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Ben Stein: Half of Stimulus Goes to Unions
newsmax ^ | Today | ben stein

Posted on 02/01/2009 8:28:45 PM PST by jessduntno

Ben Stein: Half of Stimulus Goes to Unions

Columnist Ben Stein has taken a close look at President Barack Obama's proposed $820 billion stimulus package, and made some eye-opening discoveries.

Writing for Spectator.com and NYPost.com, Stein calculates that:

The House of Representatives debated the bill for eight hours, or roughly $102 billion per hour.

Only 10 percent of the stimulus funds would be spent in 2009.

Almost half of the $820 billion would end up in the pockets of Democratic-controlled unions, such as the Service Employees International Union, and federal, state, and municipal employee unions.

At 680 pages long, neither Obama nor any member of the House had enough time to read the entire bill before the House voted.

The $820 billion would be enough to give every unemployed American $75,000.

Says Stein: "There has been pork-barrel politics since there has been politics, but the scale of this pork is beyond what had ever been imagined before -- and no one can be sure it will actually do much stimulation. ... This has been a punch in the solar plexus to the kind of responsible, far-seeing, mature government processes that are needed to protect America."

(Excerpt) Read more at newsmax.com ...


TOPICS: Front Page News; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: bho2009; democrats; economy; porkulus; stimulus; unions
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To: Eva

http://www.portfolio.com/views/blogs/market-movers/2008/11/29/ben-stein-watch-november-30-2008?tid=true


21 posted on 02/01/2009 8:59:33 PM PST by ButThreeLeftsDo (FR......Monthly Donors Wanted)
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To: Swede Girl

“Perhaps there is a Hollywood friendship type of connection.”


From CNN: While Stein identifies himself as a Republican, he certainly does not always march in lockstep with GOP leadership. For example, Stein is backing Al Franken’s bid for the Senate. That’s right, that Al Franken, the liberal Democratic comedian who is seeking to oust incumbent Republican Sen. Norm Coleman in Minnesota.

“He is my pal, and he is a really, really capable smart guy,” Stein said of Franken. “I don’t agree with all of his positions, but he is a very impressive guy, and I think he should be in the Senate.”


22 posted on 02/01/2009 8:59:58 PM PST by ansel12 ( When a conservative pundit mocks Wasilla, he's mocking conservatism as it's actually lived.)
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To: jessduntno
Ben, Ben, Ben... what you meant to say was... “ the dog is so hungry it is eating its own leg.” There is no way to survive this spending spree. If it happens, we are a sh*thole European socialist has been of a country dominated by welfare dependent serfs and ruled by an Ivy League elite of One World globalists. How many of US were invited to Davos?
23 posted on 02/01/2009 9:05:54 PM PST by April Lexington (Study the constitution so you know what they are taking away!)
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To: jessduntno
"Almost half of the $820 billion would end up in the pockets of Democratic-controlled unions, such as the Service Employees International Union, and federal, state, and municipal employee unions." That should have been emphasized in your title, and you forgot to mention the teachers' union.


24 posted on 02/01/2009 9:08:53 PM PST by familyop (combat engineer (combat), National Guard, '89-'96, Duncan Hunter or no-vote, http://falconparty.com/)
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To: ButThreeLeftsDo

Thanks for the link - I think. :)
I’m depressed now. How can he go from Nixon to Franken? Ugh.


25 posted on 02/01/2009 9:13:56 PM PST by ElayneJ
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To: ButThreeLeftsDo

You don’t understand what I am saying. Ben Stein may make contradictory statement of opinion, but this statement about the so-called stimulus bill is not opinion, it’s fact. It is easily determined by looking closely at all the provisions. They are all aimed at unionizing the work force and instituting socialized medicine. There may be a lot of other pork to buy support of the bill, but the bill itself is not meant to stimulate anything. It is meant to kill off capitalism and self-determination.

I have been saying for two months that I believe that the plan is to make all the workers in the make work projects, members of the SEIU, holding government contracts and making the government responsible for their benefits, whether they are working or not. Remember that the SEIU was formed to organize illegal workers.


26 posted on 02/01/2009 9:15:31 PM PST by Eva (CHANGE- the post modern euphemism for Marxist revolution.)
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To: ElayneJ

Evidently, old friendships mean more than principles.....


27 posted on 02/01/2009 9:16:05 PM PST by ButThreeLeftsDo (FR......Monthly Donors Wanted)
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To: jessduntno
Stein should just stay quiet....he supports the freakomaniac from Minn so what does his opinion mean anyway?

because there are very few Americans who are more infantile,self-absorbed,arrogant,leftist creeps than Frankozoid.....

28 posted on 02/01/2009 9:17:29 PM PST by cherry
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To: Eva

“Remember that the SEIU was formed to organize illegal workers.”

Supported by Al Franken.

Living in Minnesota, this has become very personal. Ben needs to fade away.......


29 posted on 02/01/2009 9:23:44 PM PST by ButThreeLeftsDo (FR......Monthly Donors Wanted)
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To: ButThreeLeftsDo
Dear Mr. Stein,

You're getting exactly what you wanted you sanctimonious idiot blowhard twerp.

Now crawl back into some forgotten '80s movie, will ya?

L

30 posted on 02/01/2009 9:26:32 PM PST by Lurker (The avalanche has begun. It's too late for the pebbles to vote.)
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To: ButThreeLeftsDo
Ben needs to pick a team. He donated to Al Franken’s campaign.

Roughly two weeks ago or so, there was a list of 102 Hellywood celebrities that had contributed to Franken's campaign and I went back to review that list, and Ben Stein's name was not on it. I am not saying the list was a 100% all inclusive list of deranged liberals who had contributed to Franken....However if Ben Stein did contribute to Franken, then I am truly mystified & very disappointed by this, in fact downright angry if this is true. Is there a url link or some verification of this???

31 posted on 02/01/2009 9:30:23 PM PST by rcrngroup
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To: rcrngroup

Keep reading.....

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2176518/posts?page=11#11


32 posted on 02/01/2009 9:31:57 PM PST by ButThreeLeftsDo (FR......Monthly Donors Wanted)
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To: ButThreeLeftsDo
Thanks much... I saw the url just after I posted my comment....

Geez, what a disappointment. My regard for Ben Stein's opinion just took a sharp nosedive down. In fact I am downright pissed off. WTF is wrong with idiots who have misguided notions and promote left wingnut deranged socialists like Franken. Ohhh this pisses me off.......

33 posted on 02/01/2009 9:36:36 PM PST by rcrngroup
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To: Eva; Grampa Dave; Dog Gone; tubebender; hedgetrimmer; forester; NormsRevenge; BOBTHENAILER

Talk about wretched excess!!!


34 posted on 02/01/2009 9:39:40 PM PST by SierraWasp (The Jim Jones of the 21st Century is now POTUS!!! Premier 0bama the illegitimate!!!)
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To: ElayneJ

Let’s kill the myth right now - Nixon was no Conservative!

CA....


35 posted on 02/01/2009 10:01:02 PM PST by Chances Are (Whew! It seems I've at last found that silly grin!)
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To: bossmechanic
He’s probably numerically right.

Here's the thing: We shouldn't have to take Ben Stein's word for it. This is the internet age after all. Why doesn't Stein and/or NewsMax include a link to the official copy of the House bill and why doesn't Stein cite the specific pages for the dollar figures he used to come up with his totals?

This isn't a slam against Stein. I just get frustrated when online columnists and online publications don't include links. Stein said he read the entire 860-page bill; he must have put post-it notes on the key pages. It wouldn't take that much more effort to identify those pages in his column.

36 posted on 02/01/2009 10:29:44 PM PST by kittykat77
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To: Deetes

The next time you hear a politician use the
word ‘billion’ in a casual manner, think about
whether you w ant the ‘politicians’ spending
YOUR tax money.

A billion is a difficult number to comprehend,
but one advertising agency did a good job of
putting that figure into some perspective in
one of it’s releases.

A.
A billion seconds ago it was 1959.

B.
A billion minutes ago Jesus was alive.

C.
A billion hours ago our ancestors were
living in the Stone Age.

D.
A billion days ago no-one walked on the earth on two feet.

E.
A billion dollars ago was only
8 hours and20 minutes,
at the rate our government
is spending it.
While this thought is still fresh in our brain...
let’s take a look at New Orleans ...
It’s amazing what you can learn with some simple division.

Louisiana Senator,
Mary Landrieu (D)
is presently askingCongressfor
250 BILLION DOLLARS
to rebuild New Orleans . Interesting number...
what does it mean?

A.
Well... if you are one of the 484,674 residents of New Orleans
(every man, woman, and child)
youeach get $516,528.

B.
Or... if you have one of the 188,251 homes in
New Orleans , your home gets $1,329,787.

C.
Or... if you are a family of four...
your familygets $2,066,012.

Washington , D.C
< HELLO!>
Are all your calculators broken??

Accounts Receivable Tax
Building Permit Tax
CDL License Tax
Cigarette Tax
Corporate Income Tax
Dog License Tax
Federal Income Tax < BR>Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
Fishing License Tax
Food License Tax
Fuel Permit Tax
Gasoline Tax
Hunting License Tax
Inheritance Tax
Inventory Tax
IRS Interest Charges (tax on top of tax)
IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)
Liquor Tax
Luxury Tax
Marriage License Tax
Medicare Tax
Property Tax
Real Estate Tax
Service charge taxes
Social Security Tax
Road Usage Tax (Truckers)
Sales Taxes
Recreational Vehicle Tax
School Tax
State Income Ta x
State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)
Telephone Federal Excise Tax
Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax
Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge Tax
Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax
Telephone Recurring and Non-recurring < ST1:PLACENAME u1:st=”on”> Charges Tax
Telephone State and Local Tax
Telephone Usage ChargeTax
Utility Tax
Vehicle License Registration Tax
Vehicle Sales Tax
Watercraft Registration Tax
Well Permit Tax
Workers Compensation Tax

STILL THINK THIS IS FUNNY?

Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago...
and our nation was the most prosperous in the world.

We had absolutely no national debt...
We had the largest middle class in the world...
and Mom stayed home to raise the kids.

What happened?
Can you spell ‘politicians!’

And I still have to
press ‘1’
for English.


37 posted on 02/01/2009 11:12:35 PM PST by Semperfiwife (Common sense is in short supply in Washington)
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To: Semperfiwife

Interesting post, but a pretty glaring inaccuracy. There was a brief period during 1835 when we had no national debt. Before and after that time, we have always had debt.


38 posted on 02/01/2009 11:45:25 PM PST by publiusF27
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To: ansel12
That is disgusting.

I cannot believe Ben Stein financed such a worthless POS over Norm Coleman.

I suppose Ben Stein is on some serious drugs, but the question is which ones?

39 posted on 02/02/2009 12:02:54 AM PST by Prole (Please pray for the families of Chris and Channon. May God always watch over them.)
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To: All

STEIN, BENJAMIN
BEVERLY HILLS,CA 90210 SELF-EMPLOYED/ACTOR/WRITER/JOURNALI 2/7/07 $1,000 Franken, Al (D)

http://www.opensecrets.org/indivs/donor_lookup.php?name=stein,%20ben


40 posted on 02/02/2009 12:14:27 AM PST by Doofer
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