone bill...the blessed cell phone...it costs more!
Will they connect the increase in misery with the shameless, reckless, greedy “stimulus” spending orgy of early 2009?
I think it is time for another “stock up” trip to BJs to add to the cellar stock...
Never give up blondee123. You can’t have something downpat when it CHANGES. We can change the game too.
Why does expanding the time someone can PAY for their health care under COBRA cost anything. It just means you can keep your insurance your previous employer paid for for a certain amount of time. But you pay the premiums yourself. Are they paying for some peoples and not others. Someone explain.
Oh, they know who they are working for, all right...
Themselves.
They know when they're done bribing their current moron supporters with our tax money and admitting 100 million more 3rd World peasants as new voters who also expect to get their fair share of the pie, their personal power and positions will be guaranteed. Forever.
This isn't about "us" or what's good for America. It's all about "them", and as far as they are concerned, that is what is good for America.
Our country is going to be ruined and there is not a d@mned thing we can do about it. We lost the last meaningful opportunity to do anything about it on November 4th. We are now just along to be their serfs.
Our nation has brought the most prosperity to the most people - even in other countries. And now these people are trying to destroy everything.
Words cannot describe how I feel...
How much for the homos and the Mooselimbs?
From the article:
“The larger fiscal issue here is whether this spending bonanza will become part of the annual “budget baseline” that Congress uses as the new floor when calculating how much to increase spending the following year, and into the future. Democrats insist that it will not. But it’s hard — no, impossible — to believe that Congress will cut spending next year on any of these programs from their new, higher levels. The likelihood is that this allegedly emergency spending will become a permanent addition to federal outlays — increasing pressure for tax increases in the bargain. Any Blue Dog Democrat who votes for this ought to turn in his ‘deficit hawk’ credentials.
“This is supposed to be a new era of bipartisanship, but this bill was written based on the wish list of every living — or dead — Democratic interest group. As Speaker Nancy Pelosi put it, ‘We won the election. We wrote the bill.’ So they did. Republicans should let them take all of the credit.”
Every time I think that I’ve thought of all the garbage that’s coming our way in 2009, something else comes along.
Anyone know what the stock market is doing? I think this passed after close, so it looks like we will have to wait for tomorrow.
Email your U.S. senators tonight and call them tomorrow.
You could have just said.....”We are screwed”
I’ve been saying that since the election results were released.
Atlas Puked...
Arrogance of the elite ‘elected’ is beyond belief....this stimulus is about importing millions more of illegals and taxes paying for them. Forcing the Organization of North American States up our backsides while pouring rot-gut wine down our throats......look for the mark soon. The US has just entered the status of a socialist banana republic.
You got it - it’s a big fat piece of pork!!!
BTTT!
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