superjames1992's Blog
Top 20 Fast Facts About the House Democrats' Trillion Dollar Spending Plan
Posted on January 27, 2009 at 03:52 PM.
Top 20 Fast Facts About the House Democrats' [and Republicans' because I bet they will cave and vote for some form of it] Trillion Dollar Spending Plan
1. The $825 billion package slated for a House vote later this week will exceed more than $1.1 trillion when adding in the interest ($300 plus billion) between 2009-2019 to pay for it.
2. The Capitol Hill Democrats’ plan includes funding for contraceptives; regardless of where anyone stands on taxpayer funded contraception, there is no question that it has NOTHING to do with the economy.
3. The legislation could open billions of taxpayer dollars to left-wing groups like the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), which has been accused of voter fraud, is reportedly under federal investigation; and played a key role in the housing meltdown.
4. Here are just a few of the programs and projects that have been included in the House Democrats’ proposal:
· $650 million for digital TV coupons.
· $600 million for new cars for the federal government.
· $6 billion for colleges/universities – many which have billion dollar endowments.
· $50 million in funding for the National Endowment of the Arts.
· $44 million for repairs to U.S. Department of Agriculture headquarters.
· $200 million for the National Mall, including $21 million for sod.
5. The plan establishes at least 32 new government programs at a cost of over $136 billion. That means more than a third of this plan’s spending provisions are dedicated to creating new government programs.
6. The plan provides spending in at least 150 different federal programs, ranging from Amtrak to the Transportation Security Administration. Is this the “targeted” plan Democratic leaders promised?
7. Even though the legislation contains at least 152 separate spending proposals, the authors of the plan can only say that 34 have any chance at keeping or growing jobs.
8. Just one in seven dollars of an $18.5 billion expenditure on “energy efficiency” and “renewable energy programs” would be spent within the next 18 months.
9. The total cost of this one piece of legislation is almost as much as the annual discretionary budget for the entire federal government.
10. The House Democrats’ bill will cost each and every household $6,700 in additional debt, paid for by our children and grandchildren.
11. The bill provides enough spending – $825 billion – to give every man, woman, and child in America $2,700. $825 billion is enough to give every person in Ohio $72,000.
12. $825 billion is enough to give every person living in poverty in the United States $22,000.
13. Although the House Democrats’ proposal has been billed as a transportation and infrastructure investment package, in actuality only $30 billion of the bill – or three percent – is for road and highway spending. A recent study from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office found that only 25 percent of infrastructure dollars can be spent in the first year, making the one year total less than $7 billion.
14. Much of the funding within the House Democrats’ proposal will go to programs that already have large, unexpended balances. For example, the bill provides $1 billion for Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) – a program that already has $16 billion on hand. States also are sitting on some $9 billion in unused highway funds – funds that Congress is prepared to rescind later this year.
15. All board members of the “Accountability and Transparency Board” created by this legislation are appointees of the President; none will be appointed by Congress.
16. A scant 2.7 percent, or $22.3 billion of the overall package, is dedicated to small business tax relief.
17. The Joint Committee on Taxation estimates that the legislation increases by seven million the number of people who get a check back from the IRS that exceeds what they paid in payroll and income taxes.
18. The “Making Work Pay” tax credit at the center of the plan amounts to $1.37 a day, or about the price of a cup of coffee.
19. Almost one-third of the so-called “tax relief” in the House Democrats’ bill is spending in disguise, meaning that true tax relief makes up only 24 percent of the total package – not the 40 percent that President Obama had requested.
20. $825 billion is just the beginning – many Capitol Hill Democrats want to spend even more taxpayer dollars on their “stimulus” plan. In fact, the Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, Rep. David Obey (D-WI), told Roll Call earlier this month, “I would not be surprised to see us go further on some of these programs down the line.”
# 2
matt8204 @ Jan 27
Maybe this isn't coming from an unbiased source, but if you don't think that there's a crapload of pork in this plan, you're either very naive or kidding yourself.
# 3
rspencer86 @ Jan 27
Uh, some of these "facts" are ridiculous. "$825 billion is enough to give every person in Ohio $72,000." Who the hell cares?
And maybe I'm reading this wrong or not understanding it, but how does the $136 billion dedicated to creating new government programs make up "a third of the plans spending provisions"? $136 billion is not 1/3 of $850 billion.
And maybe I'm reading this wrong or not understanding it, but how does the $136 billion dedicated to creating new government programs make up "a third of the plans spending provisions"? $136 billion is not 1/3 of $850 billion.
# 4
jim416 @ Jan 27
Our government caused this problem in the first place. A congressional committee saying there was no subprime problem as Republicans claimed the mess needed to be looked into and a President who let it happen. BOTH SIDES CAUSED THIS.
We are broke. The government is nothing more than ONE BIG CREDIT CARD and we are the ones who will have to pay the debt (not this President, not congress, not the senate). Obama needs to be forthright and let the American people know that we will have to borrow this money (hello Chinese/hello Arabs) and a bill will come due soon enough. It will have to be paid back. Just look at California right NOW and you will understand what is going to happen.
California is broke and they are coming up with fee after fee (these dirt bag politicans came up with a good one. Call it a "fee" and they don't need to vote for it. If it's a tax, they do), so Californians are going to pay for Arnold's and his legislators spending (something he promised to fix). But, Obama comes to the rescue, just a bit, and will give borrowed money to help out the governors. The problem is still there.
We are doing the very same thing that got us into this mess to begin with. And to make it a "it was the democrats fault", or "it was a republicans fault" is just what these thieves and scoundrels want. Keep us at each others necks so the attention is off them.
This "stimulus" package is not a stimulus package. Hell, most of our politicans haven't even read it and Obama wants it voted on tomorrow.
Great, just great. Our congress is failing to do their constitutional duty by voting on a bill that hasn't even been read/ or debated.
Folks, this is nothing more than a pork bill beind cleverly disguised as a "we must do this now".
Okay, good luck with that young America.
We are broke. The government is nothing more than ONE BIG CREDIT CARD and we are the ones who will have to pay the debt (not this President, not congress, not the senate). Obama needs to be forthright and let the American people know that we will have to borrow this money (hello Chinese/hello Arabs) and a bill will come due soon enough. It will have to be paid back. Just look at California right NOW and you will understand what is going to happen.
California is broke and they are coming up with fee after fee (these dirt bag politicans came up with a good one. Call it a "fee" and they don't need to vote for it. If it's a tax, they do), so Californians are going to pay for Arnold's and his legislators spending (something he promised to fix). But, Obama comes to the rescue, just a bit, and will give borrowed money to help out the governors. The problem is still there.
We are doing the very same thing that got us into this mess to begin with. And to make it a "it was the democrats fault", or "it was a republicans fault" is just what these thieves and scoundrels want. Keep us at each others necks so the attention is off them.
This "stimulus" package is not a stimulus package. Hell, most of our politicans haven't even read it and Obama wants it voted on tomorrow.
Great, just great. Our congress is failing to do their constitutional duty by voting on a bill that hasn't even been read/ or debated.
Folks, this is nothing more than a pork bill beind cleverly disguised as a "we must do this now".
Okay, good luck with that young America.
# 5
rudyjuly2 @ Jan 28
Either way, the debt that the US has taken on under Bush and this plan is incredible. I can't believe people aren't more alarmed at the increase in debt. But those same people are racking up tons of credit card debt, getting equity loans on their houses to pay for big screen TVs and then are getting slammed themselves as house prices fall. It's pretty ugly right now and everyone needs to tighten their belts - government and the middle class.
# 6
jim416 @ Jan 28
Stimulus...$335,000,000.00 for STD awareness? $4 BILLION to ACORN? This list goes on. You say Bush and his plan, don't leave Obama out of this, he's picked up the ball and is rolling with it. Our government spending is flat out, out of control. Do American's need to save too, yep.
# 8
bill2451 @ Jan 28
6. The plan provides spending in at least 150 different federal programs, ranging from Amtrak to the Transportation Security Administration. Is this the “targeted” plan Democratic leaders promised?
13. Although the House Democrats’ proposal has been billed as a transportation and infrastructure investment package, in actuality only $30 billion of the bill – or three percent – is for road and highway spending. A recent study from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office found that only 25 percent of infrastructure dollars can be spent in the first year, making the one year total less than $7 billion.
see, this is why its hard for me to look at a "report" like this and think anything good about its intentions... #6 clearly states some of the different ways they plan to spend on transportation... then #13 purposely cherry picks numbers (by only looking at "road and highway spending," so that it will have a slanted view)...
i'm sorry, but right or wrong, biased crap like this doesnt help... give me real information, not just the twisted numbers you can form that support your predetermined opinion
13. Although the House Democrats’ proposal has been billed as a transportation and infrastructure investment package, in actuality only $30 billion of the bill – or three percent – is for road and highway spending. A recent study from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office found that only 25 percent of infrastructure dollars can be spent in the first year, making the one year total less than $7 billion.
see, this is why its hard for me to look at a "report" like this and think anything good about its intentions... #6 clearly states some of the different ways they plan to spend on transportation... then #13 purposely cherry picks numbers (by only looking at "road and highway spending," so that it will have a slanted view)...
i'm sorry, but right or wrong, biased crap like this doesnt help... give me real information, not just the twisted numbers you can form that support your predetermined opinion
# 9
jmik58 @ Jan 28
Check CNN.com for updates on this. The House passed the bill earlier today. There were a few things removed from the original bill as well. The money for the mall... out. Money for birth control in low income areas... out.
Amazing, Obama actually listens to people!
Amazing, Obama actually listens to people!
# 10
bucksfan07 @ Jan 29
How is Obama listening to people? So you think most Americans want their tax money going to mostly nonsense that will do nothing to help the economy, like the arts and Acorn. Most of it will go back to the people who helped Obama win the election in the first place
# 11
bill2451 @ Jan 29
yeah, who needs the arts... I mean, not like the Renaissance ever did anything for anyone
and ACORN... come on, all they are is an organization that helps out low income families and neighborhoods so that they can have health care, affordable housing, better public schools, ect... i mean, i dont see how anyone would benefit from that
and ACORN... come on, all they are is an organization that helps out low income families and neighborhoods so that they can have health care, affordable housing, better public schools, ect... i mean, i dont see how anyone would benefit from that
# 12
jmik58 @ Jan 29
He's listening to people in the sense that he's having unnecessary things removed from the bill according to public and congressional input. Quit listening to Rush Limbaugh and look into things from an objective point of view.
And thank you bill2451. It's rediculous how people buy into the surface reporting of some organizations like ACORN. And why have the arts? Tell that to my wife who is an art teacher. Or tell that to your children when the only creative influence of expression in their life is a piece of paper and a pencil, and star wars.
But why express ourselves through art when we can just be robots.
And thank you bill2451. It's rediculous how people buy into the surface reporting of some organizations like ACORN. And why have the arts? Tell that to my wife who is an art teacher. Or tell that to your children when the only creative influence of expression in their life is a piece of paper and a pencil, and star wars.
But why express ourselves through art when we can just be robots.
# 13
bucksfan07 @ Jan 29
Yes the arts are good but they do nothing to help an economy during a recession
# 14
bucksfan07 @ Jan 29
He's listening to people in the sense that he's having unnecessary things removed from the bill according to public and congressional input
no He's not about 70% of the plan is still rubbish that wont help the economy, Obamaphilia is hilarious
no He's not about 70% of the plan is still rubbish that wont help the economy, Obamaphilia is hilarious
# 15
jmik58 @ Jan 29
There are thousands of jobs to be created through this stimulus package. The arts are no exception. The point is creating jobs. The people that have careers in "the arts" deserve their job as much as anyone.
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This "fast facts" is something that was put together by John Boehner, a leading republican in Congress. Which to me points out that there is a political agenda behind this. A sort of "we're republican so if this fails then don't blame us" message.
The republicans failed in the elections this past year for many reasons, and this strategy of pitting "us against them" was one of the more dividing tactics that helped lead to their demise.
The republican party really needs to regroup.
And by the way, this "fast facts" is being endorsed and reproduced by Feaux...oops I mean Fox News...if that doesn't show you credibility then I don't know what does.