President Puts Mayors “On Notice” for Wasteful Spending

“President Puts Mayors “On Notice” for Wasteful Spending”
Haha thats rich!

Wasteful spending? Like the monorail from Disney to Vegas? Sure, Obama. Whatever you say.

I hope everyone has heard how Obama is going to use taxpayer funds to bail out hedge funds.
Hedge funds were major donors to Obama’s campaign. So they took a risk and it didn’t work out and now we’re supposed to take the risk.
You know – all to help out the little guy.

Alas
Discipline in the White House.
For all those bellyaching about the stimilus, please note that
1. We are in an unprecedented situation. Please do not reference the Great Depression or any other financial crisis in America. The variables are like apples and oranges. There is no comparison. STOP the mind numming rhetoric.
2. The proposal of more of the same to get us out this problem is ludacris. The definition of insanity is trying the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. TAX CUTS DO NO I REPEAT DO NOT WORK. Stop the mind numming rhetoric.
3. To say that this problem began because of irresponsible homeowner is totally asinine. How about the banks and their managers (who are getting paid millions) who are highly trained to manage and watch for thing like…. oh the sudden need for billions of dollars to stay afloat…. How about the extremely SMART TRAINED PROFESSIONALS WHO got the homeowner into these loans. If your Dr. knew a certain medicine was bad for you and gave it to anyways, whose at fault here????
3. To let the homeowner foreclose and the house goes vacant or sells for half its value drags down every propert’s value in the neighborhood. Wouldn’t helping the person stay in the house be at the same time helping YOU!!!!! Also please know that EVERYONE for the most part part PAYS TAXES not just YOU. Even the person that is forced out their home will have to continue to PAY TAXES. So get a clue Republicans and stop being obstructionists. Move aside. This is not a personal problem, its a National Problem.

I guess you haters are so use to a do nothing, vacation only, no action Bush (unless it has to do with saving his precious comodity “oil”) that you can’t handle a President who is actually is trying to work for you & the rest of us (not just the rich). No, you don’t have to like him but give him a year before you start condemning him. Yes, everything he do will not work but yes he is trying therefore a lot more will work that he is doing.
Otherwise if you can’t change then hate on haters, hate on!!!

“2. The proposal of more of the same to get us out this problem is ludacris. The definition of insanity is trying the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. TAX CUTS DO NO I REPEAT DO NOT WORK. Stop the mind numming rhetoric.”
Actually your half wrong, or half right. We are now at the point we were at in 2002 economy wise. The tax cuts that came did help spur the economy back on track, but it also came with ample spending. A little of both, if done right, is the best approach. However, the stimulus is a glut of spending as well as tax cuts. The stim bill just wrote a 4 year check to the government on our future earnings, that’s problematic.
As usual, the answer is somewhere in between. But pundits will argue one or the other.

Walk the Talk, President O

Look up wasteful spending on Google….you’ll see pictures of Pelosi, Reid, Barney Frank…..and all of congress and the senate. You people that think the government should give money to pay mortgages are plain stupid. How bout the government give us money to play the lottery or go on vacation. Please.

And how much has he wasted traveling all over the country for no good reason? He a fraud, a hypocrite and a liar.

“That’s right mr. President like it or not THANK YOU for raising the bar for all America.”
Now if he would just quit slipping below it and it might be more meaningful…

And for those who say …hey let the market work itself out. Maybe you still have a job and may not have a lot of responsilites. i.e. kids, bills, etc. Yeah easy for you to say…..
Let the free market work…. yeah ok… isn’t the free market laying off hundreds of thousands at the moment. Isn’t that free market you gloat so much about consists of money hungry mongrels like Madoff who just forced thousands of the elderly to go back to the workforce. Doesn’t this famed free market consist of folks with now less credibilty and morals.
Yeah …. good luck with that!!

Wasteful spending, did he say that when he boarded that big 747 to fly to AZ to sign a bill??

“obviously Obama and the Dems definition is the “correct” one and anyone who disagrees is not patriotic and wrong!”
OBVIOUSLY.
AMERICA: LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT.

So, Obama, if you are so damn concerned about waste, why would you outsource this supposed Recovery Act to Reid and Pelosi?
Why wouldn’t you independently find projects to fund, instead of dumping it in their laps?
You’ve been in office a month, and if you were able to weigh the dollar amount of your bill, IT WOULD WEIGH AS MUCH AS AN IOWA CLASS BATTLESHIP.
Literally. So please stop putting on this sham of fiscal responsibility, Barry!

And Mr President how are going to enforce your words ?? Creating more goverment bureucracy ?? Creating a chief of the chief of the chief of the chief office and on and on ?? I think that your lack of experience shows and speak for itself and the sad part is that we are going straight to the drains.

Jay -
Soros, Dodd, etc., are being repaid by Obama for political favors.
And if you choose not to believe that, what say you about the fact that hedge funds are risk takers. They took the risk and lost.
And so now the taxpayer should take the risk? I think not.

How can Obama possibly speak about responsibility at the same time he watched his party admit that not one of them had actually read the most expensive spending bill in our nation’s history?
If that’s the kind of leadership and responsibility Obama is talking about, we’re in for a loooong 4 years.
We’re watching the most expensive learning curve in American history.

Has there ever been a bigger hypocrite than Barack Obama? He has some nerve lecturing others about wasteful spending.
He wastes millions on events to celebrate himself–even stiffs his hometown for millions.
Wastes money flying all over the country to promote his pork bill and to continue camaigning.
Takes a vacation every two weeks.
Bails out irresponsible homeowners in his new era or responsibility.
Gives billions to ACORN, Freddie, Fannie when they caused the housing problem.
Tells us to turn down out thermostats when his is hot enough to grow orchids.
I hope America realizes what a total fraud they have put in the White House.

“Why did I have a feeling he’d be criticized for saying all this?”
Because it’s hypocritical hot on the heels of the largest spending bill in US history? It is very poor timing on his part. Whoever wrote this speech needs to wake up.

and they said palin was not qualified to be vice president this biden guy is scary he has no mind he never gets anything right please hope nothing happens to the bum we have as president

“Didn’t hear a peep out of you when Bush and his posse was spending like drunken sailors.”
Actually that’s not true. Pretty much all of the right were criticizing the 600 Billion medicaid bill back in 04. Plus Bush has been under fire from the right for spending pretty much since 2004. Remember the gang of 13 who took over congress and passed bills “their way”? Maybe you don’t remember or don’t want to?

Is Obama that stupid that he would even suggest they control wasteful spending? Is Obama Dyslexic? He hasn’t paid his own Bills for his inaugual yet to the city of chicago… And to associate himself and appoint criminals to his cabinet shows Obama has NO JUDGEMENT, NO EXPERIENCE, he is just winging it and HOPING something takes hold.. He hasn’t got a clue what to do..The “great plan” by TurboTax Timmy, has already sent the dow down over 500 points… and what are we up to, 24 or 25 democrat scandals in the year that the media is trying its best to keep out of the headlines LMAO
Obamas America: USSA..(UNITED SOCIALIST STATES OF AMERICA)

Concerned in OH:”Well good news! 0bama has been office in a month and has already spent 4T! ”
Every way to interpret that, it is still a lie. And it should be obvious the $5T price tag on Bush does not include the future accrued interest or future obligations (such as from the Pharmaceutical Giveaway benefit). By the same standard as the $5T is being defined, Obama has barely broken $100B – and that is spending of money assigned by a Bush administration action (TARP).
If Republicans stick to their fantasy land bumperstickers rather than reality in debate it will be an even long time before America trusts them with power again.

Memo to Obama:
Continuing with your responsibility theme, you first.
You promised no pork or earmarks and the spending bill is loaded with both.
You are paying people to pay their mortgages. In the real world, we don’t call it responsibility when we have to pay people to do it.
You promised no lobbyists in your administration and thus far you’ve hired 17 of them.
You told us last year we couldn’t heat our homes at 72 degrees yet you keep the White House at greenhouse levels.
You travel the country to sign a bill when staying in DC would greatly reduce something you’re terribly concerned with: your carbon footprint.
Your Vice President said it was patriotic to pay taxes and that we should all pay more taxes and yet you’ve put several tax cheats in your Cabinet.
It’s a long list and growing daily, Mr. President. You lead. Others will follow.

“Let the free market work…. yeah ok… isn’t the free market laying off hundreds of thousands at the moment.”
Yup, and your foolish if you think the government can do a damn thing about it. Layoffs happen, unemployment happens, you gotta do whatever you can to stay afloat. If you sit around and wait for the government, your a fool.
Posted by: KR | Feb 20, 2009 11:45:14 AM
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Yes and you must be a damned fool if you think I or most folks for that matter are not going to accept assistance if they and their family are days from being kicked out their house.
Layoffs happen….thanks for the putrid rhetoric. But do they or have they ever happened so astronomically and massively …. NO….
Look… Whether you like or not the spending project will put folks back to work… it will give folks a desperately needed hand. My tax dollars are going to this too. If you are so selfish and self-centered to bellyache about this I suggest you go back to the planet from which you came because you dont sound like an American willing to help in this. Its law now. I will put my trust in the president before a money hungry CEO anyday. Obama pay will remain the same if we fail or succeed in this. The same is not true for your average CEO who is now (I would imagine) looking for some third world country to employ workers to replace the Americans he just gave pink slips to.

kat the real one:” It’s ludicrous to present it as a monorail spanning Vegas and LA”
Actually, it’s ludicrous to suggest the funding will go to a Vegas-LA route that isn’t even on the list of the Federal Railroad Administration’s officially designated high-speed rail corridors. The bill certainly does not specify the money goes to this project. The LA-Vegas railroad money is as much a fantasy as the money for Pelosi’s mouse or money for ACORN. It is blatantly not in the bill, and it takes a tight tinfoil hat to work out the conspiracy that would result in that ultimate allocation of funds.
The most likely place to fund HSR projects are the already designate corridors. Oddly, Ohio is likely to really make out like a bandit (the corridors are Chicago-East Coast centric).

” Didn’t hear a peep of how Bush was doubling the national debt by OVER 5 TRILLION BUCKS”
Well good news! 0bama has been office in a month and has already spent 4T! In a few days, he’ll beat ol’ George Bush and be #1! Yay!
0bama and Al G0re. Th two biggest hypocrites on the planet.
Posted by: Concerned in OH | Feb 20, 2009 11:50:58 AM
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4trillion. ummmm I think your koolaid has fermented.

So Bush giving seniors “free” prescriptions is bad. But 0bama giving everyone “free” healthcare is good?
Gotcha. I guess what Bush really did was more “Keynesian Stimulus”.
Posted by: Concerned in OH | Feb 20, 2009 12:01:09 PM
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Great point. So of course, it will be largely ignored or not understood. LOL

” Didn’t hear a peep of how Bush was doubling the national debt by OVER 5 TRILLION BUCKS”
Well good news! 0bama has been office in a month and has already spent 4T! In a few days, he’ll beat ol’ George Bush and be #1! Yay!
0bama and Al G0re. Th two biggest hypocrites on the planet.
Posted by: Concerned in OH | Feb 20, 2009 11:50:58 AM
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And may I add…. 5 trillon and what do we have to show for it….. A NATIONAL CATASTROPHE. So say yay to the fact that we just went 5 trillion in debt and the roads and bridges are still crumbling infrastructure is still servely out-dated. Folks are doing WORSE. Yay to that.
At least when Obama is done, we will have rebuilt a lot of America.

Peach: Pork is a meat, not a defined type of funding. Arguing about pork is stupid – it’s like arguing that he promised not to fund ugly art but you dislike his drapes. Do you have any factual arguments, or just more “I hate Obama” justifications?
Posted by: jhw539 | Feb 20, 2009 12:05:53 PM
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Hon, just pretend that Sen. Schumer (D) said with regard to pork in the stimulus bill that Americans didn’t care about a little pork.

“Yes and you must be a damned fool if you think I or most folks for that matter are not going to accept assistance if they and their family are days from being kicked out their house.”
Of course, who wouldn’t? But what got you to that point? Too proud to work a lesser job? Every situation is different and putting the government in charge only makes things worse. I have a family to lean on, and they lean on me. If I have to, I’ll go to my church for help, reduce my living expenses, sell my car and get a cheaper used car. People don’t want to change their lifestyle so they look to the government to preserve it. That is wrong.
“Layoffs happen….thanks for the putrid rhetoric. But do they or have they ever happened so astronomically and massively …. NO….”
Actually, YES. Unemployment is (last I looked) between 7-8%. Unemployment in 2002 was the same. Unemployment in 1933 was 22.7%. You can take off your Chicken Little costume and read some history now.
“Look… Whether you like or not the spending project will put folks back to work… it will give folks a desperately needed hand. My tax dollars are going to this too. If you are so selfish and self-centered to bellyache…”
First off, your asking to spend my tax dollars how YOU see fit, which your fine with. But if I protest, im a self centered bellyaching CEO lover?
Do me a favor. Go look up the unemployment at the start of FDR’s “New Deal” and the unemployment rate 8 years later. Then come back and tell me how great government job spending is.

“Wasteful spending”? The president warns others??? Coming from Obama, that’s a laugh!

Has anyone noticed that Obama has gone from saying he’d create 3-4 million jobs to saying he could create or SAVE 3-4 million jobs?
It’s not only Wall Street that has tanked since Obama won the election, Obama’s own promises have tanked.

Peach:”Has anyone noticed that Obama has gone from saying he’d create 3-4 million jobs to saying he could create or SAVE 3-4 million jobs?”
Citation please. He seems to have been using the “save or create” weasel very consistently, and you tend to lie so I’d be interested if you can back up him ever saying he’d create 3 million jobs (not save, and not “up to”, etc.).

This stimulus money is not being “stolen” from us. Spending has been shown before to stimulate the economy. Some of the greatest growth in the US economy has been during times of government spending, whether it be the New Deal under FDR or massive spending during WWII. Obama is not proposing to just take our tax dollars, he is proposing to spend it in infrastructure, giving new roads, new bridges, new schools, improving the energy efficiency of our buildings, investing in innovations like renewable energy, green tech, and education. These are all things that long term this country can use and needs, and put people to work and injects money into the economy at the same time. Does it come at a price? Yes. But we should not be bogged down by ideological codes and remain inflexible. No one approach is ever enough to solve every problem this country will face and at times we must try new things. During WWII there was wage and price control, Nixon instituted a wage freeze in response to 4% inflation, banks have been nationalized before and the country has returned to normalcy later. What is important that while we do everything we can to keep this crisis from worsening is to put in regulations and rules that keeps a similar crisis from happening in the future.

Even FDR’s Treasury Secretary admitted 8 years into the Depression that spending did not work and in fact made it worse.

Actually, it’s ludicrous to suggest the funding will go to a Vegas-LA route that isn’t even on the list of the Federal Railroad Administration’s officially designated high-speed rail corridors.
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JHW: You’re right. According to the LA times, there’s not a single word that pertains to high speed train route between LA and Vegas. The Kool Aid that was put out by Republicans was drawn from a couple of years of speculation from Las Vegas tycoons to have one.
I’ve learned my lessons for the day. The Washington Post is lying if they’re actually claiming a monorail is running between the two cities, and some Republicans who have spoken out publicly against it are lying through their dentures. Mea Culpa. I’ve drunken a bit of the MSM libation.

KR:”FDR did massive government spending with the New Deal. The US suffered through the depression far longer than many other countries. ”
Really? What are some of the “many other countries” that pulled out of the 1930′s Depression before the US?

Of course, who wouldn’t? But what got you to that point? Too proud to work a lesser job? Every situation is different and putting the government in charge only makes things worse. I have a family to lean on, and they lean on me. If I have to, I’ll go to my church for help, reduce my living expenses, sell my car and get a cheaper used car. People don’t want to change their lifestyle so they look to the government to preserve it. That is wrong.
==============================
My hat is off to you. Most do not have the intricate support system you have.
Congrats as well, because you echo the words of BARACK OBAMA. He tells us daily that we will have to change our living habits. But that alone will not keep you in your house when this economy is in critical condition. We didn’t get ourselves in this situation overnight and we will not get out of it overnight either.
But what we don’t need is folks just picking out the fringe issues of this package and harp on it daily in mind numming succession. We need folks to support the president. When it falls flat then you can excercise your voice at the polls and vote him and others out. That’s just what America did a few months ago.
We go here because of a failed presidents rule. period. no finger pointing to the house senate or anyone else. when the ship goes down the captain takes responsibility and goes down with his hands gripped to the wheel.

Mayors will be monitored, but not Senators who get $30 million for the harvest mouse?

jhw539:
You said that Obama had not said he would CREATE 3 million new jobs and had consistently said he would SAVE or create that many jobs.
You may wish to take that up with Jake Tapper who reported this:
The president-elect says he wants to “create three million new jobs” — this is a change from a few weeks ago, when he said he wanted the plan to create OR SAVE two million jobs.
He says the “No. 1 goal of my plan … is to create three million new jobs, more than 80 percent of them in the private sector.”
If you do the math: 20 percent of three million means 600,000 new government employees.
Are you simply unable to do basic research yourself?

“I’d be interested if you can back up him ever saying he’d create 3 million jobs (not save, and not “up to”, etc.).”
—————————-
I apologize for the lack of specificity, but a news clip of him in the East Room, shown today on Fox News, has the president forgetting to add the “or save” part.

Omentum wrote: “TAX CUTS DO NO(T) I REPEAT DO NOT WORK.”
The 2001 and 2003 Bush tax cuts generated record revenues. They generated the 52-consecutive month job growth (5 million jobs) between Sept 2003-Dec 2007; and instilled confidence in Wall Street resulting in the Dow Jones Industrial Average climbing above 14,000 in the 4th Quarter of 2007. Unfortunately both the Republican-lead 109th Congress and the Democratic-lead 110th Congress failed to heed the warnings by the Bush Administration on the mismanagement of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
Posted by: James Danley | Feb 20, 2009 12:27:10 PM
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Wow so how’s that working out for you now.
What you have just witnessed James Danley is a house being built on a bad foundation.
As Revvy Wright said, the chickens are coming home to roost”
cluck cluck!

Peach:”And, you will notice that Jake Tapper himself wrote an article about how Obama used to say he would CREATE 3 million new jobs:”
Actually, he was noting how unusual it was that Obama said the “No. 1 goal of my plan … is to create three million new jobs” WITHOUT the ‘save or’ dodge. The whole point of that post was noting he had always said ‘save or create.’ And he has solidly returned to that formulation.
But back to your original post:
“Has anyone noticed that Obama has gone from saying he’d create 3-4 million jobs to saying he could create or SAVE 3-4 million jobs?”
Apparently it’s the opposite way around – Jake noticed the time Obama dropped the standard create or SAVE formulation. And the Daily Mail article you linked does not include any quotes of what Obama said, just paraphrases that I don’t trust to include this detail (Jake, with an eye for detail, certainly did note how unusual it was to hear Obama ONCE drop the save…).

Call your representative about joining the 10th amendement state soverignity movement!!! Bankrupted states with unfunded mandates can NO LONGER take any more dictates from the beurucrats in Washington DC! The time is NOW to stand up and take NO MORE, we can’t afford not to get involved NOW!!!

Peach:”You said that Obama had not said he would CREATE 3 million new jobs and had consistently said he would SAVE or create that many jobs.”
For goodness sake, my post is still on the page – I did NOT SAY THAT. What I said was:
“Citation please. He seems to have been using the “save or create” weasel very consistently, and you tend to lie so I’d be interested if you can back up him ever saying he’d create 3 million jobs (not save, and not “up to”, etc.).”
I was interested, your citations support my initial statement that he hwas been using “save or create” very consistently (it was news to Jake when he dropped it once), and now you’ve moved on to oversimplifying and twisting my words while the originals are a short scroll away.

Wasteful spending? The fox is guarding the hen hosue isn’t it? Obama has suddendly, intentionally or not, lead the country into “no we can’t” mode. His doom and gloom look upon the country is not going over very well is it?
While doing “something” may have been necessary Obama should have kept unneeded “cheap”legislations out of the bill (legislation that gives more power to the Government) . Now he has faced with giving CPR to a headless corpse.

I someday want to look back and see that my GOP friends were wrong that we can move forward we can become great again that we can make jobs happen that we will grow our economy and get out of this hole. I want to see America do what we know it can . I guess what I see now is a lot of very vocal folks ,like Limbaugh and Colter and Hannity and Beck trying to talk loader and using more vitriol to say we are hopelessly locked into the end of the world as we know it. Is this really what we want to hear now ? I think perhaps I will stop right now reading blogs. I want to feel good again and I want it to start now.

Peach:”Uh huh. And we all know the media never get it wrong. /sarcasm
You may wish to google stimulus+monorail+Sen. Reid”
The bill is publicly available. There is no money directed to a LA-Las Vegas high speed rail. The Federal Railroad Administration will spend the money, and their high speed rail priorities are also very public. The LA-Vegas corridor is not on them. The only suggestion of this is Republican talking points and blogs, which you appear to believe over the black and white law.

I guess all you folks that are happy with Obama will be really happy when your are working six months to pay your taxes in 2010. We all ready work until April 15 just to pay income and ss taxes.

“We go here because of a failed presidents rule. period.”
That is just a plain silly statement. He certainly didn’t help, but it is by no means one man’s fault. This spans congresses and administrations. Lets be honest instead of slinking back into the Bush bashing comfort zone?

One-Armed Midget, had Congress listened to the Bush Administration and acted in 2006 or 2007 regarding their warnings pertaining to the mismanagement of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac we may have averted much of the crisis that we now have.
But the issue raised was tax cuts. They absolutely do work. The 2001 tax cuts were just beginning to take effect when the attacks of 9/11 caused a huge downturn in the economy. Without the 2001 tax cuts the downturn would have been deeper and lasted longer. Once the 2003 tax cuts kicked in, the economy boomed. Now then, had there also been a restraint in federal spending, the boom would have been even greater.
The economy was actually doing okay, in spite of the downturn in the housing market and the skyrocking of energy costs–GDP still grew in the 1st and 2nd quarters of 2008. However, it was the collapse of the lending institutions coupled the massive foreclosures and greed that brought on this crisis in the middle of last year.

As for the LA-Las Vegas high-speed rail line, the Associated Press reported on Feb 12th:
“In late-stage talks, Obama and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., pressed for $8 billion to construct high-speed rail lines, quadrupling the amount in the bill that passed the Senate on Tuesday.
“Reid’s office issued a statement noting that a proposed Los Angeles-to-Las Vegas rail might get a big chunk of the money.”

James Danley – thanks for bringing facts to the discussion. I’ve enjoyed your posts.

drjohn, thanks for that post about the monorail that posters were saying was non-existent.

kat the real one -
Re the monorail, you may wish to look at a few of drjohn’s posts made around 1:03.
Facts are pesky little things, aren’t they?

James- According to the LA Times, who most assuredly would want to give out accurate information since the project would have impacted their community, there is not a single word in the 1,00 page stimulus that pertains to the Las Vegas and LA proposed rail system. The LAT report de-mythologized the wildfire claims about the proposal. I’m disappointed myself that it’s a no go.

I propose two more provisions that would help keep our money from being wasted:
- no firm or entity receiving stimulus money may hire a lobbyist or lobbying firm
- no firm or entity receiving stimulus money may maintain a PAC
- no firm or entity receiving stimulus money may participate in political campaigns
Taxpayer money shouldn’t go to entities only to be turned around and used for political purposes.

Facts are pesky little things, aren’t they?
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Especially when they’re in a large volume of black and white print called the stimulus bill , which says nothing about the Las Vegas-LA rail system.

Especially when they’re in a large volume of black and white print called the stimulus bill , which says nothing about the Las Vegas-LA rail system.
Posted by: kat the real one | Feb 20, 2009 1:10:09 PM
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Denial likes yours in the face of so many facts is stunning. But carry on.

KIng Obama needs to put himself on notice!
How about the Porkulus–and his jetting around to get out of the “dreadful” Oval Office so that he can campaign and get a cool plane ride instead of rolling up his sleeves and actually doing the J-O-B of POTUS.

It actually started with Indy Bank, courtesy of Schmuck Schumer pushing it over the cliff with his panic proclamation and causing a run on it.
He did that so his investment buddies could buy up Indy at distress prices, which they did.

Everytime Obama, or any President, travels to a city it puts a strain on the local budget with police security, traffic control, etc. I know when Bush used to make his frequent fund-raising trips here to Minneapolis, it would cost the taxpayers almost as much as he raised during the visit. In these times, Obama should stay in Washington as much as possible to help the Mayors balance their budgets. He traveled non-stop for two years, so I suppose it’s hard for him to break that habit.

KIng Obama needs to put himself on notice!
How about the Porkulus–and his jetting around to get out of the “dreadful” Oval Office so that he can campaign and get a cool plane ride instead of rolling up his sleeves and actually doing the J-O-B of POTUS.
Posted by: Michelle | Feb 20, 2009 1:14:28 PM
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I agree! Not to mention his jetting to Chicago last weekend….wastful spending at it’s best.

Do not pay any attention to that man standing in front of that curtain!
He is a dictator. Should he get into power, it’s all over for you.

Business as usual? obama needs to first get his own party to conduct a more transparent and change their own ways.
I almost lost my lunch when I heard a CNN news clip about Nancy Pelosi and 11 democratic congressman taking a BBBj (corproate 737) to Italy for museum tours and to get copies of her parents birth certificates.
The country is hurting and she is wining and dining in Italy using expensive transport.

Denial likes yours in the face of so many facts is stunning. But carry on.
Posted by: Peach | Feb 20, 2009 1:12:19 PM**************************************
Actually, the alleged “denial” isn’t scary; your rendition of facts is what’s scary. The bill DOES NOT specifically name any rail project. However, if a state has a rail project in the works (like Florida) then the state may qualify for funds to build the rail. I used to wonder how the American electorate became so misinformed. But when we witness flat out lies from the likes of Rep. Michele Bauchmann (the infamous Acorn will get $5 billion from the stimulus lie), we have to hold elected officials accountable.

Again, Obama would not be doing the things he’s doing if the Bush administration and the republican rule we lived through hadn’t caused this much damage.America’s economy is a mess and our current president is trying to fix the many problems he inherited.If you don’t like what he’s doing, run for office.Other than that.Stop ‘;”;in!

Denial likes yours in the face of so many facts is stunning. But carry on.
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Oh? So it was denial to state the fact that the stimulus bill contained no wording pertaining to the Vegas and LA line. Since you like research so much, why don’t you try to find in the stimulus bill where it does? LOL. I doubt the LAT lied about that, but your welcome to disprove that. Please learn some more about public and train transportation. Monorails may span the old Seattle World’s Fair and Disneyland, but not a corridor stretching from LA to Vegas traversing close to a thousand miles of desert and mountains. Though I have to admit, it would make a compelling scene in a sci-fi movie or novel. Good Day, dear.
I

I almost lost my lunch when I heard a CNN news clip about Nancy Pelosi and 11 democratic congressman taking a BBBj (corproate 737) to Italy for museum tours and to get copies of her parents birth certificates.The country is hurting and she is wining and dining in Italy using expensive transport.
Posted by: scott jeffries | Feb 20, 2009 1:26:53 PM*************************
I guess it was too much for you to add the fact that Pelosi and other congressional representatives are also in Italy for official business.

“Again, Obama would not be doing the things he’s doing if the Bush administration and the republican rule we lived through hadn’t caused this much damage.”
Hey go to the Dow Jones site and look at the history since 1990. From 1994 to 2006, the Dow saw an astronomical rise, as did the economy. In 2006, the Dems took over Congress and now, the WH.
I would never blame the credit, or the demise of the economy solely on the government, but you need to take your Obama glasses off and seek the truth. If not, please pass me a pair of those glasses cause I don’t like what I see. Dow Jones now down another 200 pts, and has officially dipped below the 2002 mark. I’d bet we get below 5,000 before the end of the year. God help us if it doesn’t come back and fast.

“The mayors did not applaud.”
BOTH the Obamas are wearing mighty thin.

What a joke the Obama administration is.
And remember folks, the stock market has gone down over 20% since Obama was elected. How many hundreds of billions have Americans lost since Obama was elected.
We are doomed.

“$90 million for swimming pools across the country”
An EXCELLENT thing to build — there should be zillions of them, especially Olympic pools in downscale and “urban” areas.

Kudos to Peach and Concerned in Ohio for holding your own and expressing valid viewpoints (even though those on the opposite side have a tendency of ignoring those viewpoints that they can’t defeat). You’re far more patient than I.

We will bring it and Revolutionary liberals like me, and there are many, have no problem with Guns.They are necessary to protect against tyranny per the founding fathers. In fact, It is a Myth that people who believe in the Second Ammendment are Republicans. I am Liberal and a good shot and well armed but that does not mean we are antisocial. America has strayed from its original plan to have a Government that works for its people. Its time to start over because, I’m sorry…this is not working.

“I’d say this was a case of the pot calling the kettle black but Al Sharpton would accuse me of racism and Eric Holder would then call me a coward.”
“The Won” and Pelosi flying around on their holy missions seems to be DIFFERENT, somehow … as is the fascist notion — furthered as planned by Porkulus — that Mayors and Governors are footsoldiers in the perpetual campaign activities of the former Democratic Party.
Obama should resign. One supposes he WILL wind up doing this to avoid revelations of wrong-doing, but not. soon. enough.
Oh, God: Gibbs is up, playing “good” cop. THAT should last ten minutes max.

Bravo! In just one month President Obama is turning this whole mess around! How patriotic are those that only wish for things to go wrong? It seems that the presidential disaster of the last eight years have left some people feeling masochistic!

Grumbling Republicans are doing their best to undermine the stimulus. Many of the so-called silly projects listed sound like they would add enrichment to their various communities, benefitting the people while at the same boosting the employement roles. Wonderful things were built by the WPA which are still in use by the people. These projects have withstood the test of time and many of them, like the River Walk in San Antonio, have enhanced the cities to this day!

The people reported who lost their homes were very similar to those who lost their savings with these crooked bankers.Republicans want to point the finger at democrats saying they were pressured to offer homes to those who could afford it, but with these people being offered ridiculously high adjustable rate mortgages, record high lays offs, rising high gas prices at the time and soaring health care costs, food prices and everything else… It was very difficult for many Americans ( even the responsible to maintain their current living expenses. a lot of mistakes were made by many an now Now morons we have to try and fix it. The president is tryin to stop our economy from imploding and all these home foreclosures along with unemployment, war etc. etc. etc. If more than one of your neighbors lose their home AND THEY WILL, your property value will decrease. What kind of America says to hell with their neighbor.The selfish greedy kind. Obama was a community organizer that has been helping the unemployed and disenfranchised for years.a vast of majority of Americans voted him in office because they new what was needed.Obama is here to offer help, aide to the American people and restore truth to the American presidency.if you don’t like what he’s doing I know who you voted for and you LOST!We lost in ’04 and we voted Obama to fix this mess. I and many other Americans are sick of living under the oppressive rule of you selfish ones therfore we voted for change and thank GOD we won! I support my president. Go Obama. Yes we did. Yes we can and Yes we will overcome this mess despite your objections.

Look who is talking – The phoney, narcissistic, arrogant, obfuscating, over-reaching applause-addicted guy with no moral center, ethics or wisdom. :(
Obama continues to accelerate his dishonest rhetoric driven campaign!
Obama needs to learn to tell the truth and stop spending mega bucks travelling to the country to spew his dishonest fear-mongering sales pitch!
The DOW closed at its lowest point in six years today. Obama’s tactics and programs are not encouraging anyone!
America needs a president not an American idol! Idolatry has a severe price tag!

1trillion, 800B, 75B, where on the earth all these money coming from? Dear Mr. Obama, I can be in your seat also, I will be more happy to hand away money to people and being No. 1 American hero even above Jesus.
I will personally can each mayor and hold them accountable for the big check, so childish, are you dreaming?

LMAO !!! Mr President ! How are going to manage the money, by creating a 500 million dollar watch group to save 30 millions ? Bureucracy at his best!!
Yo don’t even have an honest cabinet member in your administration !! You have a weazel for Vice Pres to start with !!
This guy cannot even tell the color of his breaches his wearing today ! LMAO

The Smith-Mundt Act of 1948, amended in 1972 and 1998, prohibits the U.S. government from propagandizing the American public with information and psychological operations directed at foreign audiences. Recovery.gov deals with figures. Although calling operation Iraqi freedom is a violation because the only reason we attacked Iraq is because Saddam Hussain asked all his oil customers to pay for his oil in Euros instead of dollars and the US found that if they did not make an example of him that more oil producing nations would jump on the bandwagon and that would be terrible for the US economy.Sorry had nothing to do with Weaponds of mass distruction.

“I think there are a bunch of people on here that are paid to write all this crap to make people think that the Repubs are the majority voice.”
I think there are a lot of Republicans with nothing to do since they’ve all been run out of office.

Everybody has an opinion, but NONE of you guys ran for President of the United States. If you think you could run the country better or change the countries economic status, etc. THEN RUN FOR FREAKING PRESIDENT! Otherwise, stand on the sideline like the rest of us and shut the h*ll up!

Wasteful spending? Start with the $30 million to save some useless mouse in San Francisco. That was passed in the “Stimulus” bill. Add to that the hundreds of millions going to pay Filipino war veterans, who don’t even live in this country!
Overall, The Porkulous bill, signed by Dear Leader, is nothing but massive payoffs for votes bought in the so-called election. Payoffs to ACORN, so they can now steal houses. Payoffs to communist who make up labor unions, for their intimidation campaigns. Payoffs in the form of “public works” to officials who propped up the massive voter fraud that we saw throughout the nation, but especially in Ohio and the Midwest. That’s all it it, and it is designed to purposely HARM the stock market, to create a further atmosphere of crisis, in order to frighten the media lulled masses into begging for more government control over them, in return for giving up more of their freedoms.
Meanwhile, the digital brown shirts are all out to attempt to denigrate, humiliate and intimidate anyone who disagrees with Dear Leader and the Kongress. Don’t you people have some returning military veterans to go spit on or something? Because that’s the kind of bullies that Øbama supporters are.

Obama is addressing the issues of this country by doing something positive, and the right wing in all its vicious spirit is out in force calling the president names and, otherwise, trying to undermine his incentives. I like most of Obama’s proposals for the most part…nothing is perfect. I just wish it had been bigger. Tax cuts do not work…our economy is in dire straits and rather than come together, the Republicans have chosen to stab, lie, name-call, and cry corruption at the new president who has inherited the worst economy in memory because our last Republican Administration ran this country into the ditch!

“this president is delusional and thinks he is abe lincoln. the only comparrison is see to lincoln is that he pushing america towards civil war.”
Well … wait a couple of weeks, and He’ll be trying to pass Himself off as the Easter Bunny.
For mental prophylaxis, try this trick: when you see or hear from the figurehead “Obama”, simply picture, in your mind, Robert Gibbs, Karl Rove, etc. … in short, some “white” guy of average height. (Or, for those who are stuck on “black”, visualize Roland Martin.)
This WORKS.

“Grumbling Republicans are doing their best to undermine the stimulus.”
No, sosupernova, the “stimulus” is doing its best to undermine America and the Americans who work hard, are responsible and earn their money.
“Many of the so-called silly projects listed sound like they would add enrichment to their various communities, benefitting the people while at the same boosting the employement roles.”
Yes, and that’s all they do – “and enrichment” and “boost employment rolls”. You Libs don’t get it. A REAL stimulus would return money to the taxpayers to provide a simple, cost-free, speedy boost in consumer spending. It would also lower or abolish income tax rates, business tax rates and capital gains taxes to provide incentive for businesses to re-invest and to re-hire employees. It would also abolish trade barriers, tariffs and import/export fees, to stimulate trade. And it would also lift investment regulations, to restore confidence to banks so that they could invest, lend money again and create wealth.
Paving roads, building bridges, planting trees and saving the San Francisco mouse are noble causes, but they DON’T stimulate an economy or restore consumer confidence.

“Recovery.gov deals with figures.”
Actually it has some principles of propaganda within it. It is my job to analyze foreign propaganda so I know a thing or two about it.
There is one question to ask with that site, is there intent to deceive? The site makes some HUGE claims that will be extremely difficult to deliver on, and they know that. So now we wait and see if they deliver.

The markets have examined President Obama’s stimulus Program and have decided it does not fit the needs of the country and the DOW has tanked. Somehow this is not the change I had hoped for. It is also ironic that President Obama is admonishing mayors against wasteful spending after signing the ‘Mother of All Pork and Earmarks’ bill last week. Somewhere George Orwell is smiling.

Bullet train is great Spendulous! 2 million $ for Neon Lights – thatz not an ear-mark. These pork projects added late into the Recovery Act Articles are the first pork $$ coming to Nevada since Harry “feather weight” Reid was voted into the U.S. senate.

I proudly say I am non partisan. This free wonderful country I grew up in is going down the tubes in the filth of greed and power. I hate the finger pointing and shaking because reality says that is one to the person and three fingers back at you. Every politician is a lying, cheating, self gratiating hypocrite, and this includes mayors. In America today you cannot ELECT A REPRESENTATIVE. You can only ELECT A CORRUPT POLITICIAN. We now longer have the freedom to vote on anything but money marketed celebrity idols.

The majority of Baltimore, Maryland official office seats are held by DEMOCRATS and this state is in bad shape financially. The Mayor has been indicted and the Governor is a piece of work. Both Democrats. So where the heck is the Republicans that are opposing issues for Maryland. Pick your battles Pelosi, and Mr. President. I salute the President for making a statement that hits the lower levels in office and puts them on notice….

northpoleak…good thought but obama and the dems wont listen.this is a fight for our country. the choice is freedom or socialism.were gonna nationalize banks….i hope my banking experience will be better than that at the department of motor vehicles.

“Mayors Endure Finger Wagging from Obama” as the headline? Well, shame on President Obama for wagging his finger while calling for city accountability wit the stimulus funds. How dare he!!

I don’t see anything about cutting the mayor’s pay. Its time for all of our bureaucrats to cut back. Cut the perks, including the mansions, cars, etc. for everyone in all cities, towns, etc. We The Middle Class do not want to pay for these extravagances any longer!

Blofeldbuildings, Yeah and Bush’s tricle-down economic ideas sure did help our economy! We just had a tax cut last year and look at us in the ditch! It is absolute insanity to keep doing the same thing over and over again getting the same result. We need more than tax cuts. Creating jobs puts money into the pocket which is then spent, which in turn primes the employment pump. It is not instantaneous but will help. Even Obama’s tax cuts will help but people need jobs. Right wing ideology brought us to the brink…it didn’t work…there is a greater concentration of wealth in a few hands. America’s middle class is sliding into poverty and the rich got richer under the Republicans. That’s who they represent.

OMG. I just got back home and see posters who are denying that ACORN is getting $$ in the Porkulous bill. Pathetic.
No wonder democrats want the public schools to fail. It garners them votes as those kids grow up.

correct me if I am wrong. How come the banks dont have to keep records of the stimulus money given to them by the Federal Govt. How come Obama wont wag is finger at them. Do people know we gave these banks Billions and they dont have to keep record of what they are doing with it. This needs to be told

Wasteful spending. Is this the same thing as wasting money flying Air Force One across the country for no good reason except for show or to take your wife out for a Valentines supper?

Posters apparently really do support the Porkulous project which even Congressional Democrats said none of them read.
Since when did Americans support legislation no one has actually read?

I am happy Barack Hussein Obama was elected. I voted and campaigned for him. He is seeking policies and bills to help the American people( especially the middle class and underpriledged).Keep seeking to help the American people Mr. President.You are trying to fix the mess.Thank You for considering the poor and economically stretched. Some “Americans” on this blog aren’t used to that. They are so used to ignoring the problems of others.Thank you for working on the things I and many other Americans voted you in office to do.Let’s rebuild America to service ‘all’ it’s inhabitants.

As long as the Rush Limbaughs of this world are the “leaders” of the Republican Party i’ll never support this party.
This type of leadership is encouraging this “Sore Loser” attitude we saw from the House and Senate GOP members and now in site like this one where “cry babies” are making over the top comments on the President.
See you all again in 2010

jack_NYC
So you’d rather support Nancy Pelosi and her rats, Harry and his monorail and Barney Frank and what he did to Fannie and Freddie?
Too bad you don’t care about what is actually good for this nation.

I’m glad that Obama is making it perfectly clear that the stimulus money given to towns and cities should be well spent. Every town and city I’ve ever been in has needed road repair, bridge repair, needed sidewalks where pedestrians frequent, not to mention necessary repairs in schools. Let them all start there as well as making their public buildings more energy effient to give people jobs. I would like it if the White House drew up a list of possible projects for mayors to put in requests for. Dog parks are not a necessity, bridge repair is. Repairing what we have should take precedent over new. It just makes sense to take care of what we own first.
And the best way we can all help is to try to buy American made goods whenever possible, if the quality is there. We have simply got to stop the drain of manufacturing jobs and that is the only way. I will gladly pay a few bucks more for clothing made here, knowing it is helping some other American citizen keep their job. One of the roots of this economic downturn is the steady erosion of jobs out of our country. Our economy simply can’t survive without a lot of manufacturing jobs, as a service and tech economy can’t provide enough well-paying jobs for the millions who live here. The terrible trade imbalances we’ve had for years were a huge flashing danger sign that our economy was heading downhill.

The stock market is going up a tad today because CNN is reporting that Obama is not going to nationalize the banks “for now”.

Hmmm… I do believe that Marshall Matt Dillon has come to town.

don’t mind some amount of stim spending, most people are fine with that. 800B of stim spending is outrages. In 1993, Bill Clinton and a Democrat Congress passed a huge stim bill. Know how much it was? 16B. This bill went over the line, down the hill and crashed into the river.
Posted by: KR
President Clinton DID NOT inherit the mess President Obama inherited hence the large stinulus package. And my one liners are the truth. Obama is here to help that which is broken. You objecting to him shows everything is fine in your world.He will continue to help us whether you like it or not.Just like W. gave you your tax cut.

Obama is telling mayors not to waste money
while he wastes billions of ours.

Here are the figures on federal spending and federal debt held by the public, both as a percent of GDP.
Spending Debt
Pre-Bush average (1960-2000) 20.4% 36.2%
Clinton average (1993-2000) 19.9% 45.1%
Bush average (2001-2007) 19.8% 36.0%
Last year available (2007) 20.0% 36.8%
If you see President Bush as suddenly increasing government spending, or generating unprecedented debt, you need new glasses.

Gee, KR, the CRA was passed in 1977 and you are saying that it did not cause a huge problem until it suddenly turned completely toxic about 30 years later? What did it do, grow rancid?
Maybe you could do better by explaining exactly what has happened in much more recent times which caused this act to become so very deadly…

I’m amazed there are not more CONSTRUCTIVE IDEAS here – we are a country, supposedly united together. Rather than PUT DOWNs, why not use this forum as a CITIZEN community action board.
Posted by: NorthPoleAK | Feb 20, 2009 2:18:17 PM
————————————–
Yeah, I have to agree with you. It’s disappointing to log on here and read comment after comment of Obama, Democrat and/or Republican bashing or falsehoods that have been cooked up by people who want this administration to fail. It’s old, childish, and it’s absolutely not constructive.
We’re in a pretty deep mess. If we’re honest about it, Republicans, Democrats and Independents got us here. Rich, poor and middle class go us here. The banking and housing industry and private consumers got us here. If we’re truthful about it, there’s no shortage of blame to go around.
But, what good does the finger-pointing do us? If you don’t like what the government is doing, offer constructive solutions — contact Representatives, Senators, the President, Vice President, banks, businesses, anybody you think can help get your idea out there. We need our best solutions to come forward now not more bashing of each other.

It is easy to hide preferred interpretations within preprocessed figures, but when you actually LOOK at what happened to the debt between 1980 and 1988, then from 1988 to 1992, then from 1992 to 2000 and finally from 2000 to 2008 – well, that tends to put the lies into better perspective.

Not a lot of time to chat, but I have to chime in. I want to respond to braith morgan, point by point.
He begins, “Some of the comments here are pathetic…” Oh, Braith, don’t give us an opening like that. I’ll restrain myself.
Then he says, “I think the President is doing a fantastic job, I don’t see how it gets much better than this”— Wow, that’s amazing. “…Considering there was nothing for accountability or responsibility for the 1st half of the Stimulus of the Bush administration…” AH, there we go– quick, blame Bush. For anything and everything. No more sensible than trashing everything Obama does (which is not what I do, before someone says the obvious). The program to which i think you refer, btw, is TARP I, which was about the financial meltdown specifically and was not STIMULUS, nor was it intended to be.
Complaints about lack of oversight for it are fine by me– that was a lot of money thrown down a rabbit hole without a lot of explanation, to be sure. And recall that it was passed by a democratically-controlled congress, so it was equal parts paulson/bush and congress in terms of responsibility for
making sure there were safeguards included. But yes, Paulson pushed that baby through Congress as fast as Obama’s team pushed the recent stimulus bill and that was not the best course either time.
Then Briant says, “”There was going to be another Stimulus no matter who was elected… and regardless what some seem to think, tax cuts alone are not the only answer, investing into our own country is the intelligent thing to do…” Ah, here again, you are battling strawmen. Yes, a stimulus plan of some sort seems to have been in order, but that could have taken different forms. Being against THIS stimulus plan is not the same as being against ANY stimulus plan. And while the “some” who think tax cuts along are the answer is an extremely small group, as far as I can tell, there are MANY of us who felt/feel that the particulars of this stimulus plan were not as useful as they could have been and that it will waste more than it will spend wisely and it will create more problems longterm than it solves.
Then we move to, “Plus,,,we get to see where our money is being spent…this is unheard of in the political arena and still some are so nagative…” A step in the right direction, to be sure, but knowing where the money HAS BEEN spent (which is actually what we get to see) does not prevent it from being spent in inefficient or unstimulative ways, necessarily. And I’m wary of the recovery.gov site and withholding final judgement because the initial bar chart (and bubble chart) of “where the money will go” is misleading right off the bat. Note the biggest slice appears to be “tax relief” but if you follow the asterisk for an explanation, it becomes clear that this is not the same as a tax cut, and that lots of stuff is lumped together here to make it appear that there is less spending and more tax cutting than there actually is.
He concludes, “I am just thrilled that McCain and his flunky are not heading up such a massive plan.” Well, here we differ. McCain had good ideas and some of them keep popping up in current administration plans (like some of the housing stuff). *G* He would have brought in wise counselors, just as Obama has, and would have crafted his own plan, which I expect would have had billions less in pork and more tax cuts for business, among other things. But “what if” is a game, isnt’ it?

I have a constructive suggestion.
Outlaw variable rate loans. They are only good if interest rates are high. When they drop, just refinance. When people get variable rate loans when interest rates are low, they are not very bright. Your payments will only go up. So, just get rid of the whole thing all together.

KR: Does that article also show that the CRA – originally passed and intended to encourage ownership of lower-cost homes by lower-income homeowners in “depressed” (i.e. ghetto) areas – ultimately came to be used to justify mortgaging-to-the-hilt of much more upscale homes in suddenly-appreciating areas by upper-middle-class owners – thus helping create the “bubble” of over-inflated home prices and over-mortgaged owners?

Sorry, sosupernova. Not buying it, and neither is an increasing number of economists, the floor of the Chicago stock exchange, or high school students in Mesa, Arizona.
Blather on all you want about how trickle-down economics don’t work, but the fact is, they already have. It’s what has made the United States the wealthiest nation in the history of all time and space, allowing the U.S. to bring aid, food, technology, medicine and comfort to not only its own people, but countries the world over.
Why do you think millions of people the world over continue to beat a path to the United States? It’s so they can create a life for themselves that they would NEVER have in their home countries.
What has allowed this to flourish? CAPITALISM and the FREE MARKET of goods and ideas.
Let me ask you a question, sosupernova: If the government continues to apply pressure on businesses to the point that they fold up and leave, how would your beloved government survive? Hmmm? Where would they get the money for their goofy programs, pork bills and jets to the Vatican? Can you answer me that question?
GOVERNMENT CONSUMES
PRIVATE SECTOR PRODUCES

Oh dear, Obama is a total idiot. I thought Bush was bad.
I am sorry I voted for Obama. I didn’t mean to hurt everyone by electing this ego-maniac on a power trip
He will get his. I am an old lady and have seen many things. Obama is a snake-oil salesman and is act is already wearing thin.
Michelle Obama is a joke who makes me sick

Okay, if you REALLY want to understand the National Debt, then Google “treasury direct historical debt outstanding annual” and pick the dot-gov website at the top. Then you can bypass all the biased interpretations offered by others here and elsewhere.

“It wasn’t until interest rates fell to all time lows in 2003-4 that home ownership went up drastically, nearly overnight, mostly with variable rate loans”
So Bush’s monetary policy combined with his push for homeownership were much bigger culprits in the real estate bubble and subsequent collapse than the right wing bogeyman ACORN.
Thanks for the info KR!

Obama’s still thinking too short term.
Automatically flushing toilets will easily pay for themselves over the next 10-20 years in maintenance costs and water savings.
The stimulus bill should have included at least $1 billion worth of funding for low-flow toilets and waterless urinals.
The problem is, cretins like some of the people posting above are why our country can’t have nice things.

Do me a favor. Go look up the unemployment at the start of FDR’s “New Deal” and the unemployment rate 8 years later. Then come back and tell me how great government job spending is.
Posted by: KR | Feb 20, 2009 12:12:45 PM
===================================
Do me a favor and stop using all these antiquated disconnected examples. There is NO MODEL I repeat NO MODEL from which we can reference for what we are experiencing today. The markets have changed. Globilization was virtually unheard of back then. Technology and crossed over from the industrial age to information age.
Unemployment is only one factor of many we face today. We have
Multinational business failures
Record home foreclosure
Two Wars in progress
Corruption and greed
Crumbling infrastructure
Most state budgets in the red
many many more
fdr? ha give me a break.

“fdr? ha give me a break.”
omentum, I brought up FDR and the New Deal as an example of massive government spending to try and curve an economy. If anything, your point about globalization reinforces the fact that the U.S. government can’t save a global economy. You make my point even stronger.

What in the world does The Won mean by the macho threat to “call out”, exactly?
It’s all horse-puckey, the same empty posing that worked at rallies to get Him the nomination.

“THAT was Bush’s “inheritance”.”
The economy took a dive in 2002 AFTER 9/11. One that rebounded sharply.
Now I’m with you, the debt was outrages. Big spending bills rolled out of our government. But with tax cuts and spending, the economy still tanked. There’s a pattern here that I’ve been trying to point out. The government doesn’t control the economy folks. They can nudge a little, but that’s it.

“Go look up the unemployment at the start of FDR’s ‘New Deal’ and the unemployment rate 8 years later…”
In 1932 we DID NOT HAVE comprehensive unemployment statistics: there was no real U-E compensation and workers let go or new workers joining the potential workforce from school were not consistently counted. It was only as the New Deal programs progressed that we even got the systems in place to count the number of Americans out of work or “underemployed” in low-paying jobs. As these statistical tools came to bear, they seemed to show greater “unemployment” even while less and less people were walking the streets or living in cardboard boxes.
Remember that it was Herbert Hoover (R) who famously stated of street-corner apple sellers, “Many people have left their jobs for the more profitable one selling apples.”
In 1932, such souls were not considered to be “unemployed”!!!

Jordan, go pick any stastistic you want, any economic indicator you can find, between 1933 through 1940. There was very little, if any change at all. In 1938, it was proclaimed that there was the “Second Depression” or “New Depression”, 5 years after the government spending. There is no historical account that justifies government spending with economic growth.

How do you think that rail line happens, Peach? Magic? Do you think maybe it has to be designed, built and operated? Or does it appear instantly via some voodoo?

Obama is a hypocrite.

Jordan, go pick any stastistic you want, any economic indicator you can find, between 1933 through 1940. There was very little, if any change at all. In 1938, it was proclaimed that there was the “Second Depression” or “New Depression”, 5 years after the government spending. There is no historical account that justifies government spending with economic growth.
Posted by: KR | Feb 20, 2009 4:06:33 PM
==============================
Again KR. I think you should put up your history book and pull out your book of TODAY. You are just mucking up the waters by exhuming this stuff. I repeat the mixture of issues we face today are UNPRECEDENTED. UNPRECEDENTED. Did I mention that this perfect storm of problems are UNPRECEDENTED.
What do we do now. Hey, maybe you are absolutely right about what happened around 100 b.c. but does it work today. The put leaches on the infections back then … do we do it today????
The President is going to lead this country his way as mandated by the voters. He is carrying out that mandate regardless of all the punditry.

“…Big spending bills rolled out of our government.”
In 2001??? With Newt’s Righteous Armey of DeLay in full control of Congress??? The vaunted GOP wrote SPENDING BILLS???
Oh, yes… war costs and no-bid contracts to Halliburton and its subsidiaries did not count as “spending” in the eyes of the GOP. Only such things as caring for our wounded veterans and homeless hurricane victims, and repairing our corroding infrastructure so that the bridges on our Interstates would not fall down – ONLY THAT would qualify as “spending” under the nomenclature of the GOP!
So despite all claims to the contrary, the war in Iraq and the “war on terror” (or perhaps the war OF terror) have cost our nation nearly $5 TRILLION!

” I think you should put up your history book and pull out your book of TODAY.”
Because Jordan, history is knowledge. Education comes from what past experiences. When history doesn’t jive with your world view, you just dismiss it? FDR did the EXACT same strategy as Obama, whatever the conditions, the rules are the same. How can you discount proven history with muckity muck about tomorrow? It’s been tried before, why not seek its knowledge and results? The great depression was FAR FAR worse than this is. Sure, you can discount the similarities and promote the differences, but it is the same principle approach.

Omentum, Chill! Unprecedented circumstances? Hardly! Well, by one measure, it is unprecedented because no two sets of circumstances are identical, no two catastrophes are exactly the same, etc. etc. Yes, in that way, our current economic situation is unprecedented. However, this is not the greatest economic disaster our country has faced– not even close. It is not a unique financial situation that defied comparison to anything that has come before. It is not so major an economic downturn that it requires an exponentially greater response from the government than has ever happened before , else the country itself collapses. Gloomy? Oh, yeah. Difficult? Absolutely. However, we have dealt with disasters in the past and pulled out of them and will do so again. Ignoring the lessons of history is foolish. Arguing about what those lessons actually are is a useful exercise– not even all economic historians agree on what aspects of the New Deal “worked” economically, for example.
And the president does not have a mandate for his stimulus/housing/ economic recovery plans based on the election, because he did not campaign on those plans. PLEASE NOTE I am not saying he did not win decisively or that he should not govern according to his principles. I am simply pointing out that the economic problems showed up very late in the campaign and NONE of the candidates campaigned on how to get us out of this specific mess. He did not propose this sort of massive stimulus bill during the campaign, for example. So we don’t really know how such a proposal would have gone down with the voting public.

Go read about it instead of swallowing drivel. I had always thought great things about the New Deal until I researched it and realized my assumptions about it were all wrong. War and sacrifice brought us out of the depression, along with massive debt.
So if you can get about 20 million Americans to join the military and be able to pay for it, we’re good to go.
Posted by: KR | Feb 20, 2009 4:23:07 PM
=================================
KR
What do we do now???? Get in your time machine and come back to Feb 20 2009 aka TODAY….
This is not about whose right and whose wrong. Its about what are you gonna do.
I would rather be part of the solution instead of being part of this swill being regurgitated from the right. It doesn’t help at all when Limbaugh flap his jowls and when Hannity whine with that stomach churning voice. And then to hear their minions regurgitate it to the letter is NOT HELPING.
Dems gained the trust of the people for the past 4 years.
To gain footing with America, you don’t continue the same behavior that put you in exile.

“This is not about whose right and whose wrong. Its about what are you gonna do.”
Ok so you don’t like the 1930′s example, how about the 1970′s example? I’m guessing you were born near there, maybe after. In the early 80′s, we cut spending and did massive tax cuts on this dirty filthy rich people!. The economy recovered quickly. So. Lets do that.
Oops. Well, can’t help the rich cause they EMPLOY YOU. So lets cut them off at the knees and cackle wildly at our revenge! Then we can look to the government when we get our pink slip. Yeah, I’m for that plan right there. Lets do it.

Personally, I could care less, but don’t even begin to tell me that I need to turn my thermostat down, or drive less, or what have you. He needs to take that out of his comments from now on.
Posted by: KR | Feb 20, 2009 4:36:52 PM
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Tell me… what’s wrong with that. Maybe it doesn’t penetrate that your titanium cranium but just maybe it will hit home with most and we can conserve a little energy.
He is the president. A new president that has a lot of bridges to mend. I know you may have admired the closed door secrecy of Dubya but Obama is not wired that way. He loves to go out and mingle with the American People.
He travels a certain way for security purposes. should he take the bus or the train everywhere? just curious.
Just curious should multi-millionaire CEO’s turn down their bonuses too?

“Just curious should multi-millionaire CEO’s turn down their bonuses too?”
For struggling corporations, absolutely and many have. I applaud them. Those that haven’t, they get the brown eye from me but I’m not going to ask big brother government to go beat em up. The stock holders will do that.

“Go read about it instead of swallowing drivel.”
What’s the difference if what you read is drivel?

“Amazing that all the Limbaughbots here rail against the POTUS for flying somewhere on Air Force One.”
You don’t have to be right to question The Won’s flying around in a “crisis” to squeeze teevee time out of squealing people in the hinterlands, bragging about His “spiffy ride”. It might infuriate ANYbody.
The gee-whiz-I’m-”black” bit is about done, maybe.
(MICHELLE Obama, at the Transportation event today, was just GOOSING the crowd for applause, when they didn’t cheer where she thought they should — it was unseemly and embarrassing.)

In all these arguements there is no scientific control to compare results therefore this is all opinion. Maybe expert opinion, but opinion nonetheless.
You can’t prove any of it.

” It’s call history for a reason HIS-story. No one have a personal account of what happened so you have to measure all HISTORY with a grain of salt because it’s all engineered.
I bet your history book tells you indians were the savages… right?”
Whoa whoa whoa. First, no my history books do not depict indians as savages. My grandmother was Indian so I probably know more about that than you do. Second, in terms of civilizations, Indians were underdeveloped and prone to violence, just like humanity, and even tribes in some places around the world today.
And no, you don’t take history with a grain of salt. What your talking about is incomplete information about historical events. You have to be a little more disciplined than that. Considering I have a rather large library on WW2, with US books, German books, even a Japanese book explaining perspectives, economics, and cultures, I think its a little more reliable than historical brush overs you seem to be pointing out.

Jordan I don’t see that period through the same lens you do. And you’re correct that have never heard anyone link unions to industry growth. Have a credible link with that data?

Mayors should point out to Obama and his administration that they and their constituents are keeping tabs too. Hmmm let’s see…$30 million pork I mean stimulous for wetlands in the San Fran Bay area…$275 billion of mortgage to those who were irresponsible…

KR: I suggest you might start with Manchester’s popular history tome about that era, “The Glory and the Dream” (vol 1). It will give you an overview, and from that you can find any kind of reference you want.
Study the rise to union power of John L. Lewis in detail, also: he was rather an interesting and well-educated fellow, all in all, and had some very enlightening encounters with industry leaders. Study labor strife and the various massacres of laborers – and their families – by union-busting thugs in the 1930′s. Study wage and hour laws during the same period.

I guess it is a ” do as I say, not as I do” from President Obama. Look at all the fat and ridiculous spending in the stimulus package that he used to pay back the people who helped him get elected. It is already obvious that Obama puts himself above the others. HOld onto your pants the next 4 years.

I think Barack should turn over all his campaign money from all those little donors (har-har). That money back in their pockets would be a nice stimulus. Oh, wait, too many of them have made-up names and are foreign nationals.

“I think Barack should turn over all his campaign money from all those little donors (har-har)” … Well, gee, John McCain had quite a war chest, too. Maybe HE should give all that money away “for the good of the nation”.
And Giuliani, Brownback, Gilmore, Hunter, Huckabee, Paul, Romney, Tancredo, Thompson (F) and Thompson (T) as well.
Better yet, let’s just sell off Sarah Palin’s wardrobe!

Agreed, Peach. “Chide and posture, scold and pose/But we all know the way this goes./Bid the servants mind their cents/And claim your dollars lost make sense.”

Thank you Mr. President!!!
Accountability is really what is needed, especially after the past 8 years, where $1 trillion was wasted in Iraq without accountability.
Very refreshing for a business owner like me.
Thank you Mr. President!

Money is fungible and once it is given to mayors without strings (which is what this is), there can be no accountability by Obama or anyone else. At least with earmarks, you knew what the money would be used for. This way, it is a giant slush fund, no matter what Obama has you believing.

Right on schedule, Barry.
What a clueless bunch of idiots liberals are. Being duped by a snake oil salesman…
GO OBAMA 2012!

Come on mate, join us here on this ship of fools.
“The ship of fools is an allegory that has long been a fixture in Western literature and art. The allegory depicts a vessel populated by human inhabitants who are deranged, frivolous, or oblivious, passengers aboard a ship without a pilot, and seemingly ignorant of their own direction.”

Thank you, Tim, for your ship of fools allegory, which could easily be applied to a pack of dogs. Or the present cat-astrophic state of the GOP. Their sphere of influence is getting as contracted as a mousehole these days. But being oblivious to their own diminished capacity, they bark and bellow like stupid dogs running aimlessly in circles, rather than coming to their pack senses and working towards the good of the country. Excuse my partisan hair raising and hissing, but I proudly hold my tail high as a Democat.

Obama lost his credibility on wasteful spending the day he signed that horrendous “stimilus” package, so it’s a little hypocritical for him to be preaching to mayors about them spending unwisely, don’t you think? Sort of reminds me of his famous speech on race during the campaign. He sat in TUCC for 20 years, listening to that horrible, racist, divisive babble from Reverend Wright, but he’s going to give the nation a lecture on race relations? Sheer lunacy that people don’t see the grand hypocrisy in everything that comes out of his mouth. Wake up.

In only a month Pres. Obama has done more than the president over the last eight years. Unfortunately the party that lost still can’t believe it and wants him to fail. This will not happen. Maybe everything he does will not be perfect but he is a president who is not afraid to tak action and has and will take ownership of his deeds. that is more than the other party has done, yet.