Catastrophes and Recessions and Spending...OH MY!

Anyone remember this video from the grade school days?  The days when, although we probably weren't paying too much attention, we were taught about the ways our government worked and we were far less aware of party differences between liberals and conservatives, and what words like 'bipartisanship' meant.  My how we've become so jaded.

Reminisce with me for a moment, if you will, about the days when a bill that was presented went through analysis by all members of the House and Senate to decide if EVERY last thing it represented was what the American people want.  Wait, did that ever exist, or was it more of an idealistic teaching?  For crying out loud, a bill to get life saving debfibrillators (a device that increases the chance of survival from cardiac arrest by more than 50% if used quickly and appropriately) in athletic clubs and health spas has gone through more ammendments than the measly $800,000,000,000 'stimulus' bill.  

Have you heard that not one Congressman has fully read the 1,100 some odd pages of the stimulus bill?  See the video below.  

Just to fill you in on some of the other so called 'stimulating' and 'ear mark free' inclusions:

• $6 billion to turn federal buildings into "green" buildings
• $100 million for reducing the hazard of lead-based paint
  
• $150 million for Smithsonian museum facilities
  
• $500 million for state and local fire stations
• $1.2 billion for "youth activities", including youth summer jobs
• $10 million to inspect canals in urban areas
• $500 million for flood reduction projects on the Mississippi River
• $25 million for tribal alcohol and substance abuse reduction
• $75 million for "smoking cessation activities"  (I thought the quadrillion dollar lawsuit against cigarette manufacturers was supposed to pay for this?)
• $30 million for wetlands conservation, including protection of the salt water harvest mouse (I'm not kidding)
• $1.4 billion for rural waste disposal programs
• $600 million to buy hybrid vehicles for federal employees
• $448 million for construction of the Dept. of Homeland Security headquarters
• $248 million for furniture at the new Homeland Security headquarters
• $88 million for the Coast Guard to design a new polar icebreaker ship (I thought global warming was taking care of all polar ice?)
• $1 billion for Amtrak, which hasn't earned a profit in four decades
• $2 billion earmark to restart FutureGen, a near-zero emissions coal power plant in Illinois that the Dept. of Energy defunded last year because the project was inefficient
• $20 billion over 5 years for an expanded food stamp program
• $53.4 billion for science facilities, high-speed internet, and miscellaneous energy and environmental programs (yes, that's 'billions' for internet)
• $400 million for research into global warming 

Look, I am not coming in here and saying I despise liberals and everything they stand for.  I don't.  In fact, I had quite the enjoyable debate just last week with two, very devoted, liberals.  I am simply seeking informed decision making based on the greater good of America.  If you've been paying attention to news from Drudge Report to the Huffington Post, from MSNBC to Fox News, from CNN to The View, everyone has SOMEthing to say about this so called "Recovery and Reinvestment Act".  The problem seems to be that NOBODY is informed!  Or at least if they are, why aren't they being upfront about WHAT they are doing and where OUR money is going?  What happened to Obama's promise to be 'transparent' and practice 'bipartisanship' (meaning to involve cooperation, agreement, and compromise between two major political parties)?

There is no debating that America's economy is experiencing tough times.  Depression-esque?  Hardly.  For instance, job losses are around 7.6% and, while devastating, pale in comparison to the 25% of the 1930's.  A much less used, yet more similar comparison, is the economic downturn of the late '70s & early 80's, during which the unemployment rate peaked at 10.8%.  It is obvious that something needs to be done...or is it?  Look at this bill!  We are being told that if it doesn't pass, the economy may reach a catastrophic and unrecoverable state.  Really?  Okay, then justify the spending, specifically!  Rather than cloud things and say it "MUST PASS OR ELSE," tell us why we need to provide 'stimulus' spending on smoking cessation? global warming? internet? an inefficient coal plant? protecting the salt water harvest mouse?

How many jobs will this create?  How many home owners will avoid foreclosure?  How many small business owners will be able to stay afloat?  The bill was originally proposed with many more billions set to go to many other 'earmarks', and so in an attempt to sound like Congress cares that there has been an increasing opposition to this bill, they cut 'billions' out.  So, at only $787 BILLION rather than the earlier $820 billion, we're supposed to concede.  How 'bout NO!  President Obama, how about instead of attempting to scare us into submitting to your will, you let us know what you are doing, like you promised you would.  I have yet to see very much 'transparency'.

The bill will be signed by the president on Tuesday.  While I may have posted a blog about wanting Obama to fail, I don't want him to fail...especially on something this big.  I want to know that I, as a small business owner, can trust consumer confidence will rise again.  I am an optimist, so until it doesn't, I will always maintain confidence that it will.  I just wish that more of the 'stimulus' bill went to the citizens.  At its pricetag, the bill could give about $10,000 to each tax-filing citizen.  I'm pretty sure that would stimulate my wallet!  Instead, we are set to receive $400 for singles and $800 for couples.  Hooray, we get to eat for a month or two! 

I'm not big on forwarded emails, but I got one the other day that I thought was entertaining and is befitting of this conversation:

"This year, taxpayers will receive an Economic Stimulus Payment. This is a very exciting new program that I will explain using the Q and A format: 

Q. What is an Economic Stimulus Payment? 

A. It is money that the federal government will send to taxpayers. 

Q. Where will the government get this money? 

A. From taxpayers. 

Q. So the government is giving me back my own money? 

A. Only a smidgen. 

Q. What is the purpose of this payment? 

A. The plan is that you will use the money to purchase a high-definition TV set, thus stimulating the economy. 

Q. But isn't that stimulating the economy of China ? 

A. Shut up. 

Below is some helpful advice on how to best help the US economy by spending your stimulus check wisely: 

• If you spend that money at Wal-Mart, all the money will go to China . 
  
• If you spend it on gasoline it will go to the Arabs. 
  
• If you purchase a computer it will go to India. 
  
• If you purchase fruit and vegetables it will go to Mexico, Honduras, and Guatemala (unless you buy organic). 
• If you buy a car it will go to Japan. 
  
• If you purchase useless crap it will go to Taiwan. 
  
• If you pay your credit cards off, it will go to bank management bonuses and they will hide if offshore. 
  
• Same with stock investment. 
  

Instead, you can keep the money in America by spending it at yard sales, going to a baseball game, or spending it on prostitutes, beer and wine (domestic ONLY), or tattoos, since those are the only American businesses still operating in the US.