Stimulus package has too much pork
The following is a Counterpoint.
Giant steps indeed. I wonder how long it will take for “middle-of-the-road” voters whose 12 percent put Obama in the White House to realize they (and the U.S.A.) have been had.
Candidate Obama pledged to sign no bills with earmarks.
As president, he lied and insulted us when he looked into the camera and said there was “no pork in the stimulus bill.”
The most egregious example is the $8 billion Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) inserted for a rail line between Las Vegas and Disneyland after the compromise had been reached with three Republican senators.
President Obama will undoubtedly sign the $410 billion regular appropriation bill, which contains 8,500-plus earmarks worth $7.7 billion.
I suppose that’s OK since Sen. Schumer assures “Americans don’t mind a little pork.”
Candidate Obama sternly pledged “no lobbyists” and “full transparency.” Not true or even close. Lobbyists who are “indispensable” are given waivers. Tax cheats, once exposed, are still supported. Even the Liberal Left is outraged over the lack of openness.
Candidate Obama promised bipartisanship, which, I suppose, is why Speaker Pelosi banned Republican participation in crafting the package. The only bipartisanship in the House was among the dozen Democrats who joined all House Republicans opposing the bill.
Obama’s only attempt at bipartisanship was to ply Republicans with food and drinks at the White House.
Taking hypocrisy to a new level, two days after signing the largest spending bill, clumsily disguised as economic stimulus, Obama convened a summit on fiscal responsibility. It lasted a few hours, then everyone went home.
This demonstrates he is still in full campaign mode. This charade was calculated to show “leadership and bold action.” In reality, it was pure photo-op/propaganda.
He is taking giant steps, but beware. We are being conned by a president who says one thing and does another.
To make matters worse, he has minimal executive experience. That is compounded by the fact his world view is pure socialist.
Given the economic and security situation, this country doesn’t need to be subjected to economic, social and foreign policy experiments performed by an inexperienced and dishonest administration.
The writer lives in Greensboro.
Comments (16)
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Obama is a disinginuous, tele-prompted, hollow man void of leadership and is a disgrace to the office of the president. He makes his predecessor look like a "nuklur" scientist.
Posted on March 4, 2009 6:28 AM
That's nu-ku-ler. That's how my Granny said it, too. We never had the nerve to correct her.
Posted on March 4, 2009 8:20 AM
As president, he lied and insulted us when he looked into the camera and said there was “no pork in the stimulus bill.”
Hey that's what I said last week and asked fellow bloggers: For all you who consistently accused GWB of lying please tell me that Obama didn't lie when he made this statement. Or when he promised not to hire lobbyists.
Posted on March 4, 2009 9:12 AM
Most people still don't care, yet.
When they finally realize the staggering cost of this DC pork, it will be too late.
For now they are just happy to have anything done, no matter what, as long as it's not Bush doing it.
Their "Great BS'er" in DC assures them everything will be fine.
Posted on March 4, 2009 9:17 AM
Purposefully allowing it to go to hell in a handbasket and focusing on social programs instead of the economy at all levels of government is despicable.
Posted on March 4, 2009 9:59 AM
Have any of you actually read the stimulus package from cover to cover or are you judging from propaganda ?
Posted on March 4, 2009 11:19 AM
Numbers reported in the Wall Street Journal come from the House/Senate Budget committee. I'd hardly call that propaganda.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123310466514522309.html
Posted on March 4, 2009 12:00 PM
hugh, you do understand that your link is to an opinion page that tells the reader what to think about the figures that it gives; that the only thing factual there is the figures themselves and not the comments on how appropriate or inappropriate it is to spend the money? Your link goes straight to what I would ever consider a propaganda article, and the notations and links around the article admit as much.
Let's take the $50 million to the NEA that the article says is wasteful. Other factual articles this week have documented how adversely effected are arts organizations during the current crisis. Money spent to create jobs by building infrastructure might eventually make it easier for people to get to museums, theaters, and concert halls, but these expenditures do nothing directly to help highly trained people who are without work right now.
If you hold the values of Western Civilization as highly as I do, then you recognize that these people represent the highest aspects of Western humanity's creative endeavors. Losing performers' talents and creators' output demeans what it means to be a fortunate member of our civilization. These people don't build bridges or erect power grids, but they do add to the cultural richness of those who do. While we might not appreciate or find worthwhile all that they do - I spent a mostly agonizing evening last night discovering that not all music composed in the past 9 years is worth a first let alone second hearing - nevertheless, we can recognize that no one can guarantee a masterpiece or a masterful performance, and that the people who create and perform are just as harmed by losing their jobs as a bricklayer is, that their output is ultimately of great value to society, and that as taxpayers they deserve the same consideration and assistance as anyone else in the current economic troubles that were not of their making.
I find that the article you cite says much more about its writers and the values they hold than about the stimulus bill. While I accept their breakdown of spending because it can be independently conformed, I do not agree with their values because, IMO, they demean the human condition.
Posted on March 4, 2009 12:51 PM
"the only thing factual there is the figures themselves"
Duh. I don't need anyone to tell me what they mean. Everyone of those numbers is a pork program.
The rest of your babble makes my head hurt.
Posted on March 4, 2009 2:35 PM
In case you didn't know, The Wall Street Journal is owned by Rupert Murdock, the same right winger who owns, among many other media, The New York Post and Fox Network. They're not exactly what you'd call stalwarts of honest news and opinions.
Posted on March 4, 2009 3:37 PM
new-sense, are you inferring that the WSJ posted inaccurate Congressional budget office data?
Posted on March 4, 2009 3:57 PM
hugh, I'm just saying the article is typical of the bias that spews from the Murdock mud factories. Ever watch Fox New?
And BTW, the Dems are not the only party that added pork to the package, but you'd never know it by reading the Journal.
Posted on March 4, 2009 4:40 PM
itsallgood : " Have any of you actually read the stimulus package from cover to cover or are you judging from propaganda ?'
You are not required to read it cover to cover to see the pork in it. I have read enough to know it has more pork than stimulation for the economy anytime soon.
Posted on March 4, 2009 8:41 PM
From hugh's link:
"There's even $650 million on top of the billions already doled out to pay for digital TV conversion coupons."
Hell why not just buy new TVs for those with rabbit ear TVs? I will help Best Buy and the Chinese and Japanese.
new-sense is concerned about where the info is coming from, not what the actual info is. I'll go with you on the pork coming from both parties new-sense, pork is pork no matter where it comes from.
The real pork is Sen. Harkin's $$$ for swine odor abatement in IA. He even said it would help NC as we have lots of swine too!!! Bless his heart. Hope we'll get some sweet smelling pigs out of that deal.
Posted on March 4, 2009 8:46 PM
Obama lied. Another lying politician. I'm shocked.
Posted on March 5, 2009 1:51 PM
What would be helpful is for our Senators and Representatives to stop holding legislation hostage for their pet projects. This is true of the Democrats and it is true of the Republicans.
yes, Obama lied when he said there was no pork, but it was our ever-noble Congress that put the pork in and held the American economy hostage to their stinky whims.
Posted on March 5, 2009 2:00 PM