Democrats and Republicans, agree with the White House, that an economic stimulus plan is urgently needed to stem the continued erosion in the American economy and return to the economic tides of growth.
However, in what has become typical of the leadership of Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, the Democrats in the House, have penned their own stimulus bill, to the exclusion of Republican members of Congress and included numerous spending proposals which will do little to support the stimulus that is so urgently needed today.
The politics of old still reign supreme on the Hill and Nancy Pelosi is the Queen of Capitol Hill. The Democrats won a definitive victory in the recent election. However, the leader of their party President Barack Obama, ran on a platform calling for bipartisanship, which would incorporate Republicans and Democrats working together to hone the best legislation possible to support the nation in this economic crisis.
The Democratic stimulus is filled with traditional spending programs that naturally support their collective agenda. Providing additional funds for the arts and maintaining America’s parks and monuments are all well and good however, one questions the immediacy of these plans and how they relate to stimulate job creation in the economy.
What strikes me as completely obscene in the appropriations bill is that within this $825 Billion stimulus, less than $900 million is allocated to small businesses in America.
Politicians on the stump are generally quick to praise entrepreneurs and small business owners as the backbone of the American economy, therefor, one would expect broader support of small businesses and entrepreneurs in an economic stimulus package that is supposedly targeted to create new jobs as well as support existing employment.
Republicans in Congress are proposing sustainable and deeper tax cuts that will benefit all Americans and businesses alike. They do not favor the class war politics of Nancy Pelosi but rather treat each taxpayer equally. I seem to recall a line in the Constitution that refers to equality as well. Perhaps Nancy and her supporters should take a moment and reflect on that.
I honestly can’t tell who is on the right side of stimulus anymore. It’s a mad world.