Stimulus Package

Without being political or expressing an opinion either way, I think we should all know where our money is going. Is it good, bad or both? You decide. Naturally all this money will need to be paid back at some point. (plus interest)

There's $1 BILLION for Amtrak, the federal railroad that hasn't turned a profit in 40 years; $2 BILLION for child-care subsidies; $50 million for The National Endowment for the Arts; $400 million for global-warming research, $2.4 BILLION for carbon-capture demonstration projects. There's even $650 million on top of the billions already doled out to pay for digital TV conversion coupons. $6 BILLION to bring high-speed Internet access to rural America, 75 million to fund programs for smokers, 21 million to re-sod the National Mall which suffered heavy damage during the inauguration, 2.25 BILLION for new bathrooms for the National parks, 335 million for the prevention of STD's, 3 BILLION to fund "family planning projects and clinics", 4.2 BILLION for Neighborhood stabilization- another 750 million to go to non-profit groups (a substantial amount to go to ACORN), 44 million to renovate the Department Of Agriculture building, 32 BILLION for "smart electricity", 87 BILLION of the medicare fund to "aid states", 53.4 BILLION for science facilities, 13 BILLION to repair and weatherize public housing, 20 BILLION for quicker depreciation and write-offs on equipment, 10.3 BILLION in college tuition write-offs, 20 BILLION for an expanded food stamp program.

Pres. Obama has promised to set up a web site, once it's passes, so we can track where our money is being spent.

It is becoming more and more evident that this bill is nothing but a huge massive pork project -- in fact the largest by far in all of history. Why can't each of these items be discussed separately? Why aren't Republicans allowed to debate, amend, or have anything to do with this bill other than vote for it? Where is the huge public outcry over the gag order for Republican representatives???????? How can this even remotely be considered "Bipartisan"?

The icing on the cake: the tax credits are supposed to go to illegal aliens, to the tune of around $1,000 a person!

Last night I was working on a radio, and as I was flipping through stations I heard a quick comment, "Next thing you know the illegal aliens will be running for Congress." My first thought: THAT would be an improvement!

I'm not opposed to a reasonable stimulus package, and I am still waiting to see one. So far I have seen a laundry list of items the Dems have been trying to
pass for the last 20-30 years. And no, a small amount of window dressing doesn't make a pig stimulating.


-Phil

Well Said Phil.

Gary Tayman wrote:
The icing on the cake: the tax credits are supposed to go to illegal aliens, to the tune of around $1,000 a person!

I don't see how that can work since illegals cannot file tax returns to get the credit???

There's certainly some money that needs to be spent, particularly on infrastructure, but I'm of the old school where ya gotta have it before you spend it or at least some tangible means of paying back the loan which is the case here. Tossing around one-time checks and credits to individuals just to buy feel-good popularity is silly and stimulates the economy for about one day.

Its an awful big "package". I shudder to think of all the little hanger-oner pork projects that are being hidden inside.

Hello Exray,
Well want to say what I think about the whole Idea .
lets this say the good old usa is turning in to waistland full of Sheep and I heard to day our gross national debt exceeeded the gross national product .
Sincerely Rich

I say we file child abuse charges against them! What else would you call the debt we're going to leave our children and our children's children?

Hi exray and All. Re. the illegal workers; Those that have bogus SS numbers do pay some taxes. far as I know they would be receiving checks too, be that good or bad.

I'm afraid I'm not a believer in the stimulus package as it stands.

I would like to see a tax holiday. No withholding for 2 or more months. Workers would get instant boost, and employers could use the money they don't have to contribute, for business operations. Might save some jobs, and...no checks need to be mailed. Gvt. check mailing eats money too.

terry h wrote:Hi exray and All. Re. the illegal workers; Those that have bogus SS numbers do pay some taxes. far as I know they would be receiving checks too, be that good or bad.

Granted there have been some cases of stolen SS numbers by illegals. That case a few months ago in San Diego was a classic one. Guy had been here illegally for 10 years and became a McDonald's manager and the number he copped back in his college days was from some other student. She didn't pick up onto it until she happened to be checking out her 401k plan online. It wasn't his original intent to 'steal' her identity or 401k and he didn't even know that it happened that way. The most frustrating part of that story was her inability to get it investigated and corrected.

Right there is a plug for needing some funding for the agencies who deal with that sort of thing. It wasn't a big deal 8-12 years ago but it is nowadays.

I'm afraid I'm not a believer in the stimulus package as it stands.

I would like to see a tax holiday. No withholding for 2 or more months. Workers would get instant boost, and employers could use the money they don't have to contribute, for business operations. Might save some jobs, and...no checks need to be mailed. Gvt. check mailing eats money too.

Thats not a bad idea conceptually but the thing is that the gubmint has to have income on a rolling basis. Terry, you run an antique shop...could you afford to just give everything away for 2 months hoping that you would get it back in the future? Could you explain that to a landlord or to the power company to keep your lights on?.

I'm not a fan of willy-nilly handouts and breaks to individuals for a few hundred bucks. All that does is prop up the flat-screen TV manufacturers in China cuz everybody rushes off to WalMArt to blow the free money. And tomorrow its all gone.

I am, however, very much in favor of funneling money into fixing up our ' infrastructure'. Infrastructure isn't just old 1960s highway bridges and power lines. Infrastructure is also schools and education, law enforcement and all that jazz. Too much has been put off for too long and if this president wants to do it on credit I'm ok with that because right now may be the best time to do it since jobs are a major issue. At the same time I have ZERO confidence in the fed ability to manage it. Just call Halliburton! Tracking a trillion dollars worth of projects is something Washington has never seen.

-ex

I'm not against a real stimulus package. I believe we need help to stimulate our economy and create jobs, but when a bill contains things such as a "$246 million tax break for Hollywood movie producers to buy motion picture film and supplies" I find that reprehensible. I think the American people need that nearly quarter of a billion dollars more than Hollywood movie production companies. I understand that the Hollywood crowd gave Dems tons of support and barrels of money, but you tell me who this would help? Not the American folks.
As far as "green" projects and "global-warming", I believe these projects have merit, but should not be in this package. They should be in different bill altogether. Ditto for the billions to fund museums, The National Endowment For The Arts, etc., etc. These will not produce a single job nor will they generate dollar one.
I agree that we need infrastructure funding. It's long overdue, will create jobs, and improve our cities. Unfortunately, less that 4% of the money is directed towards infrastructure. Even with that comes ridiculous spending such as (I can't remember what city it was) $100,000 to give away cordless doorbells to residents. (While roads crumble and bridges fall apart)
I believe Obama should have had this bill written at The White House and not had it written by, in large part, Nancy Pelosi. He has done himself a disservice which reflects directly upon him. His popularity rating has gone from 84% when he was sworn in to 67% after his first week to 54% by the end of his second week.
The stimulus package has gone from 66% approval to 34% and is steadily falling as people see what it contains.
I just wish our representatives of both parties could work together (for once) to pass a real stimulus package NOW and debate the other projects separately. JMO

exray wrote:

I don't see how that can work since illegals cannot file tax returns to get the credit???

They absolutely can file. Perhaps millions of illegals file and receive refunds every year. They can use a personal tax ID number, you don't need a Social Security number to file. The legislation, which would send tax credits of $600- $1200, expressly disqualifies nonresident aliens, but it would allow people who don't have Social Security numbers to be eligible for the checks.
"Undocumented immigrants" (AKA: illegal aliens) who are not eligible for a Social Security number can file tax returns with a tax ID number. They pay nothing into Social Security but receive money back.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/thecrypt/0108/Lou_Dobbs_alert_Illegal_immigrants_may_get_rebates.html

As if that weren't bad enough, did you know that you can receive welfare and other social programs without a Social Security number? You Don't even need a tax ID to collect. The only requirement is that you have a "permanent address within The United States". My wife and I watched a program (60 minutes or 20/20, can't remember which) about how thousands of people cross the Mexican border every month to pick up their welfare checks. They don't work here, they don"t live here, they don't pay tax here, they only enter the country to pick up their checks and go home and cash them and live quite well on the money.
There are buildings in Texas, just over the border, that have nothing but PO boxes. The address is, say 500 Main Street. They use "suite number" 1, 2, 3, etc. For a small fee, these people have a permanent US address. Not to be outdone the local junk yard, as shown on the program, has PAINTED NUMBERS ON THE JUNK CARS (to make it legal) and also accepts the checks for the Mexican residents to pick up every month. The owner of the junk yard charges $10.00/ month for "rent". And we wonder why we're in such financial ruin.

See above. Proper funding to the agencies charged with controlling the abuses. That would be money well spent.

I agree with exray. I see no reson to go willy nilly, either.
Fix what's broken.
This is only a patch.
Bill Cahill

I agree also, fix it not put tape on it.

Lee

Shoot!
Duct tape will FIX anything