Posted by
OldRelayer on Wednesday, February 04, 2009 3:24:14 PM
In a complex world it is strange that people want one sentence answers to complex problems. This of course fits well with politicians that don't want you to know what they are really doing. Case in point. I was hunting for actual tax cuts in the Porkulus bill and found very little. But the Washington Post had it broken down somewhat and the almost 40% that Obama was selling is truly only 22% and I am not sure I like the 22%, like selective tax cuts for such industries as the Film industry that helped Obama get elected. 100 Billion are not tax cuts at all but payments to people that don't even pay taxes, in other words, welfare. Think of what 100 Billion of start up money for small businesses could do, after all small business is where most of the jobs are created, big business are laying people off, literally all new jobs created last year came from small business under 500 employees. I am not even saying give them 100 Billion, low interest loans would be acceptable to them and to me.
They started late today and at 2:30 broke and will be voting on the endless amendments that have been submitted. At the moment it is sitting at 902 Billion and if they have two more days of this God knows where it will land up. I don't know where they get time for it but they passed the SCHIP expansion bill. Now awaiting Obamas signature, which of course will be a slam dunk. I assume they could get quite a few of these type bills passed as anyone that cares and is watching is focused on the Stimulus package.
The SCHIP expansion would cost some $32.8 billion over five years, according
to the the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office. The bill is financed by an
increase in tobacco taxes, including a 61-cent-per-pack increase in cigarette
taxes that would raise the federal excise tax on a pack of cigarettes to $1. The slow moves toward Nationalized health care, which most certainly helped bankrupt England. I am not a smoker but the poor smoker is not only killing himself and certainly will cost him large sums off money for his own health care caused by stupidity, but he is expected to pay for the health care of people that can't stop making babies that they can't afford. I don't know who paid for the original plan, I expect we did.
I did see the plea to blindly accept this stimulus package by calling my Senators Collins and Snowe again. It was produced by America United. A somewhat left group that I assume gets all its funding from goverment grants. They must be wrapped up in getting a good share of this money, now that would be a surprise. The Republican Senators on the floor are saying calls to their office are 9 to 1 against the bill and Democrats are not saying, I suspect that means they are getting a fair percentage, maybe not as many as the Republicans but certainly at least the 54% of the population that is against this bill. I have no idea what information they are using to make such a decision, the MSM is barely covering it.
There is little to report, more of the same. Republicans hating the package but adding amendments. It may all make sense but I am not sure, if they get enough amendments that the Democrats don't like maybe the bill will be scrapped and a good one formulated. I hate this bill but if it does pass, I would like to see this or that included. It is no wonder the government has grown beyond its usfulness. So much for Thomas Paine "Government that governs least governs best." It is remember because of Thomas Jeffersons popularity as his but his was similar but slightly different "That government is best which governs the least, because its people discipline themselves". Certianly our congress is the least disciplined since Jefferson's days.
Susan Collins and Senator Nelson are proposing a 200 billion dollar cut to the original package, too small in my opinion and Cspan is reporting that Collins, they didn't mention Nelson will be meeting with the President today to discuss it, I suspect he will listen intently and completely ignore what was said. If she is to make any progress it has to be with the Senate but I am glad to see she will probably vote nay on this package. The vote will be tight but there is a good chance it will be defeated. But if not it will surely be along party lines and that will not help the Democrats in the 2010 mid terms when this package does absolutely nothing to bring the economy along. For every government job created there surely will be 2 jobs lost in the private sector, hardest hit will be small business. By 2010 we surely would have double digit unemployment, not seen since the Carter years.
I will probably report back tomorrow after they vote on the days amendments at 5:30 EST.