dapoes
Veteran
- May 17, 2008
- 3,543
- 2,716
You've heard it here, there and everywhere in the news media - the time is now for a big-government economic stimulus package, not only to revive the economy, but to salvage America's crumbling infrastructure.
That's one of the selling points used over and over again by pundits, as they are paraded out repeatedly on broadcast and cable network news programs - that so-called "shovel-ready" projects will challenge economic woes by revitalizing something we need to do anyway. But only 3 percent of the Obama stimulus plan is slated for such projects.
In a conference call on Jan. 23, House Minority Whip Rep. Eric Cantor and Hensarling pointed out some of the more egregious spending provisions in the House Democrat proposal:
* For every dollar that is spent for small business tax relief, $4 are being spent for the maintenance and new grass in Washington, D.C.
* $360 million for sexually transmitted disease education
* $50 million for the National Endowment of Arts
* $726 million for an afterschool snack program
* Office furniture for the public health service
* More money for Amtrak
"How any of this fits under the banner of economic stimulus is beyond me," Hensarling said. "I think it would prove to be beyond the American people as well."
See http://www.readthestimulus.org which has a spreadsheet on the breakdown of the bill.
That's one of the selling points used over and over again by pundits, as they are paraded out repeatedly on broadcast and cable network news programs - that so-called "shovel-ready" projects will challenge economic woes by revitalizing something we need to do anyway. But only 3 percent of the Obama stimulus plan is slated for such projects.
In a conference call on Jan. 23, House Minority Whip Rep. Eric Cantor and Hensarling pointed out some of the more egregious spending provisions in the House Democrat proposal:
* For every dollar that is spent for small business tax relief, $4 are being spent for the maintenance and new grass in Washington, D.C.
* $360 million for sexually transmitted disease education
* $50 million for the National Endowment of Arts
* $726 million for an afterschool snack program
* Office furniture for the public health service
* More money for Amtrak
"How any of this fits under the banner of economic stimulus is beyond me," Hensarling said. "I think it would prove to be beyond the American people as well."
See http://www.readthestimulus.org which has a spreadsheet on the breakdown of the bill.