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Greene County, area could use some stimulatingPosted Friday, February 13, 2009, at 11:46 AM
How many of you don't feel real stimulated by the much-debated federal $787 billion "Stimulus Plan" now steamrolling its way through the halls of Congress?
How much of the huge chunk of bailout, economic arousal bucks do you think will really make their way to the folks here in Greene County, Indiana? Not much, I can assure you. Indiana tentatively will have 713 projects funded to the tune of $2,598,965,295, according to "Stimulus Watch," an online database where you can track the mega bailout bill aimed at jump-starting our stagnant economy. Last week, the Indiana Finance Authority (IFA) released a group of wastewater and drinking water projects that would be eligible for interest-free loans in the state if the federal stimulus package is approved. A $320,000 wastewater treatment plant in Dugger was the only project on the eligible list for this area. None of those "shovel read" projects and related jobs, that were requested by mayors in the state, are in the plan for Greene, Owen, Daviess, Clay, Knox or Lawrence counties. If you want to see for yourself, go to www.stimuluswatch.org -- the figures are there. These projects are not yet a part of the stimulus bill. They are candidates for funding by federal grant programs once the bill passes. The Stimulus Plan has plenty of road construction and wastewater improvement projects, mass transit, and solar energy as well as fire safety equipment and buildings for places in the Hoosier state like Carmel, Crown Point, East Chicago, Evansville, Indianapolis, Michigan City, Hobart, Kokomo, Lake Station, Lawrence, Merrillville, Mishawaka, Muncie, Plymouth, Richmond, Whiting, and Terre Haute. There are a lot of good and needed projects on the list, but some beg a few questions. Among the questionable Hoosier projects is $2.5 million for a water slide and wave pool in Carmel; $1 million for construction of a trail and rail bridge in Carmel; $1.1 million for a bike trail in East Chicago. I guess it could be worse. * Dallas, Texas has a $386 million convention hotel on the list. * There is $1 million for the construction of an indoor soccer field in Hampstead, N.Y. * There is $500,000 for construction of a dog park in Chula Vista, Calif. * A total of $886,000 is earmarked for a Frisbee golf course in Austin, Texas. * Arlington, Texas has plans to spend $6 million for golf course renovations. * $20 million has been request for the establishment of "downtown quiet zone" in San Diego, Calif. If you want to see a downtown quiet zone, come to Bloomfield, Newberry or Solsberry. There is plenty of quiet in those communities and no federal dollars were used to create it. Another thing I don't understand. Puerto Rico is slated to get funding for 340 projects. West Virginia has just one. What is wrong with this picture? Look at the whole list. There's a lot of pork in it. It's no secret President Barack Obama is pushing the mega billion dollar package hard and so are his Democrat colleagues on Capitol Hill. Most of the so-called experts are saying the amended version of the deal will probably make it through the legislative process in the next few days. President Obama drew a line in the sand early in the fight and asked that the stimulus package be delivered to his Oval Office desk by President's Day -- which is Monday. How about all of that change that we heard about before the election? From where I sit, all of this looks too much like business as usual in Washington D.C. Partisan politics are alive and not so well for the long term good of this great nation. Make no mistake about it, this is a Democrat spending bill -- a very big one. Not a single Republican voted for the plan Friday in the House of Representatives, and only three GOP members backed it in the U.S. Senate. I wonder since when did borrowing money from China and OPEC ever do anything for the good old USA? That's what we have to do in order to fund this economic stimulus package. This country doesn't have $787,000,000,000 in the bank. In fact, we don't have any money. We are in the hole to the tune of $9,000,000,000,000 -- can you say $9 trillion? John Nofsinger recently wrote in "Mind on My Money" that "President Obama wants to create four million jobs. At nearly $800 billion that's $200,000 per job -- where do I apply?" Remember President Obama's recent inauguration gala was quite an affair and watched around the world. "At a cost of $170 million, we could do it 4,705 more times," he wrote. Nofsinger also points out that about 6.5 million people are currently receiving unemployment benefits -- $800 billion is $123,000 for each one of them. The stimulus package is big and costly to the hard-working taxpayers back home -- many of whom are losing their jobs in record numbers. Is this really the kind of stimulus we need to get our economy back on the road to recovery? You decide. Nick is the assistant editor for the Greene County Daily World. He can be reached by telephone at 847-4487 or 1-800-947-4487 or by e-mail at schneider.nick@gmail.com or nschneider@gcdailyworld.com. Comments Showing comments in chronological order [Show most recent comments first] |
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Hi Nick:
If the stimulus is not the answer, then don't be shy man, tell us all exactly what we need; and,
how to get it! Criticizing those that are trying
is easy. Jump in with both feet and give us the solution in tomorrow's column.
Good article, Nick!
Globe&Anchor forgot to mention that his party was in control of the congress the last two years. All they did was give hundreds of BILLIONS of dollars, with no strings attached, to mega-banks to "save the banking industry!" Yea right! Seems to me that the Democrats kept shouting how President Bush was a "lame duck" the last 2 years, but they blame him for 100% of the economic problems we face today!? NEWS ALERT! Demo's share just as much of the blame as Republicans!
I am no economist and I didn't stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night, but throwing money that we don't have at the problem isn't the answer. If I am wrong, and building water parks in Carmel and rails-to-trails bridges in East Chicago helps get our economy back on track, I will be the first to admit my mistake. I only hope the Spendocrats are willing to do the same...................
Mike Toon
Bloomfield
How anyone, from either "side of the isle", can defend this mega disaster is beyond me...it's generational theft. We are stealing trillions from our grandchildren to build water slides and golf courses and the like.
This is not a stimulus. This is a "stick-it-to-us". Both parties are to blame for this mess, yet now that the democrats have control of the spending they are quickly taking majority ownership.
Change we can believe in?
Yea, right.
We've jumped from Bush's frying pan into Obama's fire.
Mr. Toon:
President Bush was a "lame duck" for the last 8 years, not 2 years! He took office with "your"
party controlling both the Senate and the House of Representatives. The result= not one, but two wars and $10,000,000 per day spending resulting in the largest National deficit in National history. Plus he decimated the Clinton administration's economic policies that were monumentally successful. You republiCONS have
been drubbed in the past three elections for very good and sufficient reasons. Expect more of the same if you don't produce more than baseless rhetoric and hot air semantics. Democrat or Republican, this country has dire problems. Doing nothing is not a solution, but that is all
the republiCONS know how to do.
Well Globe&Anchor, we yield the RECORD National Debt now to your party. The largest spending bill in the history of the United States has been crammed down ALL of our throats! Economists agree that we must do something to stop the slide of our economy. Only those employed by the new administration agree that it is in our best interest to spend a trillion dollars that we don't have. China is sitting back laughing and licking their lips, just waiting to come collecting on their loans. The issue here is not what Bush, Clinton or Teddy Roosevelt did while in office. The issue is what is taking place right now and what effects will it have on our country.
I really don't want the government to give me back any of the money that I have already paid in taxes. I have learned to live without it. If we really want to "STIMULATE" the economy, let me keep more of what I earn and I'll buy a new car or home. Lowering the tax burden on working people will get this country back where it needs to be. The Democrats have a hard time understanding this because it seems even those picked to lead the administration "forget" or "didn't know how" to pay their own taxes!
To many people are living with money they are going to have, not what they have right now. We borrow and borrow and run up our credit cards because we have the wants. Kids today hafta have everything that cost alot and we give it to them because we didn't have it when we was kids. But most of us turned out pretty good not having everything I beleive. I have no cure for the problems of our time, I just know our leaders think that bulding a new sewage treatment plant will help us out, I think there the ones who need treatment. Both sides.
Uhhhh, it was the democratic congress that voted in the original "Wall Street" bailout plan......
I guess the only option now is to "Socialize" everything....wait a minute....that's what our President is going to start today with the signing of the SPENDULUS bill.
LORD HELP US!
I guess we will have to listen to Republicans whine for the next couple of years. I'm not sure I agree with all its provisions. I would like to see it streamlined a bit(which would still cost us money), but whether an American is working for an auto company or digging the hole for an enormous wave pool in Carmel, Indiana...Americans are working and getting paid.
Also, nobody wants to pay taxes....but we all want a job...hard to pay taxes without a job.
Just out of curiosity...did you think Greene county would get much money...although that would be great...how does that make any sense to anyone else in the country?
Where were the Republicans when we were racking up debt under Bush(most of those years were under a Republican Congress)? Funny how forgetful some get.
Maybe McCain should suspend his campaign to deal with the crisis...
You democrats and your cows also produce alot of smelly by-product too.....................
You talk about Bush and Paulsen but you still will not admit to your party voting it in? If this SPENDULUS bill works, I will kiss the ground that Obama and the democrats walk on, BUT if it doesn't, I hope you have the guts enough to admit it to our kids!
Contrary to your thinking, I don't think that digging holes just to put people to work will gain us much of anything.....except a deeper hole for us to climb out of!
Greene County could have had some of these monies if we ever planned for anything -- and didn't just let things happen to us...
This bill is full of pork. If we keep going down this road, none of us will be able to afford meat. Doesn't matter what party you think is smarter, we will all be in the same mess. But we will have a water slide, a doggie park, and a quiet zone to contemplate all that we squandered.
The 2009 Congress have passed a 1,073 page $787 billion + interest equals $1.14 trillion government package in less than 48 hours notice. President Obama suspended a campaign pledge of waiting five (5) days before signing any bill into law for our review. He must have forgotten. This package provides for an additional $30,000 in new debt for each household. President Obama is just extending the same old Bush spending frenzy: 1) $180 billion stimulus-Spring 2008, 2) $345 billion housing bailout-Summer 2008, 3) $700 billion wall street bailout-Fall 2008. This 2008 Washington Spenders equals $1.2 Trillion. We have had over $2 Trillion in spending. Do we think there is going to be any additional spending in 2009?
I'll try to offer some ideas for job creation without more money spending from increased government (tax payers pockets) and more politicians power and control.
I have not verified this report, but I heard on one of the news channels that the interest payment on our 10 trillion national debt would be 500 billion a year. Anyone out there know if this is accurate?
I think Greene County would have received millions if zoning were in place....
It's all about control people.
___________________________________________
jest my 2 cents worth, taxable since 2/17/09
Have you ever noticed how everyone has the answer to solve all of the world's problems, yet they don't see beyond their own personal situations to the larger problems at hand?
It's also what makes these same opinions mostly irrelevant.
Another brick in the wall...
Do you know what the new stimulus package coming from the government reminds me of???
As a comparison imagine this:
Suppose the government is the ------Parent.
We the people, the -------------------Children.
Our government is getting to be a way to permissive parents, and we the spoiled children yelling for more stimulus.....
The government(parents) giving the children---(people) extra money(stimulus) from the job lacking, Parent(government) who neglects to pay their bills or invest properly....and spoils the children...
Where have we come in this comparison
What happens to a family unit like this? Spending above their means (as our government is doing) Giving what they don't really have to the children.....
I hate to think of this comparison. Looking ahead the our economy. It could be grim... for our natons financial situations.
We the spoiled children should be way more concerened at the out come besides worring....What will happen to the family unit (parental-government and it's children-people).
It is greed on our part to even hope for the higher stimulus..Many are griping of how little it is over a long period of time. ...Is this not a similar reaction as a spoiled child...
Where are the responsible adults in a situation like this, to be responsible for the out come of nation of spoiled kids. Is the stimulus package really a benefit?
Don't get me wrong. Not every one reacts as a spoiled child.
Many are concerned.