New CBO numbers on the Stimulus Bill

[CaP'N GRuNGe]

I keep seeing the word sustainable being thrown around. The whole point of government stimulus is to slow the tide of massive economic downward deflation. Basically to stop the bleeding and assist the economy until people start spending again, production ramps up, etc etc. It's not to create permanent jobs. That's not the point at all. It's to step in and prop up an economy because the private sector is not able to do so on it's own. I wonder if some that are full of criticism here full understand that or not. It doesn't seem like it. Of course one can argue about getting the most bang for their buck in any stimulus. I think criticism is valid about the money not being pumped into the economy quick enough. I would have liked to have seen more direct hire of workers for short term infrastructure projects that provide long term investment savings (think making government buildings energy efficient for example) instead of very minor individual tax cuts that in total add up to alot of money spent but no guarantee that those funds are then spent by individuals in the marketplace.

[bushwacked]

I wonder if some that are full of criticism here full understand that or not. It doesn't seem like it.

 

It's fairly obvious that many would rather see Obama's economic policies fail, above and beyond anything else.

[driveby]

It's fairly obvious that many would rather see Obama's economic policies fail, above and beyond anything else.

They already have, the stimulus package was supposed to keep unemployment under 8%.

[bushwacked]

They already have, the stimulus package was supposed to keep unemployment under 8%.

 

I wonder what Rush is telling his listeners today?

[SayItAintSoJoe]

They already have, the stimulus package was supposed to keep unemployment under 8%.

 

 

Is that 8% number the only determining factor on whether or not the SP has succeeded? If it is then analyzing the CBO report is a waste of time because the national unemployment rate went over 8% a while ago.

 

Is that the only measure of success/failure here?

[i_am_the_swammi]

They already have, the stimulus package was supposed to keep unemployment under 8%.

 

And Bushy was supposed to bring home weapons of mass destruction, so he was a complete failure too...right?

[caddyman]

And Bushy was supposed to bring home weapons of mass destruction, so he was a complete failure too...right?

 

hey moran...who is running the fraking country now? IDIOT.

[westvirginia]

It's fairly obvious that many would rather see Obama's economic policies fail, above and beyond anything else.

 

I could give a good Gawd-d_mn about obamessiah policies, I want the country whole. The problem is, I don't think his policies will get us there.

 

Look - saying things like "we're not nearly as socialist as Europe" is like saying well, you only came in 5th place in the ugly contest. Everyone sees what happens to countries that meddle with free-market policies over a consistent period of time, and you jokers ignore this evidence and say essentially, "well this little bit of poison won't kill us, and this little bit over here won't kill us", and like the drug addict, eventually overdose on something that feels good but isn't good for you. And I know what I'm f'n talking about there.

[driveby]

And Bushy was supposed to bring home weapons of mass destruction, so he was a complete failure too...right?

This is pretty weak, you're a little off your game today.

[westvirginia]

You do realize that Driveby is more looney fringe than Perch but less than WV.

 

I'm WAAAAAAAY more looney than those two. I actually think people should be responsible for themselves. What a novel f'in concept.

[CaP'N GRuNGe]

I'm WAAAAAAAY more looney than those two. I actually think people should be responsible for themselves. What a novel f'in concept.

 

Essay:A Day In The Life of Joe Conservative

 

Joe gets up at 6 a.m. and fills his coffeepot with water to prepare his morning coffee. The water is clean and good because some tree-hugging liberal fought for minimum water-quality standards. With his first swallow of water, he takes his daily medication. His medications are safe to take because some stupid commie liberal fought to ensure their safety and that they work as advertised.

 

All but $10 of his medications are paid for by his employer's medical plan because some liberal union workers fought their employers for paid medical insurance -- now Joe gets it, too.

 

He prepares his morning breakfast: bacon and eggs. Joe's bacon is safe to eat because some girly-man liberal fought for laws to regulate the meat packing industry.

 

In the morning shower, Joe reaches for his shampoo. His bottle is properly labeled with each ingredient and its amount in the total contents because some crybaby liberal fought for his right to know what he was putting on his body and how much it contained.

 

Joe dresses, walks outside and takes a deep breath. The air he breathes is clean because some environmentalist wacko liberal fought for the laws to stop industries from polluting our air.

 

He walks on the government-provided sidewalk to the subway station for his government-subsidized ride to work. It saves him considerable money in parking and transportation fees because some fancy-pants liberal fought for affordable public transportation, which gives everyone the opportunity to be a contributor.

 

Joe begins his work day. He has a good job with excellent pay, medical benefits, retirement, paid holidays and vacation because some lazy liberal union members fought and died for these working standards. Joe's employer pays these standards because Joe's employer doesn't want his employees to call the union.

 

If Joe is hurt on the job or becomes unemployed, he'll get a worker compensation or unemployment checks because some stupid liberal didn't think he should lose his home because of his temporary misfortune.

 

It is noontime and Joe needs to make a bank deposit so he can pay some bills. Joe's deposit is federally insured by the FSLIC because some godless liberal wanted to protect Joe's money from unscrupulous bankers who ruined the banking system before the Great Depression.

 

Joe has to pay his Fannie Mae-underwritten mortgage and his below-market federal student loan because some elitist liberal decided that Joe and the government would be better off if he was educated and earned more money over his lifetime. Joe also forgets that in addition to his federally subsidized student loans, he attended a state funded university.

 

Joe is home from work. He plans to visit his father this evening at his farm home in the country. He gets in his car for the drive. His car is among the safest in the world because some America-hating liberal fought for car safety standards to go along with the taxpayer funded roads.

 

He arrives at his boyhood home. His was the third generation to live in the house financed by Farmers' Home Administration because bankers didn't want to make rural loans.

 

The house didn't have electricity until some big-government liberal stuck his nose where it didn't belong and demanded rural electrification.

 

He is happy to see his father, who is now retired. His father lives on Social Security and a union pension because some wine-drinking, cheese-eating liberal made sure he could take care of himself so Joe wouldn't have to.

 

Joe gets back in his car for the ride home, and turns on a radio talk show. The radio host keeps saying that liberals are bad and conservatives are good. He doesn't mention that the beloved conservatives have fought against every protection and benefit Joe enjoys throughout his day. Joe agrees: "We don't need those big-government liberals ruining our lives! After all, I'm a self-made man who believes everyone should take care of themselves, just like I have."

[caddyman]

Essay:A Day In The Life of Joe Conservative

 

Joe gets up at 6 a.m. and fills his coffeepot with water to prepare his morning coffee. The water is clean and good because some tree-hugging liberal fought for minimum water-quality standards. With his first swallow of water, he takes his daily medication. His medications are safe to take because some stupid commie liberal fought to ensure their safety and that they work as advertised.

 

All but $10 of his medications are paid for by his employer's medical plan because some liberal union workers fought their employers for paid medical insurance -- now Joe gets it, too.

 

He prepares his morning breakfast: bacon and eggs. Joe's bacon is safe to eat because some girly-man liberal fought for laws to regulate the meat packing industry.

 

In the morning shower, Joe reaches for his shampoo. His bottle is properly labeled with each ingredient and its amount in the total contents because some crybaby liberal fought for his right to know what he was putting on his body and how much it contained.

 

Joe dresses, walks outside and takes a deep breath. The air he breathes is clean because some environmentalist wacko liberal fought for the laws to stop industries from polluting our air.

 

He walks on the government-provided sidewalk to the subway station for his government-subsidized ride to work. It saves him considerable money in parking and transportation fees because some fancy-pants liberal fought for affordable public transportation, which gives everyone the opportunity to be a contributor.

 

Joe begins his work day. He has a good job with excellent pay, medical benefits, retirement, paid holidays and vacation because some lazy liberal union members fought and died for these working standards. Joe's employer pays these standards because Joe's employer doesn't want his employees to call the union.

 

If Joe is hurt on the job or becomes unemployed, he'll get a worker compensation or unemployment checks because some stupid liberal didn't think he should lose his home because of his temporary misfortune.

 

It is noontime and Joe needs to make a bank deposit so he can pay some bills. Joe's deposit is federally insured by the FSLIC because some godless liberal wanted to protect Joe's money from unscrupulous bankers who ruined the banking system before the Great Depression.

 

Joe has to pay his Fannie Mae-underwritten mortgage and his below-market federal student loan because some elitist liberal decided that Joe and the government would be better off if he was educated and earned more money over his lifetime. Joe also forgets that in addition to his federally subsidized student loans, he attended a state funded university.

 

Joe is home from work. He plans to visit his father this evening at his farm home in the country. He gets in his car for the drive. His car is among the safest in the world because some America-hating liberal fought for car safety standards to go along with the taxpayer funded roads.

 

He arrives at his boyhood home. His was the third generation to live in the house financed by Farmers' Home Administration because bankers didn't want to make rural loans.

 

The house didn't have electricity until some big-government liberal stuck his nose where it didn't belong and demanded rural electrification.

 

He is happy to see his father, who is now retired. His father lives on Social Security and a union pension because some wine-drinking, cheese-eating liberal made sure he could take care of himself so Joe wouldn't have to.

 

Joe gets back in his car for the ride home, and turns on a radio talk show. The radio host keeps saying that liberals are bad and conservatives are good. He doesn't mention that the beloved conservatives have fought against every protection and benefit Joe enjoys throughout his day. Joe agrees: "We don't need those big-government liberals ruining our lives! After all, I'm a self-made man who believes everyone should take care of themselves, just like I have."

 

Essay By Cappy Grunge....

 

I AM AN Third Eye Blind!

[cre8tiff]

Essay By Cappy Grunge....

 

I AM AN Third Eye Blind!

 

LMFAO. I guess we need more liberal influence in public education.

Edited February 24, 2010 by cre8tiff

[Perchoutofwater]

I keep seeing the word sustainable being thrown around. The whole point of government stimulus is to slow the tide of massive economic downward deflation. Basically to stop the bleeding and assist the economy until people start spending again, production ramps up, etc etc. It's not to create permanent jobs. That's not the point at all. It's to step in and prop up an economy because the private sector is not able to do so on it's own. I wonder if some that are full of criticism here full understand that or not. It doesn't seem like it. Of course one can argue about getting the most bang for their buck in any stimulus. I think criticism is valid about the money not being pumped into the economy quick enough. I would have liked to have seen more direct hire of workers for short term infrastructure projects that provide long term investment savings (think making government buildings energy efficient for example) instead of very minor individual tax cuts that in total add up to alot of money spent but no guarantee that those funds are then spent by individuals in the marketplace.

 

How many of those jobs would have been created anyway if things had been left alone? The money for the federal government to fund these programs has to come from some where. When ever you put more money into the public sector, you are basically taking it out of the private sector. So the money being used of fund this temporary (we hope) expansion in government is being taken away form the private sector which could be creating permanent employment. You can say "yeah, but we haven't even raised taxes yet", but the reason most people that make over $250,000 a year make that much is they are smart enough to read the writing on the wall, so they know it is coming.

[bpwallace49]

Is that 8% number the only determining factor on whether or not the SP has succeeded? If it is then analyzing the CBO report is a waste of time because the national unemployment rate went over 8% a while ago.

 

Is that the only measure of success/failure here?

 

That is the only measure that conservatives that hate Obama can hang their hat on today . . .

[Perchoutofwater]

That is the only measure that conservatives that hate Obama can hang their hat on today . . .

 

Well, that is pretty much what he sold everyone on isn't it? Otherwise it is just another expansion of government and wasteful spending package.

[cre8tiff]

How many of those jobs would have been created anyway if things had been left alone? The money for the federal government to fund these programs has to come from some where. When ever you put more money into the public sector, you are basically taking it out of the private sector. So the money being used of fund this temporary (we hope) expansion in government is being taken away form the private sector which could be creating permanent employment. You can say "yeah, but we haven't even raised taxes yet", but the reason most people that make over $250,000 a year make that much is they are smart enough to read the writing on the wall, so they know it is coming.

 

Sooo, Perch, what exactly possessed you to make a avatar for yourself?

 

Seems you should have thought that one out a bit more...

[Perchoutofwater]

Sooo, Perch, what exactly possessed you to make a avatar for yourself?

 

Seems you should have thought that one out a bit more...

 

I got tired of the liberals here whining about my last one. Too bad you can't hear the sound that goes with it. It says "But, but, but, Bush"

[Ursa Majoris]

Essay:A Day In The Life of Joe Conservative

 

Joe gets up at 6 a.m. and fills his coffeepot with water to prepare his morning coffee. The water is clean and good because some tree-hugging liberal fought for minimum water-quality standards. With his first swallow of water, he takes his daily medication. His medications are safe to take because some stupid commie liberal fought to ensure their safety and that they work as advertised.

 

All but $10 of his medications are paid for by his employer's medical plan because some liberal union workers fought their employers for paid medical insurance -- now Joe gets it, too.

 

He prepares his morning breakfast: bacon and eggs. Joe's bacon is safe to eat because some girly-man liberal fought for laws to regulate the meat packing industry.

 

In the morning shower, Joe reaches for his shampoo. His bottle is properly labeled with each ingredient and its amount in the total contents because some crybaby liberal fought for his right to know what he was putting on his body and how much it contained.

 

Joe dresses, walks outside and takes a deep breath. The air he breathes is clean because some environmentalist wacko liberal fought for the laws to stop industries from polluting our air.

 

He walks on the government-provided sidewalk to the subway station for his government-subsidized ride to work. It saves him considerable money in parking and transportation fees because some fancy-pants liberal fought for affordable public transportation, which gives everyone the opportunity to be a contributor.

 

Joe begins his work day. He has a good job with excellent pay, medical benefits, retirement, paid holidays and vacation because some lazy liberal union members fought and died for these working standards. Joe's employer pays these standards because Joe's employer doesn't want his employees to call the union.

 

If Joe is hurt on the job or becomes unemployed, he'll get a worker compensation or unemployment checks because some stupid liberal didn't think he should lose his home because of his temporary misfortune.

 

It is noontime and Joe needs to make a bank deposit so he can pay some bills. Joe's deposit is federally insured by the FSLIC because some godless liberal wanted to protect Joe's money from unscrupulous bankers who ruined the banking system before the Great Depression.

 

Joe has to pay his Fannie Mae-underwritten mortgage and his below-market federal student loan because some elitist liberal decided that Joe and the government would be better off if he was educated and earned more money over his lifetime. Joe also forgets that in addition to his federally subsidized student loans, he attended a state funded university.

 

Joe is home from work. He plans to visit his father this evening at his farm home in the country. He gets in his car for the drive. His car is among the safest in the world because some America-hating liberal fought for car safety standards to go along with the taxpayer funded roads.

 

He arrives at his boyhood home. His was the third generation to live in the house financed by Farmers' Home Administration because bankers didn't want to make rural loans.

 

The house didn't have electricity until some big-government liberal stuck his nose where it didn't belong and demanded rural electrification.

 

He is happy to see his father, who is now retired. His father lives on Social Security and a union pension because some wine-drinking, cheese-eating liberal made sure he could take care of himself so Joe wouldn't have to.

 

Joe gets back in his car for the ride home, and turns on a radio talk show. The radio host keeps saying that liberals are bad and conservatives are good. He doesn't mention that the beloved conservatives have fought against every protection and benefit Joe enjoys throughout his day. Joe agrees: "We don't need those big-government liberals ruining our lives! After all, I'm a self-made man who believes everyone should take care of themselves, just like I have."

I'm sure there's a conservative equivalent to this. I'll wait for someone to post it.

[TimC]

Anyone else want to club an innocent baby seal every time Grunge copies and pastes some long-winded hippie drivel?

[evil_gop_liars]

I'm WAAAAAAAY more looney than those two. I actually think people should be responsible for themselves. What a novel f'in concept.

 

I think that might be the only thing non looney about you.

[Perchoutofwater]

I think that might be the only thing non looney about you.

 

LOVE your avatar.

[bpwallace49]

Well, that is pretty much what he sold everyone on isn't it? Otherwise it is just another expansion of government and wasteful spending package.

 

Maybe you need to re-read the CBO's assessment. The STIMULUS (hint: look at the title) was designed to STIMULATE the economy. In hindsight, it did its purpose, but not to the extent that it was designed to. However the constant investment has shown to not necessarily work over extended periods of time, and we probably are better off letting a lot of banks crash every decade versus every 60 years. Mini recessions every 10 years versus the behemoth we have now in gubmnet that will take a lot more pain to climb back from when it crashes . . .

 

the EU is bailing out Greece, who will bail out the US? It sure aint China . .

[Perchoutofwater]

we probably are better off letting a lot of banks crash every decade versus every 60 years. Mini recessions every 10 years versus the behemoth we have now in gubmnet that will take a lot more pain to climb back from when it crashes . . .

 

I agree with this. The only bailout that I supported and it luke warm support was AIG.

[Azazello1313]

That (unemployment) is the only measure that conservatives that hate Obama can hang their hat on today . . .

 

or perhaps it is the only prediction made before the stimulus was passed that can actually be measured.