February 4, 2009, by Mike Rowan,
www.erollover.com
I am all for helping the 2009 Economy, but.......
Wow.
The near trillion dollar stimulus bill for the struggling 2009 economy has hit a major roadblock, as more and more Democrats are joining Republicans in their opposition. With the bill up in the air, I wanted to take the time to rant a little bit about the nature of government, and its role in helping the 2009 economic recovery.
Government is really trying the patience of the American people with this bill. Democrats and Republicans alike are feeling the heat. One may wonder,
“Why would the general public oppose a bill that is geared towards helping the 2009 economy?”
The reason is quite simple. Pork Barrel politics are alive and well. I just do not understand the logic that goes into some of the spending that is tied up in seemingly every decree that our wonderful Congress and Senate send out from Washington. Would you like details? Here you go…..
Pork in the 2009 Economic Stimulus Package
We'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
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.
I thought that this near trillion dollar effort to retain some semblance of control over our economy would at least refrain from outright waste. I certainly guess not. Barack Obama weighed in on the bill and tried to defend some of the spending.
"Well, let's think about it," the president said, seizing on the weatherization example. "We're going to weatherize homes, that immediately puts people back to work and we're going to train people who are out of work, including young people, to do the weatherization. As a consequence of weatherization, our energy bills go down and we reduce our dependence on foreign oil. What would be a more effective stimulus package than that?"
Huh?
Why not just give money away?
The 850 Billion Bill amounts to just under $300 per U.S. citizen, near $500 per working adult, and $1,000 per working Family. Keep in mind, this bill is on top of the nearly 700 billion that was granted to banks, and another 300 billion to AIG. So, when you add all of the bailouts up, the combined cost of the 2008 and 2009 Economic Bailouts are more than $2000 per family.
Do you think that people might just care a little bit more if they had to write a $2,000 check?
Something to give all of us alot to think about. While you are at it, be sure to click on our H&R Block advertisement below and make sure that you are ready to pay your taxes. We will need them.
