Posted on 01/30/2009 3:04:22 PM PST by Oldeconomybuyer
WASHINGTON (AP) — They call it "stimulus" legislation, but the economic measures racing through Congress would devote tens of billions of dollars to causes that have little to do with jolting the country out of recession.
There's $345 million for Agriculture Department computers, $650 million for TV converter boxes, $15 billion for college scholarships — worthy, perhaps, but not likely to put many Americans back to work quickly.
Yes, there are many billions of dollars in "ready-to-go" job-creating projects in President Barack Obama's economic stimulus bill. But there are also plenty of items that are just unfinished business for Congress' old bulls.
An $800 billion-plus package, it turns out, gives lawmakers plenty of opportunities to rid themselves of nagging headaches left over from the days when running up the government's $10 trillion-plus debt was a bigger concern.
There's $1 billion to deal with Census problems and $88 million to help move the Public Health Service into a new building next year. The Senate would devote $2.1 billion to pay off a looming shortfall in public housing accounts, $870 million to combat the flu and $400 million to slow the spread HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases such as chlamydia.
"I have communicated to the administration that there are parts of this package that don't meet the test that they themselves established of temporary, timely and targeted," said Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad, D-N.D. He wants Obama to weigh in to knock out the clunkers during House-Senate negotiations.
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Jamie Dupree (on Neil Boortz' show a couple days ago) mentioned that politicians are not yet seeing a lot of heat from their constituents on the stimulus/pork bill.
I just called both of my (Democrat) senators' offices and got right through. No waiting. One sounded receptive and the other was at least non-hostile.
If we crank this up, we might be able to hold back Porkulus like we held back the Amnesty Bill.
He's saying, we can no longer rush this garbage through, so some of it has to go.
And you statement should say!!
I suspect if another vote would be taken next week there would be more than 11 House democrats who would NOT support this economic political stimulus plan.
And the democrats own it. Perhaps the reason they are upset at the “partisanship” of all the republicans voting against it because they know it is a big flying pig?
agreed..they didn’t get the republican support they needed for finger pointing purposes, now they need a reason to shoot it down, or pare it WAY down..they know it’s a clunker..
Propagandists, their enablers and dim-witted hangers-on create the terminology, control the debate and amplify the misconceptions/lies.
From AP? Has hell frozen over?
Thanks, a typo on my part.
Maybe it should be referred to as the “simulating stimulating” legislation.
The good ship "S.S. Obama" has hit a huge iceberg, is ripped open and she's taking on water.
Exactly right. The Democrats certainly view this as quite stimulating.
I hope this bill flunks in the Senate. The US will not survive with such a bill.
Meanwhile, in her latest TV interview, Queen Nancy had this to say about the Republicans:”Off with their heads!”
AP reports problems????
This is truly a flying pig moment!
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