Wednesday, January 28, 2009
A 40-Year Wish List - WSJ.com
What to believe?
Is it the granddaddy of "pork" because they know it's getting harder to get?
Is it a "payoff" package for those who helped get President Obama elected?
Is it what happens when one party gets too much into the majority?
Is it just politicians out of control in their haste to save us?
And why is it going to inefficient "middlemen" who will surely dilute the benefits for their own causes?
Ugh!...
Is it the granddaddy of "pork" because they know it's getting harder to get?
Is it a "payoff" package for those who helped get President Obama elected?
Is it what happens when one party gets too much into the majority?
Is it just politicians out of control in their haste to save us?
And why is it going to inefficient "middlemen" who will surely dilute the benefits for their own causes?
Ugh!...
The Wall Street Journal attacks the "stimulus":
"The 647-page, $825 billion House legislation is being sold as an economic 'stimulus,' but now that Democrats have finally released the details we understand Rahm's point much better. This is a political wonder that manages to spend money on just about every pent-up Democratic proposal of the last 40 years.
We've looked it over, and even we can't quite believe it. There's $1 billion for Amtrak, the federal railroad that hasn't turned a profit in 40 years; $2 billion for child-care subsidies; $50 million for that great engine of job creation, the National Endowment for the Arts; $400 million for global-warming research and another $2.4 billion for carbon-capture demonstration projects. There's even $650 million on top of the billions already doled out to pay for digital TV conversion coupons.
In selling the plan, President Obama has said this bill will make 'dramatic investments to revive our flagging economy.' Well, you be the judge. Some $30 billion, or less than 5% of the spending in the bill, is for fixing bridges or other highway projects."
