The question may no longer be “how much is our government spending?” but rather, “who is getting the government contracts?” With all three branches of the US government run by the Democratic Party, it is highly unlikely the outrageous spending will cease. The latest installment of Obama’s open-wallet plan is an $825 billion Economic Stimulus Package that is more than slightly filled with political fluff. The plan will pass the House & Senate much like my husband passes gas after a fat bowl of chili; quietly, swiftly and it will leave a horrible stench.
But where exactly is the taxpayer money going? Items in the package include “$79 billion for states to fund schools and other education programs,” and “$550 million for Indian Tribe Medical Centers.” Let’s venture deeper than the obvious question: How can throwing billions of dollars at these types of programs immediately stimulate the economy? Let us also ask the following:
Which states will receive funding? Blue states? Red states? How will they qualify for the money? Which schools? Elementary? Colleges? What are “other educational programs?” Who will designate the funds? Which tribes? Why medical centers if we are moving to socialized medicine under the Obama administration anyway? And possibly the most important question of all, to whom will the checks be written?
The package is vague at best. Some may even say deceptive. Think for a moment about the campaign. Does anyone remember William Ayers? Doesn’t he have ties to education? And what about all the campaign dollars that were given to the Obama ticket by special interest groups? Teachers Unions and Education Advocates raised considerable amounts for the President-elect’s campaign. How much did the various Indian Tribes contribute? Are these legitimate, economically based stimulus spending ideas that are truly meant to help all Americans through a near depression?
Over $100 billion of Obama’s economic stimulus package is designated for educational institutions and programs. Though the education system in the United States may be a worthy cause, emergency spending on education is suspect to say the least. Again, who is receiving the checks?
These two minor expenditures are just the beginning. By now most have heard about the Mafia Museum construction that is also part of the package. If you do a little digging and a little "Google-ing" you can find that there are also line items for repairs to the Smithsonian, Welfare funding, National Science Foundation research grants and my favorite, $1.7 billion for national park renovation, rehabilitation and other construction projects. Let me guess, the taxpayers are going to pay to re-sod the National Mall and repair the park due to the massive inaugural mess and while we're at it, we can throw up a nice big statue of President Obama.
The so-called stimulus package looks more like additions to the Federal Budget than emergency spending. It calls for billions of dollars in new programs that will need continued funding such as the new busses, mass transits, trains and stations. Billions more will go to energy research, a new science building, drinking water grants and massive construction projects. Why is it so important to rush into emergency spending, borrowing more than we have the ability to pay back?
The two logical reasons to push such a large spending package, mask it as emergency funding to help keep the US stock market from collapsing and get it done quickly while the “honeymoon” is still strong with the media elite are simple.
1. By introducing massive spending now, even while duplicating many programs already in the Federal Budget, Obama will look like a fiscal hero when he introduces his own budget in the fall. He will be able to say that he cut spending dramatically when in fact, all he did was reduce the spending he put into place months earlier. The honeymoon will be over and no one will remember the billions of dollars Obama deemed necessary in the first few days of his presidency.
And 2. Obama will be able to pay back many campaign promises to those who helped elect him including individuals and special interest groups. One need look no further than Obama’s campaign donor list to realize who is influencing the spending. The American taxpayer has already forked up $404 million dollars to provide digital T.V. converter coupons to the public. Obama would like us to spend an additional $650 million for the same purpose. A major source of Obama’s campaign contributions came from the television industry including Sherry Lansing of Paramount Studios, Norman Lear, Producer, Ted Turner, David E. Kelley, Tracey Edmonds, Peter Chernin, News Corporation President, and many more. What will happen to their precious television shows, news programs and soap operas if the public can’t see them in digital T.V.? And what’s more is that Obama plans to give tax breaks to these very same people.
Where are the checks going? What is the motivation for including items in the stimulus package? And how exactly are the items in the proposed bill going to help the ailing U.S. economy? Obama has touted his intent to disclose information and have a “transparent” government that is held accountable for its actions, but if the media won’t ask the questions, I doubt we’ll hear any answers. It's time for taxpayers to start paying attention to politics and ask where their money is going.
Comments
Why aren't the news reporters writing and talking about this stuff???
Matt, the media is extremely liberal and used extreme bias to get Obama elected, which is why they will never say anything negative about their man. Watch now; the war in Iraq will all of the sudden be going well. The media will stop talking about how bad the economy is, though we all struggle still.
Another thought is that the left wing of the government uses scare tactics to push agendas. Like "Global Warming," for example. If you look at REAL data from the last 100, even 50, years, you would see that the earth is actually cooling! But they would never tell you that. They scare us into being alright with them using our money. Just like they are doing with what is discussed above. They will make it sound like we need them to bail us out, and a majority of the people on the Obama wagon will just go with it.
Got something to say?
Examiner.com is looking for writers, photographers, and videographers to join the fastest growing group of local insiders. If you are interested in growing your online rep apply to be an Examiner today!