November 22, 2009
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Lawmakers give stimulus outcomes a failing grade
When the six-month report card on the economic stimulus has mocking quotation marks around the word "stimulus," one might anticipate low grades.
Republican lawmakers from the region don't think much of the $787 billion package, which became law on Feb. 17.
Northwest Missouri Congressman Sam Graves, the top Republican on the House Small Business Committee, called the spending "wasteful" and not helpful to an economic comeback.
“Speaker Pelosi and President Obama gave us a stimulus package allocating less than one percent to small businesses, the job creators of our nation," he said in a statement. "This simply does not make sense.”
Mr. Graves cited statistics that showed lending to small businesses down 33 percent while the jobless rate threatens double-digits. He pointed to a national newspaper poll indicating 57 percent of U.S. residents doubt the effectiveness of the stimulus plan.
"It’s time to start listening to Americans," he said, advocating for less spending and fewer taxes for the "job creators" of the nation. "That's what is needed to help our businesses succeed."
Congresswoman Lynn Jenkins, who represents counties in Northeast Kansas, said 2.8 million Americans have lost jobs since the stimulus bill took effect.
"Kansans have been forced to make sacrifices to make ends meet in this recession, and they know we can’t spend our way back to prosperity," she said.
“Rather than recklessly spending taxpayer dollars on programs that don’t work, I am hopeful when Congress returns to Washington in September that all members can work together to curb spending, control debt and get Americans back to work.”
The lawmakers are in their districts now for the August congressional recess.
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This is hilarious. One politician makes choices based on the fact that 57% of Americans believe something, and the other thinks there is some magic plan to bring us back to prosperity for free. Please share this wonderful plan with us. What a joke!
The joke was the so called stimulus. Want to know a way to bring us back to prosperity? Cut Taxes... Give the corporations and small business more money at the end of the month and they can hire more people.. The more people working the more people will get out and spend money.. It is a vicious cycle that starts by cutting taxes, not increasing the debt.
Wow some people are just not bright enough to get it. First most on the right have a mind set that will not let the country move a head, we tried the tax cuts for the big corporations, lets see how did that go again? Oh yeah we are all screwed up. Heres your idea let just keep going down the drain so you can make the president look bad to fit your so-called political philoshpy. Let me know if I am moving to fast for you. The right stick to bullet points that they are feed and do not fully understand. Right now these corps that are feeding you their bullet points are trying to protect their profits at your expense; yes I said you and all the rest of you wing nuts. Maybe you like being ruled by fear, not me I am a man and an American I like to rise to meet my challenges and try to sove problems that will have a better outcome for all; you know the American way. The right wing feed machine would rather see you cowering in fear as you apparently are because they think that is the only way to control the masses, keep them scared. So heres an idea MAN-UP shed your fear and try to contribute instead of trying to disrupt and be an American not a special interest puppet that is not smart enough to see it.
The president is doing enough on his own to look bad. He doesn't need us to help him.