Bush and his bandaid of a stimulus package are adding $160 some-odd billion to our already monstrous deficit. Supposedly, there is an additional $100 billion on the way. What the hell? The Democrats who say the GOP has forsaken any semblence of fiscal responsibility are right! Of course, they'd just as soon spend as much or more; but, the act itself only seems to validate their own spendy ways. I understand that politics is at an all time premium and Bush may be veering from market principles here to grease the election wheels, but come on!
So far, normal, everyday tax payers, who make less than $75k, will get a $600 check; basically a tax rebate. Of course, the top 5% of taxpayers who foot the bill for 95% of all Federal taxes won't get a rebate, but remember, we live in a Robin Hood era. Couples who filed jointly and earned a certain amount will get $1,200 and $300 for every kid they have. Even the bottom feeders, the dregs, are going to get a check as long as they earned $3,000 last year. They didn't have to pay a dime in taxes and clearly had to have some form of welfare to suppllement their meager income and, yet, they're going to get a check. To this I ask: why? The only reasons I can objectively come up with are 1>, poor people are shitty with money, which is one reason they're poor, and they'll spend it all in scant minutes after they get it. After all, this is what the stimulus package is targeted to do; it'll be like shocking the velocity of the dollar with a defibrillator; and 2>, those poor folks who receive a form, any form, of welfare will begin to look at Republicans in the same light as the Dems (ie. suckers who give out free shit). It all amounts to more political b.s. that puts GOP integrity into further question.
Another aspect of this that I don't like is the people targeted to receive these checks. As it stands now the package has gotten past Pelosi and has yet to get to the Senate and the great idiot, Harry Reid. After he gets through with it, it should be half again as large. So, we've got people who hold some form of job but don't earn enough to pay taxes. These very same people are targeted to get said checks. I have a very serious problem with this, as should every one else who pays an income tax. If you look at this package as reward money to tax payers, it makes sense not to give rewards to those who only drain the system and put nothing back in. Whatever. Our tax system is anything but fair, why should it change now?
Alright, take all this other stuff and forget it for a moment. I'm not an economist but I'm learning. One of the things I'm seeing more and more is that everything is based on economics. Interesting stuff, really. In this market-style economy that we have (we can't really call it a pure market economy because of how much the gov't has its grubby hands in it) it is natural to have up-swings and down-swings. It's part of the process; the good times are really good and the bad times are more like a slow down so the whole enchilada can catch its breath before the next good time - all the while it gets stronger and stronger. Our major issue has to do with our debt and yearly deficits but that's a whole other issue. This stimulus package, though, is designed to not let the bad time or slow down happen. Why? Because it's an election year. No matter what the reason, we are interrupting the natural progression of the economy and the adverse affects will be amplified when and if we ever get around to dealing with them.
It's too bad Fred Thompson didn't catch fire. He and Romney are the only ones who seem to have a clue about the economy and how to leave it the hell alone. See, when we have a recession, the economy naturally purges all of the unneeded and unnecessary baggage. Sure it sucks for those people who refuse to adapt to the market but the result makes for a stronger overall economy. What this stimulus package is doing is having the effect of giving a runner a giant injection of speed and adrenaline after a marathon - the runner's won't be able to rest and get its strength back. That might not be the best analogy, but it's pretty close. It'd be like taking weight-gainer but never working out. You'd just pack on the pounds and never be able to shed the dead weight. Or maybe like blowing up a balloon until it bursts.
All around this is a bad idea. It is an exactly opposite treatment than the economy requires and the fairness of it reeks of "mo free gov'ament shit." Maybe when we repeal the 17th amendment and again have Senators appointed by each, individual state legislature we might see a change in Washington. That, and some term limits for Congressmen. Does anyone really think that Ted Kennedy is doing any good? Right now, we have a ruling class in the Federal gov't, which was never intended to be more powerful than the states. That ruling class will never willingly step down or rule in favor of something other than retaining their power. Last year, Congress voted to give pensions to anyone who serves in Congress. So Joe Schmuckatelee could serve one term in the House and then get a lifetime government pension. Didn't know that did you?
The grand point here is that these power-hungry politicians don't care about the nations welfare so much as they care about hanging on to their power. I once knew a man who worked in Congress and he told me the first thing a newly elected Congressman does, their entire first term, is to totally focus on getting re-elected! If we repeal the 17th and throw in some term limits, then they'd know that they only have so much time in power and might, then, actually focus on the governing of our nation. Maybe the federal gov't would actually attract folks have their eyes on something other than power. I mean, does anyone believe that John Kerry is there to represent Massachusetts? I'm telling ya, it's all about power, and in his case, making his run at the presidency.
Back on topic now. These clowns who've been in Congress for thirty years are looking to hold onto their power, not to do what's best for the economy - history be damned. After all, you don't get re-elected by letting a recession hit your industries back home. This stimulus package is a bundle of politics and nothing else. What might be the most sad and depressing point of it all is that Bush and the Republicans are now competing with the Democrats in the arena of buying votes with welfare.
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