Author: Clay Bowler on January 29th, 2009

Halloween in Washington: Analysis of Obama’s Stimulus Plan

Let’s just get it out of the way quickly. Obama’s stimulus package is a Halloween costume disguising a rapidly growing government. It’s probably the scariest thing I have seen come out Washington in my lifetime. Even Chris Matthew’s is smart enough to know the only tingles in this plan are for socialists.

Obama’s stimulus package, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Bill of 2009, breaks down as follows:

$32 billion spent on researching alternative energy. Basically put, we are going to build windmills that are less than 20% efficient. In twenty years the environmentalists will complain about the site of large windmills destroying the magnificent country views across Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, etc. This would be better spent investing in clean nuclear power which produces dependable energy. Sure, there will be other developments other than windmills, but none of the proposals will equal the production of nuclear power plants.
$16 billion to repair housing and make them greener with key energy saving retrofits. That’s right, the government is going to spend money on existing houses forcing them to get in line with their new green legislation.
$6 billion to weatherize modest window homes–I can see it now, government officials will drive throughout the northern half of the country to make sure you have placed plastic over your windows and you have closed your vents. There may even be a government program that invests in more insulation. Who knows. Weatherizing your house and stimulating the economy don’t belong in the same sentence.
$10 billion spent in science facilities, research, and instrumentation. This is nothing more than an investment in convincing you global warming exists so they can create green taxes that will slow the economy and kill our remaining industries. So much for stimulating the economy!
$6 billion to expand broadband Internet access. Late last year, Obama preached how embarrassed he was that America ranks 15th in broadband connections. Now he wants to subsidize a program to get the rest of the nation hooked up? Something tells me there is a taste of Chinese Internet regulations in here. We know Obama uses the Internet well and he has electronic warriors to fight his battles. How far will Obama go to control the Internet? Will there be a Fairness Doctrine applied to the Internet in this legislation.
The truth is all Americans have access to broadband in one form or another. This myth that Americans don’t have access is a lie. I don’t see how subsidizing Internet access will stimulate anything. My guess is Obama and many government officials will begin to tax purchases on the Internet and create other taxes. Considering there has already been a story that Google searches cause global warming, I wouldn’t be surprised if there is a tax on searches.
$30 billion in highway construction–white construction workers need not apply. I am still waiting for unions that supported Obama to speak up on this one. So Obama is going to invest in highways only to fight a war against CO2. Is he building bicycle highways? It’s apparent to me Americans drive less when it cost more to drive. If Obama’s goal is less cars on the road, does it make sense he is building more highways?
$31 billion to modernize federal and other public infrastructure–white construction workers need not apply.. Notice we are putting money into government infrastructure, and not offering loans and tax credits to companies to stay put in the United States, create jobs, and to help modernize their factories. Nope, we are throwing it at government infrastructure that produces nothing! NOTHING! Did you get that? NOTHING!!!! Once again, the only thing that is stimulated is bigger government.
$19 billion in flood control, clean water, and environmental restoration. First off, I bet not one environmentalist will complain $19 billion isn’t enough. If George W. Bush set aside $19 billion, it wouldn’t be enough. Once again, this is all going back into government.
$10 billion to transit and rail–it’s not clear what this is. One thing is for certain, government has more control over your movement when you have to depend on them to get you there. Not only that, but investing in subway like transportation always has a larger cost and the return on investment for the most governments that subsidize these trains is usually a loss.
$41 billion for schools–our nations schools are suffering to deliver quality education. Many schools are further indoctrination centers challenging what is taught in the homes of many Americans. Throwing more money at education has never fixed education. Until parents demand accountability from their schools, the trend will continue $41 billion extra or not. In fact, even with Obama’s extra funding, which is obviously not going to stimulate the economy, I still bet the kids of Ozark Schools as well as other schools across the nation are sent home with fundraisers to make up for their school’s irresponsibility. I believe the federal government needs to leave the education sector and allow state and local governments to provide education. The only program that the federal government could provide that would raise the quality would be vouchers that increase competition. Once again, we will see the free markets stimulate, not the government.
$79 billion for state fiscal relief–after years of California’s liberal policies and failure to enforce their border while funding non tax-paying illegal aliens medical care and welfare, the American taxpayer is going to pay California’s and other states irresponsible spending. Paying debts off isn’t going to stimulate the economy.
$15.6 billion in Pell Grants–once again, how is government subsidizing education going to stimulate the economy? This money is going to students, not the free market who has the power to produce jobs.
$6 billion for higher education modernization–I have no clue what this is either, but it scares me. Obama furthering the enhancement of liberal colleges worries me about the ways he wants to modernize them. My mind wanders through the possibilities.
$20 billion on health IT–Obama wants to modernize patient records. Why would he want to do this? Might it make it easier for the government to take over the nation’s health care? It will be interesting to watch the over site with this program. St. John’s hospital recently switched over their records to a new computer system. I wonder if the government will force them to switch again. $20 billion will purchase a lot of software licenses for nationalization purposes.
$4 billion for preventative care–unclear, but since it was placed next to another health care, I am sure this is part of the nationalization plan. I suspect this is the $4 billion Rush Limbaugh cited was going to ACORN. ACORN won’t stimulate the economy, but it will fix an election or two.
$43 billion for increased unemployment benefits and job training–I am at the frame of mind from personal experience that you are the master of your domain. As I realized the industry I was once in peaked and sales quickly designed, I reinvented myself by investing in my education. It seems I moved too quickly. Now the government is going to subsidize adults going back to school. The problem is that they already have government programs for adults. It’s just a matter of the adult getting off their butt and realizing they aren’t going back to factory work. I hate seeing my tax dollars thrown out there like a rabbit in a greyhound race. Notice, the $43 billion only creates jobs in the government, since the government will need someone to assist these people to move forward with their education. Sad!
$39 billion for health care benefits for the unemployed–not only will you get your unemployment check and your COBRA information, now the government grants you a Faustian Deal. Take our health care and become even more dependent on the government, and the government laughs as they gain more power of your health care. If Americans can’t see this basic truth, we are doomed as a nation.
$20 billion in additional welfare in the form of food stamps. Once again the only jobs created are for government employees to monitor the food stamp disbursements. Even then, computer software does most of that, so the job creation will be minimal at best.
$87 billion more in Medicaid–sounds like more nationalization to me.
$4 billion in state and local law enforcement–could there be an Obama enforcement team created from this fund? There has been evidence suggesting as much. Remember Obama’s domestic army talk?
Then there’s the $31.3 billion in mystery meat. Anytime there is mystery meat associated with Obama, there’s room to be nervous. We need to watch this very closely.

Obama has $275 billion in tax cuts proposed in his stimulus package. Obviously, America’s going into further debt with his massive spending proposals that only create government jobs.

No where in the stimulus package is a free-market idea. This should alarm everyone. This is a blueprint for the largest version of the federal government to date. In America today, government jobs outnumber manufacturing jobs. If we continue down this road, our country’s economy will be so sluggish, there won’t be any strength to bring it back. The best way to fix the economy is to allow the recession to run its course and let the free-market bring it back.

Since I first wrote this, the family planning section is now the sexually transmitted disease prevention section. So, now preventing the clap, according to Obama and the Democrats, will stimulate the economy.

Originally Published at Bungalow Bill’s Conservative Wisdom