Congressional hogs to line up at the trough?
Well, it looks like over half of one segment of our society will be left out in the cold when it comes to getting the check from the government. According to members of Congress and groups such as AARP, 50% of those who depend on Social Security for income will not be seeing or hearing, “The Check’s in the Mail.” The only way they would be eligible would be if they currently have taxable income over the $3,000 mark from investments, stocks, savings, etc. Meanwhile, those who pay zero income tax because of the allowance by the IRS for child credit, etc., will receive a check. It seems the Senate saw this--actually, it was called to their attention--as something they should not forget because it is an election year, so they are now attempting to add these seniors to the list of the ”checks in the mail.” Problem is they want to add the extension of jobless benefits to the $150 billion package of rebates, along with business tax cuts that were made in a deal between House leaders and President Bush that was wrapped up Thursday. It seems as if Pelosi gave in on this part of the House package in order to get the check in the mail and to look good to the voters back home. Now the Senate is worried that those who are on the unemployment roles will not vote for them unless they get a check as well. Well, that may opened up the door to the possibility of protracted negotiations if House Democrats are successful in adding to the Senate's retirees' tax rebates, the extending unemployment benefits, boosting heating subsidies for the poor, and temporarily increasing food stamp payments. The Senate, so far, is not going along with the plan by the House. Will the House force the issue in an election time just to gain a few votes and risk the Senate stalling on it, making them look bad, or maybe even get it through and dare the President to veto it to make them look good.
8 comments:
I like what you have written. I have mixed feelings about the over all value of a stimulus package that is not connected to an overall plan to correct the economy. Our national debt (evidenced by the mortgage defaults and other credit debt), our foreign debt(deficit spending--being at the mercy of China etc.) have us in a barrell. Those on reitrement incomes and the middle class will really get hit now and for a long time if nothing changes.
I heard on analyst criticize the stimulus package by saying that the money wil be spent but the "money will all go to China because......"
Thanks for your reply joejoe. I am in agreement that those of us who are retired, as I am, middle class, as I am, will be hit hard for a long time.
If I may ask, what do you see as a possible solution to the problem(s) which you have pointed out?
I think it is important to hear what "We The People" are thinking and saying on the issues. This was in part the reason for my starting this blog. I feel there needs to be a place where people can express their feelings and offer solutions and do so in a rational, civilized manner without fear of being attacked.
Hopefully as more respond,those sitting in positions of power will begin to hear and perhaps actually listen.
Thanks again for Jus'Sayin.
Well folks here it comes. When I originally posted this topic I asked if this was just an excuse for the folks in Congress to line up at the trough, buy votes or what.
Looks like Harry Reid (D Nev) aka Senate leader(debatable) is attempting to add some pork that he feels will buy some votes.
Now Harry has said that he wants to add Seniors who only draw SS to the package and I see no problem in that for these folks have paid into the system for who knows how long but yet don't make enough to file tax and are going to be left out of a bit of help, maybe. Why shouldn't they get some return?
That is not the sticking point. Harry now wants to add,to that plan, extending unemployment benefits, boosting home heating subsidies, raising food stamp benefits and approving money for public works projects.
Come on folks does Harry really think that any of this is going to do any good or is he just pandering to the Unions who want the unemployment benefits extended and food stamp benefits raised and the public works projects.
Home heating subsidies is a useless, meaningless band-aide.
If Harry is now so suddenly interested in the cost of home heating, why hasn't he and the other do-nothings, who have for years been sitting on their duffs, finger pointing, posturing and running for re-election, not taken action to move forward with alternative energy solutions. Guess it makes more sense to them to put a band-aide on the gushing gut wound to look good to the voters and hopefully buy a handful of votes than to have actually addressed the issue before it became a gushing gut wound. It seems like it to me.
And what is this thing on public works projects? Just how does it belong in a bill that was intended to be a quick shot of B-12 to the economy. That type of thing belongs in a seperate bill should included a well thought out and detailed plan for such. Then again would it do any good? Is Harry trying to project the image depression era of the CCC into the fray in an attempt to make things look worse than they are. Why public works project's Harry, why not wait and do what the Aussie's are doing and put forth a well thought out bill on job training.
Excuse me but I seem to give Harry more credit than is due. When does doing something that makes sense and Harry Reid belong in the same sentence? Guess Harry heard someone call... SooooWheeee pig. Looks that way to me. What say you
Looks like some bugs folks. Ticker said the above.
If we paid for all those listed items, we would all be on some type of national welfare. Where will this money come from?
Well, joejoe according to Harry, we will just have to raise taxes, cut our the tax cuts,and then all will be well. Tax raises will pay for anything we want and if that doesn't work, raise taxes again.
We need to learn form the Ozi's , the Irish and learn to cut spending and taxes and still they manage to fund more than we do here in this country, their elderly have a better retirement fund, and all have available health care that is not paid for by the government via the tax payer. Strange , or so it seems.
Well it looks as if I was right. The Senate is going to belly up to the trough in an attempt to buy votes. The addition of the disabled Vets and the removal of language to stop the illegals from getting a check is a good move. The rest is pandering, pure and simple.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080206/ap_on_go_co/economy_stimulus
Here is some additional on how Reid and his pals are trying to push the pork just in time for election.
The vote left the $205 billion Senate stimulus bill in limbo and capped days of partisan infighting and procedural jockeying over the measure. Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton of New York and Barack Obama of Illinois flew to Washington for the vote. GOP front-runner John McCain of Arizona did not vote.
Supporters actually had 59 votes in favor of the Democratic proposal, but Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada switched his vote to 'no' at the last moment, a parliamentary move that allows him to bring the measure up for revote.
Republican leaders objected to add-ons such as a $14.5 billion unemployment extension for those whose benefits have run out, $1 billion in heating aid for the poor and tax breaks for renewable energy producers and coal companies.
The measure builds upon a less costly $161 billion House-passed bill providing $600-$1,200 checks to most taxpayers and tax breaks to businesses investing in new plants and equipment.
The Senate version would provide checks of $500-$1,000 to a broader group that includes 20 million older Americans, 250,000 disabled veterans and taxpayers making up to $150,000 for singles — or $300,000 for couples.
Reid denied Republicans an opportunity to offer changes to the measure, provoking the filibuster. The calculus was that enough Republicans would relent in the face of political pressure to vote for unemployment insurance and heating aid to join with Democrats to force the measure through.
"Our constituents will look at us as the folks that slowed it down, (and) added a bunch of spending to it," said Sen. Jon S. Kyl of Arizona, the Republican whip, who called the measure "a Christmas tree package."
GOP leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said he wants to amend the measure to add the provisions favoring disabled veterans and the elderly and making clear that illegal immigrants can't get rebate checks.
Reid rejected the offer — at least for the time being — but Republicans seemed confident he would eventually agree to comparable changes since the alternative would be to approve the House bill and leave retirees living on Social Security and disabled veterans without rebate checks.
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