Thursday, January 29, 2009

Can't Wait to See All of Those New Jobs Created

Yesterday, the House passed a bill that is supposed to help the economy. This article explains why it won't, in the humble opinion of the Wall-Street Journal. Thanks Congress, I can't wait to see how $50 million for the National Endowment for the Arts helps my family this year. Or how $2.4 billion for "carbon-capture demonstrations" will create jobs for the 223,000 people who have lost their jobs with Microsoft, Pfizer, Starbucks, etc. this year.

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. There's another $40 billion for broadband and electric grid development, airports and clean water projects that are arguably worthwhile priorities.

Add the roughly $20 billion for business tax cuts, and by our estimate only $90 billion out of $825 billion, or about 12 cents of every $1, is for something that can plausibly be considered a growth stimulus. And even many of these projects aren't likely to help the economy immediately.

3 comments:

April-Benjamin said...

I love how political you've always been. Yes, I am so annoyed w/ all of these "packages" that tack in so many un-needed extra debt for us, just so that enough people (out of self-interest) will sign the bill. The pictures at the zoo are adorable! The youtube video has expired :( Great to catch up!

Allison said...

Hmm, it appears I need to stop putting political crap-ola on the blog. No one seems to enjoy it :)

Allison said...

Except for April, hi there! I caught up on your blog too, looks like you guys are doing great. Your boys are cute!