Thread: The Stimulus "Extras" (aka, the pork)

Pelosi's mouse slated for $30M slice of cheese

"Talk about a pet project. A tiny mouse with the longtime backing of a political giant may soon reap the benefits of the economic-stimulus package.

Lawmakers and administration officials divulged Wednesday that the $789 billion economic stimulus bill being finalized behind closed doors in Congress includes $30 million for wetlands restoration that the Obama administration intends to spend in the San Francisco Bay Area to protect, among other things, the endangered salt marsh harvest mouse."

http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009...-mouse-cookie/

What is the definition of an earmark? At least this mouse is really getting some US Government cheese.

CB

Coburn list of wasteful, non-stimulative spending in new stimulus

* $650 million for the DTV transition coupon program
* $1.5 billion for carbon capture projects (huh?)

More

Top link is a recent article saying:
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid predicted Friday that Congress will finish its work on a massive, $787 billion economic stimulus plan, possibly by day's end, giving President Barack Obama a big victory.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090213/...gress_stimulus

On the same page is a link to ABC's 3 minute interview with Dave Ramsey.
I'm not a fan, but Ramsey says there is not enough money in Washington to fix this mess and I agree. He also says freeing up more credit to people who couldn't afford to buy a house is what started this crap in the first place. Why do they think doing that again will help? Again, duh!

VIDEO:Dave Ramsey explains how the stimulus plan will affect you.

http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/play...26720&src=news

Originally Posted by budnipper1

Congress will finish its work on a massive, $787 billion economic stimulus plan, possibly by day's end, giving President Barack Obama a big victory.

I would hardly call this a victory for Obama

He has been thown in a cess pool with so much **** there is no end in sight. Even if this is geared in all the right ways IT'S TOO SMALL TO HAVE ANY EFFECT ON THE OVERALL ECONOMY FOR MANY MONTHS.

Plus the $787 B is small in comparison to the $1.5 to $2 T - also on the slate to address this mess but Congress can't do squat to stop it. If Obama didn't do anything .... then we'd really have a reason to bitch and complain.... so to the largest degree at least he is acknowledging this is a very serious situation and has to be a top priority. When - and if - he really screws up I'd be the FIRST to say something.

For now if we focus on how it happened - and why it happened - then Obama is essentially out of the picture altogether. So anyway I don't see this as a victory for him at all - it simply shows that a new President is fulfilling the role he was elected to carry out (or at least appears to be making an effort on that behalf) - but to me that is expected and he is only doing his job.

When he fails to do his job - that's when I'll come to life.

Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) predicted on Thursday that none of his Senate colleagues would "have the chance" to read the entire final version of the $790-billion stimulus bill before the bill comes up for a final vote in Congress. “No, I don’t think anyone will have the chance to [read the entire bill],” Lautenberg told CNSNews.com.

[Editor's note: The first PDF, as posted on the House Appropriations Committee website as of 8:20 AM Friday morning, had grown by 72 pages to 496 pages, increasing the length of the total document to 1,071 pages.]

http://cnsnews.com/public/content/ar...x?RsrcID=43478

There is plenty to complain about for everyone, and perhaps that’s the sign of a good compromise,” said U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, a Missouri Democrat. “Regardless of party, we all cast our votes with one hand and crossed our fingers with the other.

http://www.kansascity.com/business/story/1032285.html

One of the most important pieces of legislation that they will pass and these comments make me feel so warm and fuzzy about our future and what kind if will be.

CB

Originally Posted by budnipper1

On the same page is a link to ABC's 3 minute interview with Dave Ramsey.
I'm not a fan, but Ramsey says there is not enough money in Washington to fix this mess and I agree. He also says freeing up more credit to people who couldn't afford to buy a house is what started this crap in the first place. Why do they think doing that again will help? Again, duh!

Hey Budnipper,
Ya know I love ya, so I know you'll receive this in the spirit intended:
Just how much money would Ramsey, or anyone in DC say exists?? (Problem is there doesn't seem to be any established sum!)

Originally Posted by hessian

Hey Budnipper,
Ya know I love ya, so I know you'll receive this in the spirit intended:
Just how much money would Ramsey, or anyone in DC say exists?? (Problem is there doesn't seem to be any established sum!)

I think "brother Dave" would say there is an infinite amount of
money that COULD be thrown at the system, because if they
ran out, they would just print some more.

In the vid, however, what he said is that "throwing ANY amount
of money at the problem" is NOT the solution. He said that
the American people will have to eventually bail themselves out. By
living within their means instead of constantly using credit, and by
starting small businesses instead of depending on large companies
to provide them with jobs. At least, that's how I interpreted what
he said. Again, I stopped listening to Ramsey a long time ago because
I had already listened to him long enough that everything
he said was like watching summer re-runs. His advice is generally aimed
at folks who cannot manage their money, and for them, his
advice is good. I learned what he teaches the hard way, so he's
preaching to the choir in my case.

At little off topic, but I saw on the news today that the old lady who tearfully begged Obama, during one of his pep-rally speeches, to help her get another home with a kitchen, got what she begged for. Some politician's wife stepped up and donated a 3 BR, 2 bath house to her, for as long as she needed it. I guess I'm supposed to get all choked up with emotion. Guess my heart is cold. The way I sum that up is, " That's ONE individual saved by BHO"! Now, all he has to do is give EVERYBODY else a free house and then EVERYBODY will be shouting YES WE CAN and praising his name. Let's see how many more houses he can pull out of his halo.

Obama is nothing but a smooth-talking con-artist who has an effective speech writer on his payroll.
But, he's got plenty of people with their hands out who will swear that he can do no wrong while shouting,
"Ain't this welfare great?"

Originally Posted by budnipper1

At little off topic, but I saw on the news today that the old lady who tearfully begged Obama, during one of his pep-rally speeches, to help her get another home with a kitchen, got what she begged for. Some politician's wife stepped up and donated a 3 BR, 2 bath house to her, for as long as she needed it. I guess I'm supposed to get all choked up with emotion. Guess my heart is cold. The way I sum that up is, " That's ONE individual saved by BHO"! Now, all he has to do is give EVERYBODY else a free house and then EVERYBODY will be shouting YES WE CAN and praising his name. Let's see how many more houses he can pull out of his halo.

Obama is nothing but a smooth-talking con-artist who has an effective speech writer on his payroll.
But, he's got plenty of people with their hands out who will swear that he can do no wrong while shouting,
"Ain't this welfare great?"

Budnipper,

It's funny you said, your heart is cold. I've been telling my wife for the past month or so, that my sympathy level is on empty, for the same reasons you mentioned above. These people stupidly get over their heads and then expect us working taxpayers to bail them out, unfortunately those folks that need help are getting painted by the same brush.

Yeah ain't welfare great. His voters will turn against him when they find out that he can't pay for their homes and cars and that they'll actually have to grow up a little and pay their own bills, though welfare removes the incentive to actually be productive.

My contributions to those in actual need will continue to be used locally where I know exactly where the money or needed items are going. I'll call them my local earmarks, since the Dems and BHO are just being bold faced liars when they say there aren't going to be earmarks.

CB