Massive Gov't Spending Does Not Help the Economy -- Part 1,000,006

As if history were not enough to understand that massive spending by government does not help pull its country out of recession, we have some actual reporting that proves the point (odd that we didn't hear this story from January trumpeted by Katie Couric or MSNBC.

According to the Associated Press:

Ten months into President Barack Obama’s first economic stimulus plan, a surge in spending on roads and bridges has had no effect on local unemployment and only barely helped the beleaguered construction industry, an Associated Press analysis has found.

Spend a lot or spend nothing at all, it didn’t matter, the AP analysis showed: Local unemployment rates rose and fell regardless of how much stimulus money Washington poured out

Yet, despite the failure of the first spending burst to do anything for the economy, Obama now tells us that we need more infrastructure spending. Massive federal spending didn't work then; it hasn't worked ever; it won't work now.

Think of it this way. Assume there are 150 million people and couples who pay income tax. What is the best way to allow the people's money to kick start the economy:

• Obama's Way: You can -- as Obama and the Liberals did -- take money from each of these people (we'll disregard the fact that Obama borrowed the money for the "stimulus" from places like China) and distribute that money to a relatively small number of people who are doing things that you approve of.
• The other way: On the other hand, you give real tax rate cuts that would allow all of those 150-200 million people keep more of their own money (yes, the "rich," too) allowing all of them to spend their money in every city and town in all 50 states on every sector of the economy. The extra cash in their pockets will increase their consumer confidence to spend even more instead of hording cash into a rainy day fund, as many Americans are doing. The sudden increase in economic activity will increase force business to meet the surprise demand, requiring more jobs. In turn, people with those new jobs will join into the economic explosion.

Oh sure, you Liberals argue, Obama's chosen few will spend the money on other economic sectors, who in turn will spend that money in yet other sectors, and eventually -- maybe -- all sectors will be touched. Eventually.

Of course it helps if the tax cuts are substantial enough that people should realize they actually got one.

Officials estimated (Obama's tax credits) would mean about $13 a week more in people's paychecks this year when withholding tables are adjusted in late spring. Next year, the measure could yield workers about $8 a week. Critics say that's unlikely to do much to boost consumption.

Liberals may cite The New Deal, President Roosevelt's massive spending and public works campaign after the Great Depression. Surely, that pulled the country out of its doldrums, right? Well, not exactly. While FDRs management of things in the 1930s help chop away at the 25% unemployment in 1933, the massive spending binge still left us with an staggering unemployment rate of 14% in 1940. The New Deal was little more than a band-aid that stopped the bleeding but did nothing to salve the wound.

For those of you who favor the Obama spend-and-tax-your-way-to-health method, consider this interesting graph from the Heritage Foundation that shows the greater effect of the Reagan tax cuts over the Obama "stimulus." Under Obama, we have seen unemployment increase since the declared end of the recession; under Reagan, unemployment dropped three percentage points in the same span.

At this stage of the Reagan recovery from the last deep recession in the early 1980s, the economy had created almost 4 million jobs, or 6 million jobs when adjusting for the size of the labor force. In contrast, under Obama the economy has lost nearly a half million jobs since the recovery began...

But, you say, didn't Reagan's tax cuts massively increase the deficit? While it is certainly true that Reagan's tax and ramped-up military spending, combined with the Democrat legislature's increased social spending increased the national debt, Obama's stimulus spent nearly 50% the debt that Reagan and Congress accrued in eight years ($800 billion vs 1.5 trillion). However, Reagan's plan actually worked.

You are the president, you make the call Which do you think will get things moving more quickly? The tax-cut method which has worked in the US in the 1920s, 1940s, 1960s, 1980s, 1990s, and the 2000s; or the "stimulus" method that has never worked in any country at any time.

Democrats to Add Amnesty Measure to Defense Bill

It is despicable that the Liberals in this government think so little of the military that they would attach such controversial measures to a bill that supports our soldiers in a time of war.

This is an absolute disgrace, and shows again the depths that the Democrat party will sink to pass their radical agenda:

Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) Tuesday plans to move ahead with a vote to attach a bill to grant US residency to young immigrants who complete college or join the military to the fiscal 2011 defense authorization bill Tuesday.

Merits of the measure aside, to attach a bill that gives total amnesty to certain illegal aliens to a defense spending bill is outrageous. This would allow supporters to completely avoid discussing the bill, and would allow their votes to stay off the record almost entirely.

The "Dream" Act (the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act S. 729) would grant citizenship to illegals who were brought to the US as children and have a high school diploma (or GED) or have enrolled in the military.

The only reason the Liberals would consider such a move it that they know that the Dream Act will never pass on its own, and they know it:

"I know we can't do comprehensive immigration reform," Reid said at a news conference (last week).

The Dems have also attached a Don't Ask Don't Tell repeal onto the same defense spending bill. While DADT is certainly tangential to defense spending, it represents a major policy shift that should be openly debated. Right or wrong, DADT is the policy of the military and any changes must be argued in an open forum, not slipped in through the side door when no one is looking.

It is despicable that the Liberals in this government think so little of the military that they would attach such controversial measures to a bill that supports our military at a time of war. Is it that they don't want their names attached to these measures or they don't want to argue their merits on their own?

More likely both.

They can tell supporters that they voted for amnesty and the DADT repeal; and tell others that they supported the military budget.

More gutless cowardice disguising itself as leadership from the Democrats.

Yet Another Terror Attack Under Obama's Watch

According to the Associated Press a man arrested for allegedly placing a backpack he thought contained an explosive near the Chicago's Wrigley Field. (And I say "according to" because I haven't heard this story anywhere, have you?)

A man arrested for allegedly placing a backpack he thought contained an explosive near the Chicago's Wrigley Field also talked about poisoning Lake Michigan, bombing a landmark skyscraper and assassinating Mayor Richard Daley, according to a federal complaint filed Monday.

The man is Sami Samir Hassoun, a Lebanese citizen living in Chicago. A Lebanese man named Hassoun. I wonder what religion he could be? Hmmmm.

He wanted to, so says the FBI, transform the city of Chicago. Transform? Who else said something like that? Sorry; just having fun.

More seriously, this is, what, the 5th, 6th, 7th attack on the US under Obama's watch? But, have no fear, Hassoun worked alone. So did, we were assured, the Fort Hood shooter, the Christmas day bomber, the Times Square bomber, etc.

No wonder that no one is talking about the guy who went on a shooting spree at Fort Bliss. I could be completely off base (and hope I am), but I find it odd that the shooter's identity has not been released. Hey, for all we know, the Bliss shooter could be, as NYC Mayor Bloomberg described the Times Square bomber, somebody with a political agenda who doesn't like the health care bill or something.

Feel safer yet?

Ding Dong! The Recession's Dead

The National Bureau of Economic Research (Who?) tells us today that not only is the recession over, it has been over for more than a year.

How did I miss that?

Six weeks before an election, and we are told that the recession is over. Coincidence? Must be.

There is no way that this blue-ribbon panel, populated principally by academics and other "researchers," could have ulterior political motives, right?

The NBER's Business Cycle Dating Committee is seven gurus neither elected by the public nor appointed by anyone who was. It uses no set method to come up with answers. The result is that the timing of recessions is inconsistent between their beginnings and ends, inconsistent among different US recessions, and inconsistent with recessions in other countries. The NBER's "method" is not transparent and lends itself to accusations of political bias.

Not to mention that Obama's former director of Council of Economic Advisors (and former NEBR member) Christina Romer is married to current NEBR member David Romer.

Don't let the staggering unemployment rate fool you; don't let the abysmal consumer confidence numbers fool you. Nor the dropping personal income or GDP. The recession is over.

Obama was hot on the campaign trail again, touting his "accomplishments" as president, and assuring us -- yet again -- that Hope will conquer all.

Hope will beat fear every day...

No, Barack; "hope" will not conquer fear; good planning and solid results will conquer fear. Two things that you cannot put on your resume. Ever.

Hope is what you turn to when you have nothing else left.

No wonder, Mr. President, even your most ardent supporters are jumping ship:

"I'm one of your middle class Americans. And quite frankly I'm exhausted. I'm exhausted of defending you, defending your administration, defending the mantle of change I voted for, and deeply disappointed with where we are right now," she said.

Thank you, ma'am. I couldn't agree more.

City to Ban Sales of Sugary Beverages -- World is Saved!

In a bold and daring move, the leaders in the City of Boston are risking all to solve one of the most vexing problems facing the city -- and all of America!

A panel of leading experts in health, education, and housing will combine their brain power to put a stop to a problem devastating the city. Bill Walczak, head of a "community health center," could barely contain his passion and rage at this crisis!

“Somebody has to take a stand, and if it isn’t the government and health care institutions leading the way to a healthier lifestyle, who’s going to do it?’’

They cured AIDS?
The can stop cancer in its tracks?
They can prevent Autism?

No! Bigger than that, even!

Concerned about the girth of employees and visitors to government agencies, Boston officials are weighing — gingerly — whether to restrict or even prohibit the sale of calorie-laden refreshments on city-owned property.

That's right kids; no more sody-pop at city hall.

Huh?

While obesity is certainly a health issue, these geniuses want us to believe that banning soda from the vending machines, coffee shops and -- yes -- at the deli will do a damn thing to reverse the curse of obesity. So, the next time some solon orders a jumbo roast beef with cheese and extra mayo City Hall Deli, he won't be able to drink an unhealthy can of ginger ale.

And, get this, our firefighters -- heroes who risk their lives every time they leave the station to come to our aid -- wouldn't have been able to have a Pepsi when they returned from battling "one of the biggest fires in recent Boston history," were this policy in place in August. At least now, they would be safe from one of the biggest hazard of a jake's life: Mountain Dew.

“We see this as the beginning of the food revolution,’’ Walczak said.

Yeah, city hall is exactly whom I turn to when I want to start a revolution.

To quote the ever-glib Mayor of Boston, we need to "tinue to make a procedure difference in people's lives."

Why do we trust these people to do anything?

Health Insurance Rates to Increase Due to ObamaCare

Spending more more than $1 trillion dollars on "reform" will not reduce your costs, will not cut the deficit, will result in rationing, may result in losing your current plan and doctor, and will not cover all Americans.

Health insurance rates to increase due to ObamaCare, reports the Wall Street Journal, Rate Increases Are Blamed on Health-Care Overhaul.

Thanks Barack! You and your Liberal cronies forced through your health insurance "reforms" (despite massive public disapproval) promising lower insurance rates and federal deficit reduction.

Well, only a few months into the plan, and it turns out that you were wrong and we were right.

Health insurers say they plan to raise premiums for some Americans as a direct result of the health overhaul in coming weeks, complicating Democrats' efforts to trumpet their signature achievement before the midterm elections...

Shockingly, with added requirements including letting children stay on their parents' insurance policies until age 26, eliminating co-payments for preventive care and barring insurers from denying policies to children with pre-existing conditions, plus the elimination of the coverage caps, insurance companies are facing higher costs and passing those costs to the consumers.

...carriers have asked for premium increases of between 1% and 9% to pay for extra benefits required under the law, according to filings with state regulators....some consumers could face total premium increases of more than 20%."

"Anytime you add a benefit, there are increased costs," said Karen Ignagni, president of America's Health Insurance Plans, the industry's lobbying group.

Who could have predicted that? Well, pretty much everyone who was being honest during the health care "reform" debates.

As for that claim that adding 30 million people to the Medicare roles will actually reduce costs and not expand them? Sorry again, but no.

The CBO had originally estimated that the health care reform bill would result in a net reduction in federal deficits of $143 billion from 2010-2019; this revised number would eliminate most of that savings.

So, dropping more more than $1 trillion dollars to "reform" health care will not reduce your costs, will not cut the deficit, will result in rationing, may result in losing your current plan and doctor, and will not cover all Americans.

What exactly are we getting for OUR money?

Why Rembering 9/11 is More than Recalling the Event

On past 9/11 anniversaries, I have been chided, particularly by my Liberal friends, for my affection towards Darryl Worley's September 11 tribute, Have You Forgotten.

No one, they chuckle, has forgotten 9/11.

Recalling the event itself is not enough. We need to remember and embrace the emotional toll that the attacks had on us as individuals and as a nation. We need to remember, as Mr. Worley sings, how it felt that day.

We must never forget the range of emotions that welled in so many of us that morning: the confusion, the horror, the sorrow, the fear, the anger that flowed through us all as we watched the events on TV or in person, or later in a recording.

We need to remember the sense of purpose that drew us all together as a nation. Just a few months after one of the most contentious elections in the nations' history, we were able to put our political divisions aside as President Bush stood atop the rubble, bullhorn in hand, in a calling-to-arms that this nation has not heard for generations.

We need to remember who did this to us and why. In this politically correct world of walking on the safest, thinnest rhetorical line as possible, in an era when our leaders routinely change the terminology of the day, not in an attempt to change history, rather to divert blame and tamper our anger, we cannot forget that this attack, and too many others, were done in a perverted interpretation of Islam. It is they, not the faith itself, who has declared us the enemy.

And we need to remember that this enemy of ours will never stop; they measure victory in years, decades, perhaps centuries. As long as we remain vigilant, their attacks will be small and their victories few.

But, most of all, we must remember the thousands of innocent people who lost their lives that day. The people in the planes, the people in the towers. People no different than you and I, who were going about their day as any other. Going to work, going on vacation. Innocence lost to evil. In all those offices, there must have been someone in his last days at work before retirement; there must have been people there for their first week of work; there may have been delivery people who were there only out of fate; there may have been people there to interview for a job, who had never set foot in one of those buildings before. On those planes, there were people who traveled for work, people going on vacation, perhaps the first in years. Individuals, families. The flight crews who came to work that day as any other, perhaps with plans for later in the day when their flight inevitably touched down.

We must always honor those who gave their lives in a vain attempt to save others. The first responders: the police, fire fighters, people on the street who sacrificed to give aid, those who "went down like heros in that Pennsylvania field" to stop another target from being hit.
We must remember those who sat at home, talking to a loved one on the phone just before dying, the people who watched loved ones trapped in a collapsing tower, those who never heard from their loved ones again. Those who lost a husband, a wife, a mother, a father, a sister, a brother, a child (young or old), a friend.

They, too, are victims. People also like us who kissed their loved one goodbye with a promise to see him or her later in the day. The dinner plans that never came to be; the first date that never happened; the theater tickets never used; the lives that will never be the same.

These were people just like us, who did nothing wrong, but paid the ultimate price to those who did, for no other reason than hatred and true evil.

That is what we must never forget; I for one, never will.