(Jake Turcotte / AP photos)
Zoinks! A Republican supports Obama’s stimulus package
By Jimmy Orr | 02.02.09
If it surprises you that a Republican has spoken out in favor of Obama’s stimulus package, this next point will surprise you even more: There’s a Republican in Vermont!
The home to the only self-described socialist in Congress (that would be Senator Bernie Sanders), Vermont is not exactly a hotbed of conservatism. But apparently there is at least one Republican there. He also happens to be the governor.
On display
Governor Jim Douglas doesn’t oppose President Obama’s mega-gigantic spending package at all. In fact, he likes it. He likes it so much that President Obama showcased him this morning in the Oval Office.
“This is a serious matter,” Douglas said sitting next to Obama. “It is a kind of recession that is deep and appears to be long. The only way we’re going to get the country moving again is a partnership between the states and the federal government.”
“No one understands this better than governors and mayors and county officials who are seeing the devastating effects on the ground of the contraction in the economy,” President Obama said. “People are being laid off and that means governors like Jim are having to not only deal with declining revenue but increase social services to provide support for people who are unemployed as they are seeking work.”
Other GOP support
Douglas isn’t the only Republican governor who apparently supports the package. The CATO Institute actually breaks it down, putting those who support the package in the “give me my pork” category. In that camp reside GOP governors Tim Pawlenty, (Minn.), Charlie Crist (Fla.), Sarah Palin (Alaska).
Sarah Palin??
Well, it depends on the definition of what support is.
“Palin, darling of many ‘movement’ conservatives came all the way to Washington to lobby for the bill,” the report reads. “[Florida Governor Charlie] Crist worked the phones, unsuccessfully trying to convince Republican House members from Florida to support the bill. [Minnesota Governor Tim] Pawlenty admits some concern over the bill’s impact on the federal deficit, but says, governors ‘are entitled to ask for our share of the money.’”
Over at the conservative website HotAir there’s a big ol’ battle being waged as to whether Palin supports it or not.
Writes AllahPundit, “I wasn’t suggesting she loves the bill on the merits, or that she’s suddenly a fan of trillion-dollar spending outlays. My point was that, like (Louisiana governor Bobby) Jindal and unlike (South Carolina governor Mark) Sanford (maybe), she’s willing to accept federal spending as a way of kickstarting the economy provided it’s directed to “good” projects. I thought the grassroots conservative position on economic recovery was for the feds to either do nothing or do it all through tax cuts. Am I mistaken?”
Sarah+Kos
Whatever, Palin’s name on the CATO list led a Daily Kos blogger to heap some praise on the Alaska governor.
“For those who aren’t playing political games, the stimulus package actually brings both archconservative and moderate Republican leaders, like Sarah Palin and Charlie Crist, together with Democratic leadership,” writes brownsox. “That sounds pretty gosh darned bipartisan to me, also.”
No way, Jose
On the other side of the aisle stands Jindal (although according to CATO if it passes he’d probably take the money). But Sanford says no way. Even if they throw millions at him.
“It’s incumbent on me as one of the nation’s governors to speak out against what I believe is ultimately incredibly harmful to the economy, to taxpayers and to the worth of the US dollar,” Sanford said.
Oh yeah
By the way, if you’re a Rod Blagojevich fan make sure to tune in David Letterman tomorrow night as the former governor continues his worldwide media tour on Letterman’s show (fittingly the worldwide pants company). Read more about that here.
<< The Rod Blagojevich media tour continues! Up next: Letterman | MainComments
2. Edie | 02.02.09
This is a Republican who doesn’t have a personal agenda but is thinking about the American people. All the “pork” that the Republicans are bad mouthing are really projects that would create jobs like resdodding the Mall(Americans do this work too not only Hispanics) , buying computer sof schools (Americans have to build them), condoms to prevent STD (Americans have sex too and it will lower the cost of health care, rennovating or building government buildings is part of the infrastructure (Americans also do construction jobs), money to go toward college student tuitions will generate a need for more teachers and facilites which have to be built. Where’s the pork and why won’t these projects create jobs? The Republicans are playing politics as usual and really don’t want Obama to succeed but succeed he will!!
4. Joe Economic Growth | 02.02.09
The Economic Recovery Plan has some good points on Energy Independence Jobs : Solar, Wind, Geothermal,electric-hybrid plug-in cars and trucks technology, Digital Smart Grid, Digital Health Care Management, bridges and schools repairs and Broadband to Rural Areas, these are important aspects of the Stimulus that will create jobs on the spot and prepare the USA for the Future, why is some conservative republicans against the whole thing , including these ? what’s their solution ? do they have any ?
And even these new key technologies get just a few dollars in the Plan, considering that the Oil Industry made record profits last year and the USA will send over 550 billion dollars out of the country for imported Oil and Gas this year!
Let’s stop talking just about races and let’s offer new solutions , new jobs and new small business opportunities, let’s get going !
5. Craig | 02.02.09
Both Kim and Edie said it well. Haven’t the Republicans figured out that we need to work together on projects that benifit America? Wasn’t the election enought of a wake up call? Why do Republicans always have plenty of money for war and push tax breaks for the rich, but when it comes to building up America they call it pork?
6. Robert Gary | 02.02.09
The most instantly stimulative thing that could be done is a FICA tax holiday for the rest of 2009. That puts the money precisely where it needs to go. It is progressive, not retrogressive. It rewards the working poor in a proportionately larger measure (proportionately — means not dollar for dollar but rather as a percentage of their gross annual revenues).
The second most stimulative thing that could be done is for the SBA to go back to making direct loans and seed money (start-up) loans. The power to do this is still on the books (as old CFR’s), but those programs have not been funded for about 25 years. Funding them again, at say the $100 million level would create 4000 new businesses (at $25,000 each for the loan amount). That’s about 75 new businesses for each state, on average. It would be highly stimulative, particularly if the money went to highly talented people — the very sort who are now out of work in a market with no jobs.
The people who are against the stimulus bill need to gove some account of themselves by: 1) telling us what they are for in lieu of the stimulus bill and 2) telling us what the cost of doing nothing would be.
My own estimate of the cost of doing nothing is around $10 Trillion in lost GDP, America broke and vulnerable for a generation, and the collapse of most government programs, and insurance contracts, including social security, medicare, and medicaid. Conservatives may feel this is a small price to pay so that their “principles” can be vindicated — but they are the only ones — everyone else thinks this would be a large price to pay. Vanity politics and the politics of blocking the other side need to be set aside in the national interests of the nation. It’s possible that 10 GOP members of the U.S. Senate will just see this, and not toe the party line this time. They will be remembered as patriots by everyone except the hard-line ideologues of the GOP. Just my opinion — the opinion of a non-liberal — an independent columnist.
7. bill king | 02.02.09
all these people who support the porkulus. don’t know their long term history or their short. listen to ron paul a little before voicing your opinion
8. Lori Anderson | 02.02.09
There is too much pork. Sodding the mall is temporary work, not a career, they must be using gold for sod for a million dollars.
9. Reality Scott | 02.02.09
Not all jobs are created equal. Building more infrastructure doesn’t promote the type of jobs most of us want for our children. You don’t go to college to find a job at one end of the shovel for all those “shovel ready” projects. If you do, college was a waste of money. And, stimulus is supposed to happen fast, not over 3 years and kill any chance of a recovery in 2010-2011 when tax cuts expire as currently planned. One thing is for sure, by spending this ridiculous amount of pork over three years will provde something we already know: Government IS THE PROBLEM…I hate it when we have to re-learn the lessons of our fathers. The arrogance of Washington DC and listening to Paulson and his Goldman cronies and the fact that Barney Frank still gets a hearing is beyond me. Why don’t we hold these crooks accountable? They created a mess of the housing market as the Chief Architects. We we expect them to fix it??? It is like asking the arsonist to put out a fire. Folks, it is time to take matters into our own hands. Turn off the TV and go make something of yourself. The Government will be there to tax most of what you make and send it down a hole, but hopefully, you can live well on the remaining 50%.
10. Guy Thompto | 02.02.09
Very few would oppose this bill if it truly was a stimulus bill. Only $.08 of every dollar is targeted to stimulating the economy. The rest, $736,000,000,000 is pure pork. Remember the stink about the bridge to nowhere? The cost for that was $223 million. At that price, the cost for the pork in this bill could purchase 3,300 bridges to nowhere. If each bridge was a quarter mile long, the total distance covered by those bridges would be 825 miles. Put another way, that would be a little less than two complete round trips from Los Angeles to Las Vegas. The democrats see this as their first opportunity to steal Americans money now that they have near total control of Congress plus the White House. Any Republican that votes for this monster should become a Democrat.
11. yortjcoxwil | 02.02.09
Yes stimulas is needed. But it should be very specific and meet some sort of intelligent economic sound planning!!!! Is that possible with with so many hands stretching out all in NEED??? Yes new energy technology is needed but at what expense? Most of the alterative energy sources are very costly!!!!
Why can’t we increase drilling as we develope our own oil,gas,nuclear, coal , and new energy technoligies? Because the far lefts agenda wil not approve? We need to work together but neither party wants to make any sense of this. So we will wade on without much direction hoping a one sided approach will work without ryhmn or reason.
12. Jason Smith US Army retired | 02.02.09
I keep hearing people say that we need to “move forward”. What was stopping all of you in the past from doing your part in your own community?
The new stimulus package is nothing but pork. Mind you, there are some really good things in the package. But why do we need to build new schools or fix the old ones? Do you think it will make the children who were already driven to succeed do better than the 100% that they are already giving? Do you think a new paint job in the classroom will make a child who is raised by the media want to do better? Will this package stop the fear of our Social Security system tumbling down around us. Have them take the SS money and put it back in its own account. Show the people that and they will regain confidence. Will the President’s comments “shame on you” fix Wall Street? I am neither Republican nor Democrat. I am an American who does what he can in his own community. I don’t need the latest fad to get me to “move forward”.
13. yortjcoxwil | 02.02.09
Yes stimulas is needed. But it should be very specific and meet some sort of intelligent economic sound planning!!!! Is that possible with with so many hands stretching out all in NEED??? Yes new energy technology is needed but at what expense? Most of the alterative energy sources are very costly!!!!
Why can’t we increase drilling as we develope our own oil,gas,nuclear, coal , and new energy technoligies? Because the far lefts agenda wil not approve? We need to work together but neither party wants to make any sense of this. So we will wade on without much direction hoping a one sided approach will work without ryhmn or reason.
14. AML | 02.02.09
Do these republicans represent their constituencies, or the most powerful. They have not learned to listen yet, and that’s what’s marginalized them.
15. Vishal | 02.02.09
how do i remove christian science monitor and fox news from google news? this is SO annoying to read biased news all the time. shame on you google for not giving more options. do you guys read fox news? i bet you do.
16. mkloppel | 02.02.09
Glad to see this media outlets commenting audience is a ignorant of economic fallacies as cnn and Msnbc.
Read before ever speaking about how great this is again.
http://jim.com/econ/
“Economics in One Lesson: The Shortest and Surest Way to Understand Basic Economics.” -Henry Hazlitt
http://www.amazon.com/Economics-One-Lesson-Shortest-Understand/dp/0517548232
Then buy it.
17. bubba | 02.02.09
the tax holiday is exactly the answer. nothing is more immediate in getting people to spend again. it will never be implemented of course, because a tax holiday is dangerously close to “tax cuts”, the republlican mantra that the dems have no interest in hearing.
18. chuxway | 02.02.09
The reactions are replete with republicans (are they saying they are conservative?) being all for spending other peoples money and not acknowledging that widespread government control of banking, health care, automobile production, umm condom production hmm bridges in Alaska production– what have you is my responsibility rather than the state , individuals, corporations what have you. It is astounding that you can for example consider deficits as ultimatley something you can just forget and not payback or payback on the backs of your children, when it will effect the economy for a lot longer time — we are just making matters worse– and it is not going to end at this bailout — yes your america will indeed be broke and vulnerable for a generation Mr Non Liberal (yea right) if you continue to pour money into something that has not worked for years (ie the retreading of loans once let by Freddie Mac etc that are going to go under anyway.) “Priniciples” are those things which you have to live by that say that I can hold my own — it is hardly a model that says — “every one else will hold your own whilst you conduct irresponsible behaviour” whether this be producing auto’s that cost so much because you support rouge unions or you have a baby out of wedlock that you immediatly leave in the states possesion to support or you let a mortgage to 400,000 dollar residence where it is clear the purchasers must rent and save for a while. Do not say you are republicans or conservatives — it just doesn’t matter what you say — you are for a system that rewards failure and by its support so shall we all fail.
19. swampy | 02.02.09
You’re right, bill king. It appears a lot of these folks writing in support of this piece of socialistic legislation, are willing to overlook the piles of Democrat garbage. This is no different than the cycles we have already been through. The problem is, Americans have a very short attention span, and absolutely no education in history.
This is no “jobs” Bill. Read it before you endorse it. And, after you have read it, and still endorse it, then I suspect your perceptions and expectations for our continued progress as a Democratic Republic are misguided.
It doesn’t take an education in Socio Economics to cipher this garbage. Our children will not live to see the debt from this bill, paid off…if it’s ever paid off. The supporters would have us ignore the Rattlesnakes in favor of a handful of berries. If we do so, we will be bitten. No ifs, ands or buts. Republicans should hold until the pure pork and pay offs are stripped from the Bill. Read the entire Bill before you endorse it!!
20. swampy | 02.02.09
Oh, and by the way..There are no Republicans in Vermont. The title doesn’t make you, it’s your deeds and character that make you. Remember, these folks have re-elected the socialist, Bernie Sanders, for many years now.
21. philko | 02.02.09
The republicans *have* offered an alternative: Tax cuts. The fact that it didn’t work before doesn’t necessarily mean that it won’t work this time, does it?
Ron Paul has also offered an alternative: Deregulation. The fact that it was a primary *cause* of this mess doesn’t necessarily mean that it is a bad thing, does it?
According to most economists and historians, one of two things got us out of the great depression: increased federal spending on programs or increased federal spending on WWII. We’ve tried the “increased spending on a war” stuff for the past 5 years and that doesn’t seem to have worked, so now it’s time for the only item left on the table that hasn’t proven itself to be a failure.
Or we could just follow Limbaugh’s lead and hope Obama fails. Then, in 4 or 8 years, the republicans can have their glorious homecoming and crown themselves kings of the pile of debris that their current obstructionism ends up creating.
22. chuxway | 02.02.09
This discussion does matter and unfortunately my previously submitted comments where not posted even though they are germane , they may have been long but there were equally as long posts before– so having said that– I think that it just does not matter what you call yourself Rebulican or Democrat — if you are for this bailout you are for selfishness over repsonsible action — be it individual or private sector business or government — we should not aim to marginalize the real things that spur prosperity and freedom in our country- and that is free enterprise and individual liberties — I really do not care what you call your self in order to gain any amount of credence , once you say you are for unruly and unbrideled government spending — you pretty much identify yourself as a liberal
23. JR | 02.02.09
Get Palin’s name out of there and do some damn research before you post this garbage
her press releases are available for all to see
24. JR | 02.02.09
Governor Palin doesn’t agree with the wasteful spending but does want to see Alaska benefit from the infrastructure spending in the stimulus package. And her 5 requests all fall under the prior requirement of being in the national interest.
She wants the transportation funds to be decoupled from the rest of the bill because of construction conditions in AK.
You can read her release her:
http://www.gov.state.ak.us/news.php?id=1618
25. myth buster | 02.02.09
I have nothing against legitimate infrastructure spending, such as rebuilding roads, bridges and the electric grid. However, handing out taxpayer money to such criminal organizations as ACORN is outright fraud. As far as “cost of doing nothing” is concerned, consider also the cost of getting something like this wrong. If the cost of doing nothing is $10 trillion, then the cost of an ineffective stimulus plan is upwards of $11 trillion, and a counterproductive proposal (which I believe this current plan is) could be $15-20 trillion or more- more than an entire year’s output! Furthermore, if we’re printing all this money, we are playing hyperinflation roulette. Hyperinflation will bring a real risk of starvation to this country- elderly and disabled people will be bankrupt and no one will be able to afford to care for them. How then, shall they eat?
26. JR | 02.02.09
Governor Palin’s interview with KTUU, where she warns against the social spending of the stimulus:
http://www.ktuu.com/Global/story.asp?S=9769774
Governor Palin notes limits on Stimulus Package:
http://www.gov.state.ak.us/archive.php?id=1601&type=1
Governor Palin’s letter to her congressional delegation regarding the stimulus:
http://www.gov.state.ak.us/pdf/ESLletter_Jan12-2009.pdf
At the Governors Association Meeting … Palin, along with Perry and Sanford led a discussion on the long term harm of the stimulus:
http://www.conservatives4palin.com/2009/01/palin-perry-and-sanford-warn-stimulus.html
27. David C | 02.02.09
I think Tim Pawlenty’s endorsement is pretty huge, because Minnesota (where he’s governor) is one of the least recipients of Federal money of any state in the union. I believe it came in as the bottom #49 based on the amount of Federal money that benefits an individual state….
So, “show me the pork” would not necessarily be Tim Pawlenty’s attitude. He is endorsing this because he obviously believes it’s a good idea.
28. Bresponsible | 02.02.09
Just a few of life’s practical observations to ponder when attempting to assess the various proposals for “government solutions”:
“First, do no harm” and then see if you can really help someone.
Business owners, entrepreneurs, and the self-employed, especially of the startup and expansion variety, are the incubators of our market economy. They are the most fragile and vital source of wealth creation in our market economy. Where else is there capacity to create opportunity for wealth at sufficient volume and diversity to overcome the natural laws of probability and random selection. What is it they want or need to be encouraged to risk their time and money for the promise of long term future gains?
The promised and demonstrated rewards for a better future life must typically be extravagant and lavish enough to entice an individual to forfeit all comfort and security of his current life. He cannot otherwise be compelled to succeed. And notice that he does not even require payment in advance, and often no payment at all, because the contract is with himself and for himself! This is freedom, this is the free market, this is capitalism!
Government does not create wealth of any real significance; it is the private and public market that does this. When the government increases the economic money supply or the availability of money via lower federal lending rates, or through deficit spending, it only devalues the wealth that has already been created and the money in your pocket.
“We contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle.”
Remember, government spending = taxing people.
A government solution (no matter how attractive, important, or socially desirable) should not be evaluated based upon what it can or will do for one part of our society, but on what it might keep other parts of our society from doing or wanting to do. After a fair and practical review, if there is an obvious “net gain” for both parts, then it may have merit.
With rare exception, anything received as “free” becomes valued less, if not worthless.
It is wrong to advocate dependency upon the government for any part of our society. We should always seek to impart the benefits and freedoms of self-sufficiency and independence. Unfortunately, it is not possible to just ‘give’ this to someone.
Dependency at first is recognized as a needed service, a good deed, or even restitution of an injustice. Later, its beneficiaries will call it by other names; reliance, habit, addiction, enslavement. Dependency always breeds resentment, contempt and eventually hatred.
“Give a man a fish” or “Teach a man to fish”. Which does the solution promise to do?
And finally, “No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.”
29. jefflz | 02.02.09
We need a transparent display - e.g., a spreadsheet- that lays out a line item budget for the stimulus package indicating the time and quantity of funding and the number of jobs or dollar volume that will be added to the economy. Any project like this designed by committee is going to be ugly. Since that cannot be avoided, let us at least have clarity of purpose and sufficient transparency to dispel the lingering sense that this package doesn’t put enough money in the right areas. forget about trickle down tax breaks - that is a known failed approach going back to Reagan and renewed big time by the Bushites - let us see the focus on creating jobs, putting purchasing power into the economy, fixing the real estate fiasco.
30. Web Smith | 02.02.09
If the stimulus does anything good for the economy at all, it will be in the form of a sugar rush and the collapse will be much worse than it is now as a result of the inflation it will cause. The money for the streets and bridges won’t hit the streets for at least two years and employment is now in a free fall. Both the green energy and broadband sectors are well under way and we don’t have to borrow money to pay for them. An influx in taxpayer money in these industry will only result in another bubble to pop.
We can pour trillions of money back into the economy without printing, borrowing, and spending a dime.
31. MarkD | 02.02.09
A true republican would have simultaneously voted against the war in Iraq and against lowering taxes for the rich. Republicans got us in this hole and now they take the obstructionist position in fixing things. I’m not too happy with the spending bill either but I know this, republicans have no ideas other than partisanship. I suggest they try being American BEFORE being republican for a change.
32. Gary | 02.02.09
This is a “let’s not sit just sit here…..we have to do something” and doing something bad in their eyes is doing than doing nothing at all. I agreed that some stimulative has to be done, but strike a balance between spending and tax cuts. This just turned out to be a massive spending bill for everyone who ever had a pet project th
33. CraigW | 02.02.09
Bubba, I don’t agree with you.
I am not for tax cuts because they way the Republicans have implemented them over the years, they have only benefited the wealthiest in our nation and corporations rather than the middle class. If you don’t believe me why don’t you take a stroll down memory lane with the example below from the NY Times, “How Tax Bill Gave Business More and More”
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A02E0D81E3BF930A25753C1A9629C8B63
I agree with Edie. Anytime money is spent that goes to help the average American, or the down and out Americans, the Republicans call it pork or socialism.
When it is corporate welfare in the form of tax cuts or other giveaways, it is called stimulating the market.
34. Willy | 02.02.09
Number 8 is right on. If you think you can get the younger unemployed to work on the infrastructure these days, you are looking through rose colored glasses.
“What, I’ve got to actually work”
The WPA and CCC days are long gone.
35. Austin | 02.02.09
I have to say that I was against building the deficit when Bush was cutting taxes and spending like a crack head with a credit card. I’m still against building the deficit, but I’d much rather see the money go to projects in America than to Iraq. I cannot see any other way out of this mess and it’s bigger than anyone is willing to even say publicly, if they do they’re chastised as doomsday wishers.
One thing I think we should not do is give the banks money, they screwed up let them deal with it. If we do put money in then we as taxpayers should get stock at the going rate. Once they get back on their feet then the stock should be sold until it is no longer owned by the Federal Government. After all the post office is owned by the government and most other countries have a main bank that is owned by the government and they aren’t socialist. I think people are afraid of the word without knowing what the **** it means.
36. Gail | 02.02.09
The Republicans are like a bunch of school kids. If they think they are so smart why is it that the were in charge for 8 years and look what has happened to the economy.They think only of their party and not Country.They don’t believe in socialism,but yet they give a blank check to Bush to rebuild Iraq,(A WAR WE SHOULD HAVE NEVER GONE INTO),or bailing out Wall Street so they can go and spend $1.2 million dollars on remodling their office.Well I would rather have my tax dollars go too the less unfortunate people in America! Not once did Bush ever mention middleclass,only small businesses and entrepreneurs. And can anyone say that the Republican Congress and Senators wasn’t Bush’s and Cheney’s puppets. Their angry that they forgot the people that pretty much threw them out of office and now they are going too make it as hard as they can for any plan that the Democrat’s have and give Obama a hard time on any choice that Obama has made to be sworn in as his cabinet.But yet they had no problem swearing in the circus workers in Bush’s administration. It’s kind of ironic that there is some people out there that reminds me of that bumper sticker,(I’m with stupid)we’ve been down the republican road a few times now and everytime it has led too the economy failing.Give Obama a chance,we gave Bush 2 chances and look where we are now.
37. Cuchara | 02.02.09
I don’t know why but I read a few of Palin’s comments from the State of PORK. Just look up the statistics; Alaska get back 4 federal dollars for every 1 collected.
38. gabe | 02.02.09
republicans dont like this bill because it spends too little on banks . it seems the repubs have no problem bailing their rich buddies out but dont want to spend any money SAVING JOBS. what they dont understand is that this stimulus is geared to save existing jobs and create new jobs ie projects.republicans would have you believe that their rich CEO buddies should get the money so it can trickle down to us, which is a total myth. sorry repubs you had your chance and you blew it. americans no longer want you in charge.
39. John | 02.03.09
Gov’t spending to stimulate economic growth did not work in the USA in the 1930’s or in Japan in the 1990’s. Both cases, no appreciable improvement in the economy but lots of debt left behind. Why does anyone think this time will be different? The triumph of hope over experience. The House stimulus package as passed is only a good thing if you wish to expand the size and role of the federal gov’t. Jobs… not so much.
Bottom line is that we should try to minimize the amount of money the gov’t receives and spends. That is A) better for economic growth and B) limits the opportunities for lobbying and corruption and decisions based on politics instead of economics.
40. P.A. | 02.03.09
Sarah Palin does NOT support the “porkulus” package! Please read the sources that JR listed in comment #26 to get accurate info on Palin’s stance.
This is yet another attempt to paint Sarah in a bad light using false information. The only accurate source of information regarding Sarah Palin is her governor’s office. Comments about her from any other source should not be trusted.
Please correct your article and remove your cartoon. Conservative Republican governors do NOT support the “Pork” part of this “stimulus” package (which is about 90% of it)!
41. adcld | 02.03.09
Set the record straight:
Jan 12 letter: http://www.gov.state.ak.us/archive.php?id=1601&type=1
Governor Notes Limits on Stimulus Package
Governor Notes Limits on Stimulus Package
Pending in Congress Printer Friendly
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 09-05
Governor Palin Notes Limits on Stimulus Package
January 12, 2009, Anchorage, Alaska – Governor Sarah Palin today emphasized that the stimulus package pending in Congress likely will be based largely on existing federal formulas for appropriations and will not be the vehicle for earmarked spending on specific projects for states.
“As I wrote to our congressional delegation on January 7, our administration recognizes that President-elect Obama and the congressional leadership of both parties favor the use of formulas to ensure fairness among the states and to avoid the earmark abuses of the past,” Gov. Palin said. “We also have to be mindful about the effect of the stimulus package on the national debt and the future economic health of the country. We won’t achieve long-term stability if we continue borrowing massive sums from foreign countries and remain dependent on foreign sources of oil and gas.”
The governor has recommended five specific projects for the stimulus package, all of them in accordance with previous guidelines requiring that any individual spending requests must be in the national interest. Those projects are infrastructure upgrades to accommodate the natural gas pipeline, which will bring clean fuel to Lower 48 markets, and the Kodiak Launch Facility, which is important for the nation’s defense. While the latest comments in D.C. suggest that no earmarks will be accepted, the governor is hopeful that the extraordinary nature of these national-interest projects will allow their inclusion.
While others have compiled wish-lists of Alaska-specific projects, many of them meritorious, the governor says the administration will not be commenting on or ranking them, given that they might not be considered for the stimulus package. “We don’t want to get hopes up among community leaders that their local projects are likely to be included, when that probably won’t be the case,” she said.
Meanwhile, formula funds for transportation, health care and other areas, when received by the state through the stimulus package, will be subject to appropriations by the Legislature through its budget process.
President-elect Obama said last week: “We are going to ban all earmarks, the process by which individual members insert pet projects without review. … We are going to bring a long-overdue sense of responsibility and accountability to Washington.”
A spokesman for Senate Majority Harry Reid was even more blunt: “There will be no earmarks in the stimulus. Nada. Zero. Zilch.” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has expressed agreement.
“It’s understandable that many Alaskans want to see some local projects advanced,” Gov. Palin said. “But it’s pretty clear that it won’t happen in this stimulus package, and we need to be realistic about that.”
Recent quotes on the stimulus package:
“[O]ur goal is not to create a slew of new government programs, but a foundation for long-term economic growth. That also means an economic recovery plan that is free from earmarks and pet projects. I understand that every member of Congress has ideas about how to spend money. Many of these projects are worthy; they benefit local communities. But this emergency legislation must not be the vehicle for those aspirations. This must be a time when leaders in both parties put the urgent needs of our nation above our own narrow interests.” - President-Elect Obama, 1/8/09; Speech on economic recovery
“There will be no earmarks in this economic recovery plan…I know it’s the Christmas season, but President-elect Obama and I are absolutely determined that this economic recovery package will not become a Christmas tree.” - Vice President-Elect Biden; 12/24/08
“I can pledge to you that no earmark or any of that, any description you want to make of it will be in the bill that passes the House.” - Speaker Pelosi, 1/11/09; CNN’s “Late Edition”
“Congress should have public hearings in the appropriate committees, the text of the measure should be made available online for the American people to review for at least one week, and it should be free from special-interest earmarks. This is the taxpayers’ money, and they deserve to know their hard-earned tax dollars aren’t being wasted.” - House Minority Leader Boehner; 1/5/09
“We must also make distinctions between what is ‘stimulus’—defined by Speaker Pelosi earlier this year as ‘timely, targeted and temporary’—and what is merely more government spending on favored projects we don’t need with money we don’t have.” - Senate Minority Leader McConnell; Press Release 12/29/08
A copy of the governor’s Jan. 7 letter is posted at the following link: http://www.gov.state.ak.us/pdf/ESLletter_Jan12-2009.pdf
42. chuxway | 02.03.09
…. then there are the various people who trust trickle down if the federal government tries it (and it fails continually) but against it in the private sector where it is known to work– who hires people — poor folks or rich folks— who makes things for people to buy — the Dept of Education or individual companies — where do you get these things — at the nearest Dept of Commerce retail outlet or Walmart (like it or not) I wish I had a nickle for every seathing idiot who derides companies and small businesses for making MONEY– that evil stuff — how dare they even try– Lets have bread lines for toilet paper for a century and maybe the morons will change their tune.
45. Jason Smith US Army retired | 02.03.09
OK, enough of the Republican/Democrat fighting. What we need is to get the Government to listen to us.
The “stimulus” package has bad and good in it. The problem is that as a whole, it does nothing for anyone.
The first priority should be to seperate the Social Security money from the general fund and not touch it for streamline spending. I truly believe that if this step was taken then we could see an initial increase in consumerism again. Why? Beacuse the confidence of the American people in the government would be bolstered. People would start spending again because they would not have to worry whether Social Security would exist in the future. There would be a re-affirmation of a promise once made along time ago. Then and only then should money be earmarked for stimulus.We need to stop all the dirty politicans from turning us into a third world country. This needs to be a demand, not a request.
So to summarize, quit the petty bickering over politics and come together on what we can all agree upon. In my humble opinion, I believe the Social Security should be the first issue that we can agree upon.
46. Azygos | 02.04.09
“why is some conservative republicans against the whole thing , including these ? what’s their solution? do they have any?”
Yes, stop taking over 50% of what I earn and let me spend it how I see fit. I could hire two people and pay them pretty well “if” I had that 50% to work with.
Gail,
Please do a little research on who caused the mortgage crisis (hint it was not the party with a “R” after their names) When the dems demanded banks lend money to people to buy homes they could not afford this entire mess was born. Giving mass amounts of my tax dollars to the same people who carried out such shockingly stupid business practices is not going to fix anything. Letting us keep our money and spending it where we see fit will.
47. Michael | 02.05.09
Boy if the media and Republicans had been this zealous when Bush was in office we probably would not be wasting all those billions in Iraq….
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Jimmy Orr has worked in politics for the majority of his professional career working for two U.S. Senators, two Governors and one President. Most recently, Orr served as White House Spokesman and Internet Director for President George W. Bush and Special Advisor to Governor Schwarzenegger for Internet Communications.
David Cook is Washington bureau chief of The Christian Science Monitor and host of the Monitor's newsmaker breakfasts. He was the Monitor's editor from 1994 to 2001. Cook is a graduate of Principia College, served in the U.S. Army, was a Bagehot Fellow at Columbia University, and is a member of the Gridiron Club, Washington's oldest journalistic organization.
1. Kim Bunting | 02.02.09
It is amazing to me that people are entering into this debate suggesting that a deficit is more harmful to the U.S. than doing nothing. As the entity with the largest PPP (purchaing power) it is imperative that our government spend money to stimulate the economy. That we choose to spend it on long overdue and ignored areas of need within our country is wise. It is like taking a second mortgage out to make renovations rather than a credit card debt to take a vacation to get away from the things about our house that annoy us. I hope our leaders stop playing politics and start looking at the reality of the situation we are in.