[clue-talk] The stimulus bill

[Collins Richey]

On Sat, Jan 31, 2009 at 5:41 PM, David Rudder
<david.rudder at reliableresponse.net> wrote:

>
> National Review, huh?  Aren't these the people that got us into this
> mess in the first place?  A magazine staff who's whole approach to
> economics is "cut taxes for the rich" doesn't have the right to act like
> an expert on the economy.

My taxes were cut, so I must be rich. Check with my wife for a second opinion.

>
> The only demographic against is are far-right
> Republicans.  The same people who would rather the country fail than see
> a Democrat succeed.

I'm not a Republican. Most of the Republicans I know want Obama to
succeed, but not at the cost of a massive pork bill like this one. We
were promised something new, but all we've seen thus far is the same
tired old ideas - pick your favorite special interest and fund that to
the max from the public coffers. Also we're seeing mostly the same
tired old faces in the administration - retreads from 8 years ago.

>
>
>> They've managed to goad all 177 Republicans in the House into
>> unpacking their mothballed cojones and voting against the bill.
>>
>
>
> 177 of the same people who got us into this mess.  Their answer?  More
> tax cuts!  How much will it cost?  Well, they don't know.  And, how
> exactly will further taxes help anything?  They won't say.

On the contrary. Congress helped get us into this mess by ignoring the
looming Freddie and Fannie fiasco, and the Democrats were in control.
The only voices calling foul about Freddie and Fannie were
Republicans. And the Republicans that I know know exactly how much it
will cost and how it will help. The recommendations I've heard from
true conservatives are to cut the corporate tax rate (more competitive
in the world market, more likely to hire rather than fire) and the low
end personal rates (to 5% and 15% for the lowest two brackets). That's
hardly tax cuts for the rich. The same conservatives would prefer to
see the upper bracket rates remain the same as now - not as a sop to
the rich, but because the most productive middle rank entrepreneurs
who create the most new jobs are in the upper bracket.
>
> Feh.  Save us all the drivel and go hide under your rock until 1012.
>

Fraid not. If this type of pork passes, nothing will be done that can
possibly help, and there won't be a rock left to hide under by 1012. I
don't really care which party is proposing this kind of junk; it's a
loser. We have a big enough deficit without printing extra money to
pay Democratic operatives (Acorn) to continue their "community
activism" unabated or spread condoms around the world or resod the DC
mall. I would be equally opposed to funding Republican operatives or
ridiculous right-wing pork.

None (or little) of the garbage in this bill is going to help
businesses thrive and avoid layoffs or prevent foreclosures.

-- 
Collins Richey
     If you fill your heart with regrets of yesterday and the worries
     of tomorrow, you have no today to be thankful for.