Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Stimulus Package Sounds Good - Won't Work


With our country rushing headlong into a recession, both the Republicans and Democrats in Washington are showing how little they understand about the economic mess the country is in. Do they really think all the economy needs is a one-time stimulus to perk up buying, coupled with some new money for corporations?

The economic stimulus package sounds more like a measure to make voters feel good in an election year, rather than a solution for our economic woes. I'm not even real sure it would work as a stimulant to the economy.

Elderly people and poor people will get very little, and these are the two groups that would have to spend any money given them. Most of the money is going to the middle-class, the group most likely to tuck it away and save it.

As for the money going to the corporations to invest in "new plants", is there anything in the bill that would make them invest the money in new plants in this country? If not, it will help only the rich owners.

Personally, I think they should keep the pittance they are proposing to give citizens, and do some things that will really help the economy.

They should do away with the tax cuts for the wealthy instituted by Bush. The rich don't need help. They are doing better than ever.

They should penalize companies that ship American jobs overseas to exploit cheap labor in other countries.

They should put a cap on the interest rates credit card companies and others can charge. It used to be considered that any rate 20% or more was "loansharking" and was illegal. It still should be.

They should cap executive salaries at no more than 25-30 times the salary of the lowest-paid worker in the company.

They should immediately raise the minimum wage and index it to inflation.

They should get serious about weaning the country off fossil fuels, and create millions of new "green" jobs. The energy bill just passed was little more than a joke.

They should limit tax breaks to corporations to investment in THIS COUNTRY.

They should strengthen unions and make it easier for workers to join them.

They should eliminate the income tax for anyone making less than 35,000, and raise the rate on those making more than $1 million.

They should fully fund Medicare and extend it to all American citizens.

They should end the Iraq war, bring our soldiers home, and drastically cut the military budget. Terrorists should be dealt with as criminals -- not soldiers.

Marijuana should be legalized and heavily taxed. Stop the costly and ineffective "war on drugs".

They should tax capital gains as income.

They should offer a free college education to anyone who qualifies.

I know that many will run in circles screaming "socialism" after reading these suggestions. I don't care -- call it what you want. The point is that we must stop punishing the ordinary citizen while rewarding corporations.

The best times we've had in this country is when the ordinary citizens have had the money to live decently. When ordinary Americans do well, everyone does well -- even the corporations and the rich.

But I don't expect this to happen. Most people in both parties have bought into the corporate lies. And it's a lot easier to just placate voters with a few hundred dollars in an election year.

3 comments:

  1. Are you crazy? Who is going to pay for this free education? Teachers aren't going to work for free. Publishers aren't going to print books for free.

    Terrorists should not be dealt with as soldiers? How do you deal with those who commits acts of war?

    Capital gains taxed as ordinary income? I take it you don't invest. I don't either but I will.

    I do agree that tax breaks should be for investing in jobs in this country.

    Cap executive salaries? Thats the most retarded thing you have said. I make $9.00 an hour and have no problem Dick Parsons makes what he makes. What if the government decided to cap how much bloggers could make or anyone else.

    Your socialist ideas will make this country worse and sucky like every other socialist and communist country.

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  2. I agree with the above comments. You clearly have little knowledge of economics and tax policy. No matter how high the tax rate is, tax revenue has remained around 19.5% of GDP for the last 100 years.
    Also, tax breaks for corporations allow them to keep operating in the US and prevent businesses from moving overseas where tax rates are lower.
    I am personally against limiting anyone's salary- many people with high salaries worked hard to get there and deserve it. If they don't deserve it then the company will take care of it because it is a cost to the business.
    Stimulus packages don't work because it essentially takes the money paid in through taxes and gives it back to people, very inefficient. There are other reasons as to why these measures fail, but I will let you figure them out when you do some research for your next post- I didn't see a whole lot going into this one.

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  3. wow..haha all I can say is you are a complete idiot hahaha. I am with Rob C and the others. A lot of things you have posted are absolute ridiculous and would never happen. However, one specific one you talk about is given terrorist the opportunity to have an American style trial. They are terrorist! They blow themselves up and kill innocent citizens. 9/11? remember that?

    And FREE COLLEGE! how in the world do you expect that to work? Honestly, I would love to know.

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