Senate has own ideas for economic stimulus

LA Times ^ | 26 January 2008 | Richard Simon,

[shrinkermd]

Its package may spend more for food stamps and unemployment benefits. Some fear the House-crafted compromise could be unraveled

...Greg Valliere, chief political strategist for the financial services firm Stanford Group Co., said he expected a plan to clear Congress, even if the Senate fiddled with it: "The Senate is notoriously independent and unwilling to be stampeded; this will be no exception."

Still, he expected a package to become law within the next few weeks. "In the final analysis, most lawmakers are aghast to see their public approval ratings at all-time lows. This gives them an opportunity to show they can act quickly -- even the Senate," he said.

In a rare display of bipartisanship, House Democratic and Republican leaders and the president agreed Thursday to a roughly $150-billion plan that would provide tax rebates of as much as $1,200 per household -- plus $300 per child -- as well as business tax breaks to spur investment. Rebates would be phased out gradually for single filers earning more than $75,000 and couples earning more than $150,000 a year.

Both parties made concessions. Republicans backed away from seeking to make Bush's tax cuts permanent as part of the package and agreed to a Democratic demand to give rebates to workers who earn too little to pay income taxes. Democrats gave up calls to extend unemployment benefits and spend more on food stamps.

[Seruzawa]

The most corrupt body in the USA. The US Senate.

Why we ever even consider Senators as candidates for President is a mystery. You don’t get leadership. you get lies, corruption, arrogance and “go along get along”. McKeating is a case in point.

[LiberalBassTurds]

What a bunch of crap. It goes from bad to worse.

LBT
......

[ex-snook]

The House one shot election year stimulus will do more for China’s economy than for ours. We have to export more not import.

[Cowboy Bob]

If Bush would release crude oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, the price would collapse.

With lower crude oil, and lower gasoline prices, ALL Americans would benefit - without the need for Congress to act!

[jiggyboy]

Senate Dems will delay or doom this bill by their reflexive attempt to turn it into a Christmas Tree.

The trimmings as reported here:

Sen. Dianne Feinstein: extending unemployment insurance and increasing food stamps

Sen. Barbara Boxer: aid for seniors who do not pay taxes, $10 billion to help communities combat a rising tide of vacant houses caused by foreclosures and giving tax breaks to promote “green jobs.”

Sen. Olympia J. Snowe (Rino): include an unemployment insurance extension

...and from a Washington Post article
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/24/AR2008012400532.html?hpid=topnews

Sen. Max Baucus: increase the size of tax payments for the working poor and restore unemployment benefit extensions

Sen. Ron Wyden: funds for infrastructure projects

Sen. Patty Murray: funding for youth summer job programs

Sen. Patrick J. Leahy: food stamp funds

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton: relief from skyrocketing energy bills, expanded unemployment insurance

So right there are specific demands from eight senators already.

And I have no doubt whatsoever that the rest of the brand-name socialists and obstructionists (Schumer, Kennedy, Reid, et al) will get themselves into print with more demands for handouts and pork before the State of the Union Address on Monday night.

At best that means there’s gonna be weeks of posturing and harrumphing before this thing sees a vote. Remember, it’s not what’s good for America (note: for the record, I *don’t* think this is good for America), it’s what’s good politics.

[nyyankeefan]

this stimulus pandering package is just plain stupid.....

tax rebates for people that don’t pay taxes....and here I thought Christmas was already over this year!!!!!

next the lib/dems will complain how jorge bush and the republicans created such high deficits!!!!

[ex-snook]

Actually some of these sound better to address long range economic problems than a one-year election year goose up.

[mulligan]

Are you serious? If so, you would make a great politician. One who makes all the wrong moves.

[beekay]

“Rebating” to those not paying taxes and capping benefit by income rewards those in the cash economy.
One can only hope that the Senate, in its own way, kills this wealth redistribution pandering.

[Otho]

Mark Twain didn’t care much for Congress. Two quotations from his writings:

“It could probably be shown by facts and figures that there is no distinctly native American criminal class except Congress.”

and

“Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself.”

[ThisLittleLightofMine]

Term limits would change everything.

[Amendment10]

This Senate plan is just another example of the federal government trying to rescue the people from the federal government. Regardless that the federal government is trying to make a hero out of itself by bribing the people with their own money, the fact remains that our federal taxes are too high anyway as a consequence of constitutionally unauthorized federal spending. This post (<-click) tells how FDR butchered the Constitution in order to establish his New Deal federal spending programs, the consequences of which we are still suffering today in the form of high federal taxes and federal government interference in state affairs.

In fact, where constitutionally unauthorized federal welfare is concerned, Thomas Jefferson, reflecting on the Founder's division of federal and state government powers, had noted that the Founders had trusted the states, not the federal government, with the care of the people. See for yourself.

"Our citizens have wisely formed themselves into one nation as to others and several States as among themselves. To the united nation belong our external and mutual relations; to each State, severally, the care of our persons, (emphasis added) our property, our reputation and religious freedom." --Thomas Jefferson: To Rhode Island Assembly, 1801. ME 10:262 http://tinyurl.com/onx4j

On the other hand, if the people want the federal government to manage things like welfare then they can always exercise their Article V powers to amend the Constitution to properly authorize the federal government to do so. Until the people decide to do so, however, such issues remain 10th A. protected state power matters.

The bottom line is that the people need to wise up to the very serious problem of a federal government that is not working within the constraints of the federal Constitution, the consequence of FDR's dirty politics. The people need to quit sitting on their hands and petition lawmakers, judges and justices who are not upholding their oaths to defend the Constitution, demanding that they resign from their jobs.

[Cowboy Bob]

One who makes all the wrong moves.

Please explain.