There are many things about the "stimulus" bill that concern me. Today I am struck by the idea that we have elected people to represent us who believe that following the traditional rules of lawmaking is no longer advisable. They don't sit down with members of the opposite party and try to craft a piece of legislation that is viable. Instead they do the Gollum dance (my preciousss....mine, all mine.... ), hog the process (pun intended), and produce a bill that has enough pork to give this great country a massive heart attack.
Nancy Pelosi and her cronies went into a room, shut the door and didn't allow any opposition input. It was a bill chock full of pork because they saw it as a chance to get everything they ever wanted under the guise of an economic emergency. Then they wrung their hands and fretted over the fact that it was getting bipartisan support. Well Madam Speaker, if you want support you can't arrogantly dismiss the concerns of the other side while you force feed your unabated agenda down their throats. It just doesn't work that way. Then they forced a vote before anyone had time to really study the bill and know what it said!
House Republicans were brave and strong and they said NO. I was so proud of them.
Now, the House of Representatives generally moves in a more expedient fashion than the Senate. Maybe this is because they feel the pressure of time more accutely (after all, they have to be re-elected every 2 years and they need to be able to show their folks back home they actually DID something in Washington). The Senate (having 6 years between elections) is better known for debate and due consideration. I thought we might be getting there when they announced a bi-partisan ad hoc committee. However, its looking like I was mistaken.
By the way....if you weren't in the meetings you don't really know whats in THIS bill either! Where is the transparency that we were promised? Pray, tell me how this is ethical? You want to spend TRILLIONS of dollars that DO NOT BELONG TO YOU and you have not told anyone how it is to be spent? Then the fearmongering begins. You must pass it NOW or the world will end. The President is out telling everyone that time is of the essence. So now they want to spend all that money and they dont want anyone to take the time to read the bill and understand where the cash is going? Their cavalier attitude is just frightening.
There are a couple of Republican senators that are going to go along with this "compromise", even though it really is not a compromise. It appears that when the bill came to the Senate, it was loaded up even higher with pork and THAT is what has been cut. Any Republican who votes for this compromise insults the honor and strength that the House Republicans, and those Democrats who parted with their party (more of them than Republicans who it appears will sign off on this revised compromise by the way).
The spin is that the bill is 48% tax cuts and 52% spending. When I see MY taxes cut 48% I will believe it.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Friday, February 6, 2009
Economic Stimulus
Time for full disclosure... I am NOT an economist! Actually I don't believe I know anyone in that line of work either. Having said that, I am also not stupid. I understand that people spend money when they:
1. have a disposable income (more than it takes to pay the required bills like housing, heat, gas, water, food) and
2. when they feel reasonably sure that they will continue to have enough income to pay the bills and still have some money to play with.
I keep reading about how Republicans want more tax cuts and how Democrats want more spending in the economic stimulus. While we all know that a Frisbee golf course is clearly pork not everyone understands why it is that tax cuts are important. Also...no one is spelling it out for the American public. Mitt Romney has a great piece on CNN and at the top of his "how to fix it" list is to cut taxes. Commentary: Stimulate the economy, not government But he doesn't really spell out WHY. Conservatives have to be better at explaining things, without speaking down to people, so they understand what we have already figured out.
We don't need the government to create enough jobs for those of us who are suddenly without one. I have been working for more than 20 years and never once have I worked for the federal government. I bet most people have not either. We don't need government to do this for us, we just need them to not impede our ability to create jobs so people have a way to earn a living.
1. have a disposable income (more than it takes to pay the required bills like housing, heat, gas, water, food) and
2. when they feel reasonably sure that they will continue to have enough income to pay the bills and still have some money to play with.
I keep reading about how Republicans want more tax cuts and how Democrats want more spending in the economic stimulus. While we all know that a Frisbee golf course is clearly pork not everyone understands why it is that tax cuts are important. Also...no one is spelling it out for the American public. Mitt Romney has a great piece on CNN and at the top of his "how to fix it" list is to cut taxes. Commentary: Stimulate the economy, not government But he doesn't really spell out WHY. Conservatives have to be better at explaining things, without speaking down to people, so they understand what we have already figured out.
We don't need the government to create enough jobs for those of us who are suddenly without one. I have been working for more than 20 years and never once have I worked for the federal government. I bet most people have not either. We don't need government to do this for us, we just need them to not impede our ability to create jobs so people have a way to earn a living.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Force feeding stimulus
Remember, these are ramblings :)
We have a President who thinks that leadership is done by scaring the American public. Hes been on television saying that if we dont pass this outrageous "stimulus" bill that the world is ending. President Chicken Little.... shame on him. Why are we trying to pass a bill to spend money on things we dont need?
And we have to hurry according to President Obama. Don't talk, don't think, after all... someone has already done all that for you (thanks Nanny State). Just pass the bill already! Never mind that it has just come to light that the Fed paid WAY too much money for the bank assets that have already been purchased. This kind of STUPID TAX (to borrow a phrase from Dave Ramsey) happens when you get in a hurry and don't take the time to understand and research your actions.
Then my own Senator, Mitch McConnell, comes out with a compromise that isnt much better.
I have an idea... why dont we stop trying to fix it and let the public make it right? If we think a business is failing, we either invest in it en masse or we back off and it fails. That doesnt meant that every business goes down the tubes.
This cant be fixed in Washington unless we vote everyone out of office and elect a bunch of people who really know how to make business work. People from successful businesses, and economists who actually look at the historical behavior of the markets and what brought about health or illness therein.
Ruth Bader Ginsberg just had surgery for pancreatic cancer. While she and I do not share political persepective I certain am saddened to hear about her illness. They are saying today that the dr's have removed a small tumor. My personal thought:I pray that resolves this and she is restored to full health. My political thought: Better the devil you know, and while she is arguably the most liberal justice on the bench, she is the one we know. I shudder to think who our president would consider to replace her should the need arise.
OH man! Harry Reid says they are going to vote this afternoon...and he is not going to consider the moderates alternative plan, which is being worked out even as I type. If this must pass, I think that would be the best thing for the Republican Party...it means that the Democrats would totally own this mess. However, it would be the worst thing for the county. They are going to make this a bigger mess by rushing. So now I am wondering if the Republicans will take a lesson from the Democrats play book? Someone should be gathering sound clips, and building commercials to remind people constantly that the Democrats rammed this through over the objections of the moderates in both parties, and the American Public.
Sigh! what a mess.
We have a President who thinks that leadership is done by scaring the American public. Hes been on television saying that if we dont pass this outrageous "stimulus" bill that the world is ending. President Chicken Little.... shame on him. Why are we trying to pass a bill to spend money on things we dont need?
And we have to hurry according to President Obama. Don't talk, don't think, after all... someone has already done all that for you (thanks Nanny State). Just pass the bill already! Never mind that it has just come to light that the Fed paid WAY too much money for the bank assets that have already been purchased. This kind of STUPID TAX (to borrow a phrase from Dave Ramsey) happens when you get in a hurry and don't take the time to understand and research your actions.
Then my own Senator, Mitch McConnell, comes out with a compromise that isnt much better.
I have an idea... why dont we stop trying to fix it and let the public make it right? If we think a business is failing, we either invest in it en masse or we back off and it fails. That doesnt meant that every business goes down the tubes.
This cant be fixed in Washington unless we vote everyone out of office and elect a bunch of people who really know how to make business work. People from successful businesses, and economists who actually look at the historical behavior of the markets and what brought about health or illness therein.
Ruth Bader Ginsberg just had surgery for pancreatic cancer. While she and I do not share political persepective I certain am saddened to hear about her illness. They are saying today that the dr's have removed a small tumor. My personal thought:I pray that resolves this and she is restored to full health. My political thought: Better the devil you know, and while she is arguably the most liberal justice on the bench, she is the one we know. I shudder to think who our president would consider to replace her should the need arise.
OH man! Harry Reid says they are going to vote this afternoon...and he is not going to consider the moderates alternative plan, which is being worked out even as I type. If this must pass, I think that would be the best thing for the Republican Party...it means that the Democrats would totally own this mess. However, it would be the worst thing for the county. They are going to make this a bigger mess by rushing. So now I am wondering if the Republicans will take a lesson from the Democrats play book? Someone should be gathering sound clips, and building commercials to remind people constantly that the Democrats rammed this through over the objections of the moderates in both parties, and the American Public.
Sigh! what a mess.
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