From Delegate Pat McDonough:
President Obama unfortunately has managed to impose his so-called “Stimulus Package” upon the American people. In reality, this massive spending program is designed to bail out deficit-ridden state governments and hopefully provide re-election guarantees to politicians like Governor Martin O’Malley. This pork-laden part of the Obama initiative should be characterized as a “treat” for state politicians, but not the taxpayers.
Maryland was clearly on a path toward spending restraint and sensible fiscal management. The spendaholics in Annapolis were beginning to show signs of addiction recovery. The real reason for their change of heart was the indisputable fact that tax revenues were “in the tank.” Although it was the equivalent of attempting to force feed raw meat to vegetarians, the spendaholics were compelled to change their ways.
At the beginning of January, the Governor glumly announced he was underfunding education by 69 million dollars. Strangely, he made this dire announcement with a big smile. This smile baffled me and others. Then, in February, President Obama masquerading as Santa Claus, raided our grandchildren’s piggy banks and dumped more than 3 billion dollars into O’Malley’s budget crisis. The reason for the smile had been revealed.
Now, Maryland spendaholics are back in business filling every special interests’s wish, ignoring serious financial problems, and insuring their re-election bids.
The politicians received the treat and the people received the trick.
As the economy continues to collapse, the real need is “street cash.” The stimulus package should be creating tax incentives and long term policies that assist citizens and generate spending. The nation is suffering from a consumer spending depression. Consumer spending is 80% of America’s economy. Simple math, no spending equals no economic growth. The President’s stimulus myth achieves nothing related to consumer spending and economic growth. The preceding fact is the trick part of the trillion dollar stimulus.
Government action could help to turn the economy around. So far, we have witnessed stupid spending, big bank bailouts, federally sponsored state government welfare, and other counter productive initiatives. President Obama and his political allies are part of the problem, not part of the solution. His spending exuberance and claims that he will reduce the deficit in the near future are hypocritical. It is the same as claiming one is on a diet that requires consuming pizza every day.
I only hope that in the future things will not be so bad that we would consider this time “the good old days.” It is time for the President, members of Congress, Governor O’Malley, and all leaders to become the solution, not the problem.
speechless
I asked an Obama supporter the other day, why don’t they just give us the money…we would generate the economy? He said, “oh! you would just put the money in the bank” Well, that in fact is not the case. See my husband works for a company that has not been able to make payroll secondary to the banks not lending them the money for payroll. That trickles down to us not being able to pay for necessary repairs on our car and around our house and minimizing the times we eat out and go grocery shopping. In the last week, I have told multiple dealers and repair men that I have a lot of work for them, but don’t currently have the money to pay them. I need to wait for a paycheck prior to requesting any repairs. The “trickle down” effect that was highly publicized with “Joe the Plumber” is a reality in my family and I suspect many others. We are a family of 6 with a projected 6 digit income…..if and when we are payed! I am considering a “downsize” but leary that a buyer would be able to secure a loan to buy my house or that we would be able to secure a loan to buy a smaller house……the saga continues!!
“Delegate” McDonough should be the one to remain “speechless” on occasion. But instead, he insists on opening his pie hole to spew his right wing “tried and NOT true” dumbed down endorsement of “trickle down” economics. It was tried for the past eight years and it was (without a doubt) a dismal failure. Oh sure, tax cuts sound like such a simplistic solution to the problem that the “good” Delegate outlines, but the world economy is not as simple as he is. Anyway, rest assured that in the future, America will NOT be looking back on this time as “The Good Old Days”. To the contrary, I have hope and trust that the next 4, 8, 12 years and beyond are going to be “The Good New Days”! Delegate, You and your ilk have had your turn, now it’s our turn. In the mean time, I’m sure that you’ll keep on bad mouthing everything that Democrats enspouse, while the Democrats go about undoing the damage inflicted by your party during the past 8 years.
As a Democrat and an Obama supporter, I do have reservations about the stimulus bill, but at least Obama is thinking about our economy, instead pushing the war in Iraq and what obsessing about what goes on in adults’ bedrooms. The Republican party for the most part put us in this financial mess in the first place.
I guess since Del. McDonough can’t get English declared as Maryland’s official language, he’s turning to a new crusade.
I guess the calls by republicans for banking reform never happened.
Go Dagger!
I guess the calls by republicans, a few years ago, for banking reform that was shouted down bt democrats never happened.
Go Dagger !
If Bill Clinton didnt deregulate banks and insist on everyone being able to buy a house regardless of means to pay for it . We wouldnt be fumbling for 8 yrs. to fix his time bomb that exploded on Bushes watch. blame Congress not Bush
With all due respect to Delegate McDonough, doesn’t he have have more pressing things to be doing during the ninety day session in Annapolis? That is the problem with many state legislators; they love to expound philosophically on all sorts of mainstream issues, issues that are only tangentially connected to anything they are doing in the State House. The stimulus package and bank bailouts are federal issues with only trickle down relevance to state reps. With only ninety days a year to get things done for the people of Maryland, Mr. McDonough ought to stick with doing the people’s business, afterall, as he says himself, it is time for leaders to stop being the problem. Anytime you’re ready, Pat.
Most people are more comfortable with old problems than with new solutions.