Stimulus and growth of the economy or of the government?

By Zaid Abuhouran at 9:01PM

Jan 30, 2009

Most people who at least watch the nightly news know of the recent stimulus package that passed in the House and is on it's way to the Senate. President Obama has constantly been hammering the idea that the package will help "jumpstart the economy", a statement obviously false seeing that it will take at least 4-5 years for us to feel any effect this will have on the current economic situation.

The bill, if looked at carefully, proposes ridiculous plans for government expansion in areas such as broadband communications and wireless networks (??), unemployment compensation benefits, and permission for money to be "borrowed" from the Treasury. Page after page, promises to expand governmental programs in healthcare, technology, energy, and social works projects are thrown around, including over a whopping $57 billion dollars in environmental and energy related funds.

Earlier this week, on his weekly column Texas Straight Talk, Congressman Ron Paul carps at the recent stimulus package that was passed in the House on Wednesday. Paul mentions the different facets of the bill that are directed towards wasteful spending and irresponsible government allocation of taxpayer money. He reaffirms the fact that the package will only allow growth in governmental programs and a steering away from even the concept of a free market.

There is a lot of stimulus and growth in this bill – that is, of government. Nothing in this bill stimulates the freedom and prosperity of the American people. Politician-directed spending is never as successful as market-driven investment. Instead of passing this bill, Congress should get out of the way by cutting taxes, cutting spending, and reining in the reckless monetary policy of the Federal Reserve.

According to Paul, who is probably one of the few in Congress who has actually read the bill in its entirety instead of just voting blindly, noted that the package will put a huge $6,700 burden on every American.

Our government has no right to lay the burden of fixing today's financial mistakes on the shoulders of our children tomorrow. When the debt that has to be paid off, with interest of more than $300 billion (yes, that's the interest alone), we are forcing them to take on the responsibility of mistakes of people before them.

So far, all we are seeing is more if the same economic policies of the Bush administration and less "change"... well maybe just some change that will be left in your pocket.

Posted in:

Blog Policy

Its a Trojan horse. The Dems are packing all kinds of ideologically driven spending into this bill. We're just fortunate to have a diligent minority in the Senate to call out the malarkey. As far as stimulating the economy, how about start by abolishing the IRS? I would love to spend the other half of my paycheck on a Mustang, but I suppose the government knows how to do that better that I do. Or better yet - I could save my money. What a novel thought...