Why Are We Still Calling It a “Stimulus” Bill?
Loud and clear, from President Obama himself, it is now official. In trying to squelch critics who say the $900 billion congressional pork pie is not a “stimulus,” but a spending bill — Obama confirmed on Thursday that yes, indeed, this is all about spending:
“What do you think a stimulus is? That’s the whole point. No, seriously, that’s the point.”
OK. But if the whole aim is spending, then why are we all calling it a “stimulus” bill? The “stimulus” tag actually refers to a highly debatable prediction based on the dodo theories of Keynesian economics. The basic premise is that the government will spend your money more wisely than you will. And if you believe that … Although, as the Weekly Standard points out, Obama seems confused even on this point, because such Keynesian “stimulus” is supposed to be a short-term effort to counter a downturn. This bill is more like a long-range effort to start re-engineering the entire economy to live in a condition of constant state “stimulus” – which in this case seems to be a hybrid: socialism laced with plain old pork.
In this new system, there will be no more over-spending by private consumers, because the Obama administration and Congress will elbow in to engage in over-spending on our behalf. Private excess is out, public excess is in. You pay, someone else spends. It used to be called central planning, and it has a record of creating massive inefficiencies, waste, pervasive corruption and poverty. But with oracular certainty, Obama informs us that his plans for colossal state spending will “create” two million, or three million, or pick-a-number-million jobs, and warns us, in similarly round numbers, of the pick-a-number-million jobs that will be lost if Americans don’t pony up $900,000,000,000 for the government to spend. Where will that money come from? Taxes — which kill jobs. Or the government printing press, a.k.a inflation, which hurts almost everyone, but takes its biggest toll on the poor –who can least afford to hedge against it.
With this bill, there is no guarantee of “stimulus” for anyone but the spenders. There is, however, a definite guarantee of spending… and spending… and spending. So, why not call it what it is? “The Spending Bill.”
in 3 weeks Obama has gone from the “New Great Uniter” to just another partisan tax and spend radical liberal …
Who could have foreseen this ?
Dear Senator Specter,
The Stimulus bill will make the economy worse by increasing the debt and by taking money out of the private sector to pay for more government jobs. The unemployment rate in the government sector is very low so it makes no sense to increase the deficit in order to fund more government jobs. The private sector is where all the job losses have occurred and that is why tax cuts would be the best and least costly way of creating jobs in the private sector.
The point is spending? Really? Here, all along I thought the point was recovery. Silly me.
Don’t blame me, the patient was found this way when I got here. Bleeding profusely from a wound caused by a french bullet often pronounced bailout . It was aimed straight for his heart, luckily for him he carries his wallet in his breast pocket.
Really. Well, I have heard it’s even dangerous before fired, simply in its housing. What do you plan to do to stop the bleeding?
Leeching. Nancy, Harry….bring as many leeches as you can to attach to this patient.
Leeching? Is that wise, given his condition? Hey, why did she just come up and kick him?
She delivers everything I ask for. How dare you question her or me? We won.
Won what?
The right to treat this patient any damn way we see fit.
Treat the patient? Then why is she rifling through his valuables?
We are spreading the health, we want to make sure he pays his fair share for this benefit he’s receiving, so he’s sharing in the cost of leeches.
The patient has died
(arms filled with jewelry, a gold watch, a wallet and credit cards). But the operation was a success!
I think
There appears to be a large amount of spending on Washington DC Federal Department Buildings and other.
We can assume they want to expand Federal government and Government employment. Now that is a surprise,
David Obie and Nancy Pelosi want to expand Goverment.
The Liberals have run over Obama in two weeks, and the Media Band Plays On.
‘Who could have foreseen this ?’
Just about anybody.
Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Matt 7:15
The Messiah I know took 5 barley loaves and two small fish and fed some 5000 people. I can hardly wait to see what $900,000,000,000 will do for crowd. Oh, wait…the crowd is Obama and company, not us little folk.
Good thing I was taught how to fish!
The big B.O. is utterly clueless about economics and probably does not understand what little difference there might be between ordinary gov’t spending and Keynesian “stimulus”.
And the chuckleheads around him don’t seem to have a much clearer idea of how an economy runs than he does.
One also has to bear in mind that B.O. is a man with a mission, a government takeover of the US economy at home, and a curtailment of American influence overseas.
I doubt that he has much interest in whether or not the US economy is “stimulated”, as long as the politicians (specifically his crowd) are running more of it by the time he leaves office.
Where were you people when the Bush administration got us in this mess. It took 8 years of of Bush Chaney and haliburten along with ther oil buddies to get us here and now you expect Oboma to creat mericals in 2 months.You people want to stay with the same old politics. You peole never learn!!!!