January 23, 2008
The “Economic Stimulus Plan” being fast tracked by Congress and the President.
The following is a email I recently sent to my Congressmen Pat Tiberi and my Senators George Voinovich and Sherrod Brown. In the links section of this blog, you’ll find the paths needed to email you own Congressman or Senators. I’d encourage all readers to tell your elected officials in Washington how you feel about their ’save the economy’ plan. My email (feel free to copy):
” Am I the only one in the USA who thinks the “economic stimulus plan” being drawn up in Washington is ten steps beyond stupid? Talk about fiddling while Rome burns.
Since the last Congressional election, the Federal government has done nothing, absolutely nothing of any consequence to improve the lives of Americans or increase the standard of living in the US. Let’s count the issues that have NOT been addressed by the US Congress:
· Imbalance of trade
· Border security
· Ballooning Federal deficit
· Access to health Insurance and controlling medical costs
· Encouragement of job growth outside the service sector
· Overuse and over extension of the US Military
· Addressing oil and energy related matters to break our reliance on foreign producers
The list goes on, but what idea has Congress gravitated to in the past two weeks? An economic stimulus in the form of treasury checks: $600 per taxpayer or $1200 per couple.
Let me get this straight, the Federal Reserve over stimulates the money supply causing a housing bubble. Then people who borrowed too much foreclose on their overpriced houses. This causes banks to lose money. Follow this up with a slow Christmas season at Wal-Mart and you’ll soon be voting to send people checks to get the Wal-Mart registers ringing again and (try to) spend our way out of a recession. The new circle of life: Congress borrows money from China, sends it to Americans, who then send it back to China buying cheap manufactured goods. Doesn’t sound like a good long term solution to me.
At best, you’ll be pumping 1% of the GNP into the economy hoping people spend it in ways that grow the economy. Of course, you’ll have to borrow the money first.
How about a better idea: how about we spend the same amount of money encouraging American companies to manufacture in the USA? How about health insurance for children so the parents and employers can go about their business and not worry about overpriced healthcare? How about expanding the Marine Corp so the same Marines don’t go to Iraq for the FIFTH time?
I certainly hope you or the person who replaces you in the next election starts thinking about the long term good of the American People.
Great points. Our Congress always treats symptoms. They are too busy worried about staying in office to fix anything long term. To implement the fixes America really needs would require some sacrifices, and no one is willing to do that. So, we go merrily along until the actually comes when the piper needs paid.
Interestingly, Congressman Tiberi called me personally to discuss the email I sent him. Nice guy, seemed like a hard-nosed Republican; scrappy, conservative. Not quite what I expected. We discussed several issues and like myself he seemed frustrated on some issues and optimistic on others.
Good talk, hope to hear from him again.