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Politics : View from the Center and Left -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: JohnM who wrote (103842)	2/11/2009 1:32:10 PM
From: Steve Lokness	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 541945

John; (3) it's terrible, worst since the 30s depression, we need to get spending started in order to save jobs and the only place with money to spend for job starting purposes is the federal government, thus the present stimulus package. I had to chuckle reading number three. "With money to spend"? Conceptually, where do you think that money to spend comes from? Can I add a number 4? 4) it's terrible, worst since the 30s depression, ......but it is a natural part of the economic ups and downs. Since there will be an inefficient use of labor from people being unemployed, this is the perfect time to put people to work on important needs of the country to keep us competitive in the world. Since every dollar must be borrowed however, every effort should be made to be sure the use of capital is as efficient as possible to keep people working. steve

To: JohnM who wrote (103842)	2/11/2009 2:45:31 PM
From: slacker711	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 541945

So, where are you on all this? I agree on the seriousness of the problems and think that a combination of spending increases and tax cuts are the right way to go. The problem is that this single bill conflates priorities. We are rushing through long-term spending that needs to be thought out and mixing social safety net increases with a Christmas list of random expenditures. Yes, any expenditure can be a form of stimulus but they arent all created equal in terms of impact. I never took you for a cultural relativist. But who would have thought. If the Reps favor it, it must be just politics; if the Dems favor it, it must be just politics. Relativist? My comments are absolutist in nature. The Democrats bill focusing on spending is better than an across the board tax cut (at least in near-term impact) but you dont get the moral high-ground when you are simply grabbing the opportunity to shove billions at traditional Democratic priorities, regardless of the actual stimulative effect. Just to throw one out there....from the House bill. The remaining appropriation of about $6.6 billion would fund various programs, including capital improvements and maintenance for the Forest Service and National Park Service, the Superfund program, and wildland fire management. Historically, those activities expend funds over about four years. Because the legislation would significantly increase resources for those programs, we expect that spending would be slower initially as agencies prepare to contract for new projects. $6.6 billion is still real money and we will regret throwing money at the problem now when we could have better uses for the cash later. Slacker