On Saturday, President Obama hailed congressional approval of a $787 billion economic stimulus bill, which the White House said he would sign on Tuesday. Only three Republicans voted for the measure in the Senate, and no Republicans broke ranks to support it the House, arguing it had too much spending and not enough tax breaks. The final plan was split into 36 percent for tax cuts and 64 percent in spending and other provisions.
According to The Centrist, the current Stimulus Plan will have 'A trillion dollars of pork barrel spending . Other sources put the amount closer to $25 billion in narrow provisions that Republicans deem "questionable or non-stimulative.
Here Are Some Of The “Non-Stimulative” Items
$355 million for education related to sexually transmitted diseases
$200 million to monitor earthquakes and volcanoes
$50 million for National Cemetery monument repairs
$200 million to repave the National Mall
$276 million for new computers at the State Department
Looking at this, I wonder, does anyone in Washington get it? The American public is being told that economy is in dire straights and that the US now has a record deficit of $250 billion--to which the Stimulus Plan will most certainly add. Now, I’m convinced our Government had to do something to help the failed economy, but to tack billions of dollars of pork-barrel pet spending projects onto an emergency bill meant to save Americans is simply incorrigible.
When President Obama went to office, he went with the mantra of “change.” Yet, here we have this bill laden with excess special interest spending that doesn't have a thing to do with stimulating the economy.
Shouldn't the President have threatened to veto this bill if it included any unnecessary spending? Shouldn't' he veto the Stimulus Bill until all the pork is taken out? I think he should--that would be true change, true courage, and most certainly not “politics as usual.”
Do you feel he should have vetoed this bill? Do you feel he did the right thing? What can be done now to account for this money?
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