Stimulous Stupidity Rant Thread

[Zoomie]

Well, as the number keeps on going and going higher as Obama and congress want to pass another bad check for another stimulus, I figure a centralized rant thread is in order as more and more pork is brought to light.

Here's a few recent ones:

Page 41: The Coast Guard wants more than $572 million for “Acquisition, Construction, & Improvements” They claim these funds will create 1,235 new jobs. Crunch the numbers and this brings the cost of “creating” each job to a staggering $460,000+
Page 32: $1.5 billion (with a “B”) for a “carbon-capturing contest”
Page 45: “$25,000,000 is for recreation maintenance, especially for rehabilitation of off-road vehicle routes, and $20,000,000 is for trail maintenance and restoration.” ATV owners, rejoice.
Page 61: $75 million for smoking cessation
Page 64: $3.5 billion for higher education facilities. This is ridiculous as I know in Georgia the Board of Regents has imposed a “temporary” (yea right!) $75 fee per student during this economic crisis. The funds from this per-student fee stays at the school and is used to offset current budget shortfalls.


You can download it
here. (http://senateconservatives.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/stimulusreportsearchable.pdf)

[deagle]

the various employment sectors (travel, medical, educational, retail, etc..) all have demand and supply. they just need the money to pay. upper echelon positions horde all the money and don't disperse. i say, fire inept ceo/cfo's, and take use the money to pay the employees who really work hard.

[bono]

If governments could create jobs and grow economy by simply dumping cash over civil construction, public projects, Soviet Union would be an economic superpower even today!

In a recession:

1) Credit gums up, no one wants to lend. This in turn gums up commerce. Cuts down corporate spending or investment.
2) People get laid off. Consumption declines.
3) Prices slump, leading to decreased private spending because people put off acquiring assets in hope that their prices will go down further.

Number one priority should be to get credit going again, Number two should be to preserve prices so people will no longer put off spending on real estate and cars.

Stimulus will ensure a windfall for construction sector, with immediate results (jobs created!!!!) that MSM will shout into your ears daily, but in reality economy is not going to be up and roaring for quite some time.

[sinophile]

http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?video=1016179405&play=1 (At 13:00)

This about sums up what is wrong with US economic policy and the reason this stimulus package isn't going to work.

Congresswoman Maxine Waters (House Committee on Financial Services Chairwoman) declared on CNBC tonight small businesses (who employ over 55% of American workers, and generates more than 78% of new jobs in the US) can forget about any simplification of taxes, regulation or laws... its just the cost of doing business and overhead she said.

Forget that every dollar spent on accountants, lawyers and insurance to satisfy the government could be spent on hiring new employees and competing in a global economy not so restrained.

If the US pulls out of this recession-depression its going to be through a miracle and not public policy.

[MaverickCowboy]

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

[akd]

$1.5 billion (with a “B”) for a “carbon-capturing contest”


It's a breath holding contest. Hold your breath the longest and win the $1.5 billion prize! (It is a also a population control project.)

[Havoc345]

http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?video=1016179405&play=1 (At 13:00)

This about sums up what is wrong with US economic policy and the reason this stimulus package isn't going to work.

Congresswoman Maxine Waters (House Committee on Financial Services Chairwoman) declared on CNBC tonight small businesses (who employ over 55% of American workers, and generates more than 78% of new jobs in the US) can forget about any simplification of taxes, regulation or laws... its just the cost of doing business and overhead she said.



Maxine Waters is a stupid ****


CREW "Most Corrupt" list
Waters was included by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizens_for_Responsibility_and_Ethics_in_Washington) ("CREW") among its 2005 list of the thirteen "Most Corrupt Members of Congress" list[10] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maxine_Waters#cite_note-9) and on the 2006 list[11] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maxine_Waters#cite_note-10) for "her exercise of this power to financially benefit her daughter, husband and son." She was not included on subsequent lists

[Cstafford]

listened to Neal Bortz all day about this, i hope this doesnt get passed we dont need anymore government. and wtf is a carbon capturing contest??

[philbob]

If it does pass i hope the republicans and few blue dogs hold ther ground and dont give in to presure

[Zoomie]

Yay. . .billions to support voter fraud!

ACORN is eligible for a $4.19 billion pot of money for “neighborhood stabilization activities.”

[AmericanAirman]

Is there a bailout for middle-class, white college male?


Carbon capturing contest? What?! Sounds like Al Gore's work.

[FlintHillBilly]

800+ billion dollars paying back thugs and gangsters, and the Prez favors. I read somewhere where during FDR's term and the 7 year plan? His treasurer stated that government spending is a mistake and does not help the economy.

244-188. Bipartisian support right there. Not a single republican voted for this bill as i hear.

[toad]

Where i come from...we call it pork

[madmike09]

dems and dem press(msnbc) probably wish they didnt talk the economy down so low for 2 straight yrs. but,it worked. they got thier beloved power back and thats all that matters.

[toad]

"Voter Remorse since 01/20/09" <blogger bumper sticker


...and we thought Madoff was a crook.

[FlintHillBilly]

Where i come from...we call it pork


Same here.. plenty of pork in that barrel. Unneeded pork to choke and give the economy a heartattack. Great way to revive something thats dying if you ask me...

[toad]

Here's the way they are trying to stimulate the Washington economy....

While Americans are trying to cut back, there are the usual cocktail parties at the White House.

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2009/01/drinks-are-on-t.html

Bipartisan Hors d'œuvres -- chicken curry, wagyu steak -- will be served in addition to drinks.

I think the steak is like $40 to $100 a lb.


Pork...and steak

[FlintHillBilly]

I find it funny that a few republicans where invited and showed up to the party. The democrats hoped they could convince them to sign off on the bill. Those republicans that did go, did not vote for the bill... hahah.

Yes the term "cut back". Gotta admit i love it when they say that. Wasnt it Barry Soetoro who flew to hawaii with his family on a huge 747? Why rent out a whole plane like that when you can say... fly on a lear jet. Surely thats more economical. Or rent a house that isnt a mansion while in hawaii, plenty of lower rent places that probably are more economical.

Once they cut back. Ill cut back on my so called terrible life style.

[sinophile]

The stimulus bill is so bad its almost like they're intentionally not trying to solve the problem.

[shocker1]

One trillion dollars divided between every man woman and child in the Us would be around $3,000 per person.

When you figure what the 3 or so million jobs the plan claims to create cost, you then realize it is just a bait and switch.

[sinophile]

It gets worse...

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/employees-may-see-only-gradual/story.aspx?guid={D6BB841E-4577-4CAF-9B06-1123E7F81B50}

Business large and small now to keep records, analyze jobs (even unrelated) for equal "value", and prepare (in advance) defenses that demonstrate they are not paying unfarily in the eyes of a Jury. You may think you're not, you may not be, but it will be up to a Jury to decide. And the employee can file the claim up to I think 160 days after each paycheck.

When the lawsuits start flying I think you can expect businesses to respond by reducing payrolls, increasing insurance costs and investing less.

This is just the tip of a democratic US Congress' wanker penetrating small business. Get ready to feel the whole thing as the months and years advance.

They couldn't have selected a worse time to pass this legislation with US jobs numbers careening out of control.

[matthew.manhorn]

http://www.thebailoutgame.us/

[Zoomie]

Just to put the porkfest in perspective:
http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/8378/77779253jd4.jpg