Thursday, February 19, 2009

The Stimulus Package

Well, I have been silent for a while, but here I go.

Did you know that the $787 Billion Stimulus Package signed into law is so big
that if you were born at the time of Christ, and spent $1 Million every day through
the end of 2009, you would have spent about $733 Billion. In fact we could go until
the year 2160 and still not quite reach it. That is a crazy number, and to think they spend
a measly month and a half coming up with it.

By the way, the bill is over 1100 pages long. I am not quite sure if anyone actually has
read the whole thing yet, or at least not the whole thing before they passed the legislation. Again, what a crazy idea.

Don't get me wrong, I am for 'A' stimulus package. This package that was passed will have to do (since it is already signed into law). I am just disappointed that there is so much stupid waste in the bill. Again, don't read this the wrong way since I am all for re-sodding the National Mall (to make it pretty for all the tourists). It is fine with me to pay hundreds of millions of dollars for STD prevention and birth control. I am okay with many of the 'wasteful' spending, as long as they are bills of their own. These are not things you spend money on when you are trying to avoid the biggest economic catastrophe since the Great Depression. Come on people!

We elected Obama to change Washington. To come in with new ideas, new ideals, and new politics. However, it is all the same as before. Nothing has changed. How is this any different than Bush? In fact, because of Obama's lack of speed in fixing anything, and his lack of leadership over his own party has caused things to get worse. The economy is in a tailspin and Obama is hanging out smoking is cigarettes, and riding on Air Force One and calling it a 'spiffy ride.' We said this before we elected him, that this is not a job that has the wiggle room for 'on the job training.' I am afraid his training will cost the country's prosperity.

A stimulus package is great, but it is not the end all, be all plan that people hope for. When it comes to averting a depression or severe recession I think the sentiment of the people is key. Right now you have Obama leading the charge that the world is coming to an end unless we pass the stimulus package, fix the banks, fix housings, etc., etc. The man who rode the wave to victory with the message of hope and change is strangling the psyche of the American people. All of this negativity breeds more negativity. People lose hope, stop shopping and investing. Businesses brace for the worst and cut costs and employees. Without some positive energy our country is doomed to fall further into what quite possibly could be a world wide Great Depression II. I hope not, but I see nothing from our Leaders and Politicians that would prove that wrong. When will Washington finally learn? When will they get the message? When will they actually serve the interest of the common good and the American people, instead of themselves and their own reputations and wallets? I do not know, but I fear it will be never