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Just what is the stimulus package stimulating?

Just what is the stimulus package stimulating?

Dori Monson writes...

The $850-billion stimulus bill is about to go to a vote. As we discussed last week, given that people like Robert Reich says the spending decisions should be based on race more than economic vitality, this is guaranteed to be a disaster.

As I've said, if they really want to boost the economy, they should just cut all of our federal taxes for six months. we could keep all of our paychecks and with that extra money, WE could decide where to spend it. We could choose the economic winners and losers in a free-market system and that would do a great job of stimulating the economy.

Instead, every member of congress has gotten their fingers in this bill so they can deliver pork to their district. This has nothing to do with jacking up the economy. It is all about rewarding the lobbyists and special interests - and leaving our kids and grandkids with the bill as they borrow money to pay for this package.

Every penny of this bill should be allocated based on how it will revive our economy. By now that we're seeing where some of the money will be spent, it's impossible not to be cynical:

$44 million for construction, repair and improvements at US Department of Agriculture facilties

$209 million for work on deferred maintenance at Agricultural Research Service facilities

$245 million for maintaining and modernizing the IT system of the Farm Service Agency

$175 million to buy and restore floodplain easements for flood prevention

$50 million for "Watershed Rehabilitation"

$1.1 billion for rural community facilities direct loans

$2 billion for rural business and industry guaranteed loans

$2.7 billion for rural water and waste disposal direct loans

$22.1 billion for rural housing insurance fund loans

$2.8 billion for loans to spur rural broadband

$150 million for emergency food assistance

$50 million for regional economic development commissions

$1 billion for "Periodic Censuses and Programs"

$350 million for State Broadband Data and Development Grants

$1.8 billion for Rural Broadband Deployment Grants

$1 billion for Rural Wireless Deployment Grants

$650 million for Digital-to-Analog Converter Box Program

$100 million for "Scientific and Technical Research and Services" at the National Institute of Standards And Technology

$30 million for necessary expenses of the "Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership"

$300 million for a competitive construction grant program for research science buildings

$400 million for "habitat restoration and mitigation activities" at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

$600 million for "accelerating satellite development and acquisition"

$140 million for "climate data modeling"

$3 billion for state and local law enforcement grants

$1 billion for "Community Oriented Policing Services"

$250 million for "accelerating the development of the tier 1 set of Earth science climate research missions recommended by the National Academies Decadal Survey."

$50 million for repairs to NASA facilities from storm damage

$300 million for "Major Research Instrumentation program" (science)

$200 million for "academic research facilities modernization"

$100 million for "Education and Human Resources"

$400 million for "Major Research Equipment and Facilities Construction"

$4.5 billion to make military facilities more energy efficient

$1.5 billion for Army Operation and Maintenance fund

$624 million for Navy Operation and Maintenance

$128 million for Marine Corps Operation and Maintenance

$1.23 billion for Air Force Operation and Maintenance

$454 million to "Defense Health Program"

$110 million for Army Reserve Operation and Maintenance

$62 million for Navy Reserve Operation and Maintenance

$45 million for Marine Corps Reserve Operation and Maintenance

$14 million for Air Force Reserve Operation and Maintenance

$302 million for National Guard Operation and Maintenance

$29 million for Air National Guard Operation and Maintenance

$350 million for military energy research and development programs

$2 billion for Army Corps of Engineers "Construction"

$250 million for "Mississippi River and Tributaries"

$2.2 billion for Army Corps "Operation and Maintenance"

$25 million for an Army Corps "Regulatory Program"

$126 million for Interior Department "water reclamation and reuse projects"

$80 million for "rural water projects"

$18.5 billion for "Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy" research in the Department of Energy. That money includes:

$2 billion for development of advanced batteries

$800 million of that is for biomass research and $400 million for geothermal technologies

$1 billion in grants to "institutional entities for energy sustainability and efficiency"

$6.2 billion for the Weatherization Assistance Program

$3.5 billion for Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants

$3.4 billion for state energy programs
 
continued.....

$200 million for expenses to implement energy independence programs

$300 million for expenses to implement Energy efficient appliance rebate programs including the Energy Star program

$400 million for expenses to implement Alternative Fuel Vehicle and Infrastructure Grants to States and Local Governments

$1 billion for expenses necessary for advanced battery manufacturing

$4.5 billion to modernize the nation's electricity grid

$1 billion for the Advanced Battery Loan Guarantee Program

$2.4 billion to demonstrate "carbon capture and sequestration technologies"

$400 million for the Advanced Research Projects Agency (Science)

$500 million for "Defense Environmental Cleanup"

$1 billion for construction and repair of border facilities and land ports of entry

$6 billion for energy efficiency projects on government buildings

$600 million to buy and lease government plug-in and alternative fuel vehicles

$426 million in small business loans

$100 million for "non-intrusive detection technology to be deployed at sea ports of entry

$150 million for repair and construction at land border ports of entry

$500 million for explosive detection systems for aviation security

$150 million for alteration or removal of obstructive bridges

$200 million for FEMA Emergency Food and Shelter program

$325 million for Interior Department road, bridge and trail repair projects

$300 million for road and bridge work in Wildlife Refuges and Fish Hatcheries

$1.7 billion for "critical deferred maintenance" in the National Park System

$200 million to revitalize the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

$100 million for National Park Service Centennial Challenge programs

$200 million for repair of U.S. Geological Survey facilities

$500 million for repair and replacement of schools, jails, roads, bridges, housing and more for Bureau of Indian Affairs

$800 million for Superfund programs

$200 million for leaking underground storage tank cleanup

$8.4 billion in "State and Tribal Assistance Grants"

$650 million in "Capital Improvement and Maintenance" at the Agriculture Dept.

$850 million for "Wildland Fire Management"

$550 million for Indian Health facilties

$150 million for deferred maintenance at the Smithsonian museums

$50 million in grants to fund "arts projects and activities which preserve jobs in the non-profit arts sector threatened by declines in philanthropic and other support during the current economic downturn" through the National Endowment for the Arts

$1.2 billion in grants to states for youth summer jobs programs and other activities

$1 billion for states in dislocated worker employment and training activities

$500 million for the dislocated workers assistance national reserve

$80 million for the enforcement of worker protection laws and regulations related to infrastructure and unemployment insurance investments

$300 million for "construction, rehabilitation and acquisition of Job Corps Centers"

$250 million for public health centers

$1 billion for renovation and repair of health centers

$600 million for nurse, physician and dentist training

$462 million for renovation work at the Centers for Disease Control

$1.5 billion for "National Center for Research Resources"

$500 million for "Buildlings and Facilties" at the National Institutes of Health in suburban Washington, D.C.

$700 million for "comparative effectiveness research" on prescription drugs

$1 billion for Low-Income Home Energy Assistance

$2 billion in Child Care and Development Block Grants for states

$1 billion for Head Start programs

$1.1 billion for Early Head Start programs

$100 million for Social Security research programs

$200 million for "Aging Services Programs"

$2 billion for "Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology"

$430 million for public health/social services emergency funds

$2.3 billion for the Centers for Disease Control for a variety of programs

$5.5 billion in targeted education grants

$5.5 billion in "education finance incentive grants"

$2 billion in "school improvement grants"

$13.6 billion for Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

$250 million for statewide education data systems

$14 billion for school modernization, renovation and repair

$160 million for AmeriCorps grants

$400 million for the construction and costs to establish a new "National Computer Center" for the Social Security Administration

$500 million to improve processing of disability and retirement claims

$920 million for Army housing and child development centers

$350 million for Navy and Marine Corps housing and child development centers

$280 million in Air Force housing and child development centers

$3.75 billion in military hospital and surgery center construction

$140 million in Army National Guard construction projects

$70 million in Air National Guard construction projects

$100 million in Army Reserve construction projects

$30 million in Navy Reserve construction projects

$60 million in Air Force Reserve construction projects

$950 million for VA Medical Facilities

$50 million for repairs for military cemeteries

$120 million for a backup information management facility for the State Department

$98 million for National Cybersecurity Initiative

$3 billion for "Grants-in-Aid for Airports"

$300 million for Indian Reservation roads

$300 million for Amtrak capital needs

$800 million for national railroad assets or infrastructure repairs, upgrades

$5.4 billion in federal transit grants

$2 billion in infrastructure development for subways and commuter railways

$5 billion for public housing capital

$1 billion in competitive housing grants

$2.5 billion for energy efficiency upgrades in public housing

$500 million in Native American Housing Block Grants

$4.1 billion to help communities deal with foreclosed homes

$1.5 billion in homeless prevention activities

$79 billion in education funds for states
 
It puts it into perspective how much of our money they are blowing when you can list that many billions and millions and it takes two pages.
The Govt. and the media throw around the words "BILLION" and "TRILLION" Like we all can find it in the couch cushions!

Say "BILLIONS" really fast and it doesn't sound like much!:D:D:D
 
Curious why you think that it would be better to just cut everyone a check instead of investing in the USA infrastructure... Some of those itemizations look pretty good to me...

I mean, the net benefit, is the money gets to civilians and people regardless, it is only going through projects to get there. People get hired, work jobs, get paid, bosses get paid, and then people spend the money on whatever they want.

Seems this methodology gets two things..

Gives money to those that work..
Invests in our infrastructure...

The other way would be to give everyone a check, and then the majority of people will spend it right away on stuff, buying things, things mostly not made in America, making the net benefit less, then if that money was spent on infrastructure projects in the first place.. Note, I am not saying that all of them are good, but it seems that most of them aren't that bad. I didn't see the buy 1 million 5000 dollar toliets in there... Yah, stores you get money, and that would pay people.. blah blah blah... Where do you think the money goes after these projects? It is still in the US going to working people and business owners, who then spend it on stuff not made here or where ever....

I think a further analysis of where the money flows to and how best to use that money to stimilate the economy (just a monetary injection) while actually getting something tangeble for the money too should be considered before you bash it all down..
 
i need the money for school how about some for that. o wait i'm white male no gimmes for that group. :D this is for sure to get a red with no name to it .
 
Simply put, its stimulating Government Spending and Nationalization.

"emergency" bailout but some of those funds won't be used until after FY 2010...
 
The money will evaporate in the administrative levels and in usual goverment fashion the words cost over-run will be behind all of these grand projects. There are a very few that may be worth it otherwise it looks like goverment goin wild. Time to line up and FEEEEED!

It would be idiotic to allow brain-dead Pelosi anywhere near this money. Her project needs to die first what ever the heck she calls it.
 
Stimulis is just another term for taxpayer Ana# lube, bottom line is more debt and spending will not solve a problem created by too much debt and spending. How freaking difficult is that to figure out. What happens when all the infrastructure is built and the jobs dissapear again.
Cut taxes corprate and personel now, tax holiday.
This whole thing (US economy) is eventually going to be in for massive inflation when who knows. The only other possibility is that the US tells the debt holders we ain't gonna pay you that money back and if you have a problem with it tell it to the head of our our complaint department Mr. ICBM.
 
This is the time for the goverment NOT to spend any more of our money, this is the time for massive goverment cutbacks and HUGE tax cuts across the board. Start with eliminating all capital gains tax, death taxes,drop all tax rates at least 50% and no tax at all for anyone earning under 45,000.00 a year. Then have a across the board cut in goverment spending of 50%, and I mean everything. Then, retro- active term limits for all goverment positions,including all judges. You want change? well there it is....:D
The "stimulus " package in a roundabout way for the goverment to gain more power and make people more dependant on the goverment to fix all there problems.The first one was a huge effort to nationalize our banking system. We need the goverment to get the he** out of our pockets.
I don't need the goverments money, I don't need there help, what I do need is to be left alone.......:p
 
Communism....here we come.

Gov't should be the last people to deal with everyone's financial stability.
 
The money will evaporate in the administrative levels and in usual goverment fashion the words cost over-run will be behind all of these grand projects.

Evaporate?:confused::confused: Do you know how money works? I might have believed you if you would have said "sublimed"....:rolleyes:
 
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Curious why you think that it would be better to just cut everyone a check instead of investing in the USA infrastructure... Some of those itemizations look pretty good to me...

I mean, the net benefit, is the money gets to civilians and people regardless, it is only going through projects to get there. People get hired, work jobs, get paid, bosses get paid, and then people spend the money on whatever they want.

Seems this methodology gets two things..

Gives money to those that work..
Invests in our infrastructure...

The other way would be to give everyone a check, and then the majority of people will spend it right away on stuff, buying things, things mostly not made in America, making the net benefit less, then if that money was spent on infrastructure projects in the first place.. Note, I am not saying that all of them are good, but it seems that most of them aren't that bad. I didn't see the buy 1 million 5000 dollar toliets in there... Yah, stores you get money, and that would pay people.. blah blah blah... Where do you think the money goes after these projects? It is still in the US going to working people and business owners, who then spend it on stuff not made here or where ever....

I think a further analysis of where the money flows to and how best to use that money to stimilate the economy (just a monetary injection) while actually getting something tangeble for the money too should be considered before you bash it all down..



If it's so good then why don't the polititions sell it that way?
 
Neither of them are selling that way. IF you gotta send it out, making sure that the WORKING people get it would seem best. I just hate it when the Gov't gets envolved with handling money. It's usually not well spent.
 
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