Thread: Understanding the Stimulus Bill

Originally Posted by CivilWars

I will probably butcher this, but like Moto has tried to explain to me these days our economy is not based on production, but on cause and effect. If I have faith in the economy, and my personal finances, it will cause me to spend more money on things. The effect will be that whomever makes, ships, sells the items I buy will have more faith in the economy, and thus spend more as well. While I like the idea of new roads, buildings, water parks, whatever it does not cause me to feel any better about my, or the world's, economic situation, and does not cause me to want to go drive around just to enjoy the better roads. It might have a short term impact of providing new jobs, or at least sustaining existing jobs, to complete the projects, but once completed do these projects have the ability to keep money moving?

Exactly my concern. These things provide work, not jobs. Creating jobs is bringing new business into the flow of the economy so that people can make a living. A 6 month, 1 year, or even 5 year project is going to last that long in the grand scheme of providing for yourself and/or a family. Does the amount of money spent by you and me via taxes warrant this?

These projects will create jobs for next few years. Perhaps after new routes are being used new businesses will open along them to take advantage of the traffic? Maybe things will just be "better" by then? Maybe the money saved in gas and free time will be spent on other local businesses who will have to hire more workers? Maybe the people who worked on these projects will now have more skills to move them into better positions allowing other people to come up up and new workers to come in?

I could coming up with maybes... that is the only issue: They are all maybes, and any economic fix will be a maybe. We all just have to try hard to make things work and have faith in the American spirit that we will turn this around, and not only fix our economy but rise up to the top again in terms of science and engineering. Which, as it turns out, are another maybe as we build all these modern (green) infrastructure projects.

here is something that explains how even the news feals about this thing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiCOb...eature=related

Originally Posted by Spike113

here is something that explains how even the news feals about this thing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiCOb...eature=related

That is a crosspost bud, there is a separate topic about that very video not 2 topics down.

Here's the deal...Obama and his people have their heart in the right place but they are going about it all wrong. They have concentrated their efforts on giving tax dollars to those who have proven themselves to be irresponsible with money.

The fix is to go after people who want to work! JOBS!

The infrastructure portion of the stimulus is the only part that comes close to satisfing this need. Unfortunately, this part of the stimulus only accounts for 25% of the money.

I could go on forever but why bother? We have taxation without representation.

and of course someone beat me to it again, didnt notice someone had posted it sorry

I feel the initial stimulus, targeted at lenders, was the correct concept, but the execution failed. The government assumed that if they gave banks truckloads of money they would in turn give it to businesses, home buyers, home builders, etc. Then these businesses would buy and sell products and deliver services, thus creating more jobs, etc. The problem was the government failed to account for the greed of the bankers that was already evident, and all most of them did was put the money in their vaults for a rainy day, or buy up their weaker step children. This means virtually none of the money reached its intended recipient, the mom and pop businesses that keep the economy churning.

Originally Posted by Firedog911

Here's the deal...Obama and his people have their heart in the right place but they are going about it all wrong. They have concentrated their efforts on giving tax dollars to those who have proven themselves to be irresponsible with money.

The fix is to go after people who want to work! JOBS!

The infrastructure portion of the stimulus is the only part that comes close to satisfing this need. Unfortunately, this part of the stimulus only accounts for 25% of the money.

I could go on forever but why bother? We have taxation without representation.

See that is something that pisses me off about it.

Everything we are slated for in Portland is infrastructure. It is all useful stuff that we have been needing to get done. The items in the stimulus package for specific states were picked by the governmental bodies of those states, correct? At least I can take faith in the fact that my state is picking some pretty useful items.


Just curious: Who are they giving it to that has been irresponsible? I saw the last stimulous package go to companies that failed because of their greed and short sightedness. And it was largely those mega corporations, coupled with our expensive war, that have led to the pit we are in now. This new money is going to local state government, correct?

Originally Posted by Firedog911

Here's the deal...Obama and his people have their heart in the right place but they are going about it all wrong. They have concentrated their efforts on giving tax dollars to those who have proven themselves to be irresponsible with money.

The fix is to go after people who want to work! JOBS!

The infrastructure portion of the stimulus is the only part that comes close to satisfing this need. Unfortunately, this part of the stimulus only accounts for 25% of the money.

I could go on forever but why bother? We have taxation without representation.

Not every businessman who lost his job has the desire to become a construction worker, that's why the list of projects serve multiple sectors, I don't understand why people don't understand that.

Also, as someone else mentioned, not ALL of the jobs produced are temporary, some are PERMANENT.

Originally Posted by SoySoldier

Originally Posted by Firedog911

Here's the deal...Obama and his people have their heart in the right place but they are going about it all wrong. They have concentrated their efforts on giving tax dollars to those who have proven themselves to be irresponsible with money.

The fix is to go after people who want to work! JOBS!

The infrastructure portion of the stimulus is the only part that comes close to satisfing this need. Unfortunately, this part of the stimulus only accounts for 25% of the money.

I could go on forever but why bother? We have taxation without representation.

See that is something that pisses me off about it.

Everything we are slated for in Portland is infrastructure. It is all useful stuff that we have been needing to get done. The items in the stimulus package for specific states were picked by the governmental bodies of those states, correct? At least I can take faith in the fact that my state is picking some pretty useful items.


Just curious: Who are they giving it to that has been irresponsible? I saw the last stimulous package go to companies that failed because of their greed and short sightedness. And it was largely those mega corporations, coupled with our expensive war, that have led to the pit we are in now. This new money is going to local state government, correct?

I didnt like the last 'stimulus' package either, it shouldn't have gone to the bad corporations.

Why does the state government need money? I thought that is why we pay taxes... oh wait, it is because government spends irresponsibly and is in debt. Seems like a vicious cycle to me. Where are all the cuts in government to save money? All I see is spending to fix a hole, not rebuild a dam.

Not all the jobs are temporary it is true, but all the construction work created by most of the infrastructure projects are. If you have ever worked construction you know how much of a seasonal thing it can be sometimes.