Stimulus? Or just plain pork?

Inter Lake editorial

President Barack Obama and congressional Democrats can call it economic stimulus legislation if they want, but in reality the $819 billion package is a nuclear pork bomb.

It is so astoundingly bloated that it is difficult to spell out all of the more ridiculous expenditures that will allegedly stimulate the economy.

Over the last week, there has been a steady trickle of reports revealing pet pursuits as journalists have combed their way through the 647-page bill. And they keep on coming.

How about $50 million for the National Endowment for the Arts? Or $100 million for a federal lead hazard reduction program? Or $335 million for the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases? Or $4 billion for "neighborhood stabilization activities"?

Unfortunately, about $54 billion is tabbed to go to federal programs. Sure, that will generate jobs, but it will also translate into permanent, expensive government growth.

And it's very unlikely that the public and the media will fully comprehend the overwhelming enormity of the stimulus package as it is rushed through Congress, propelled by alarmist urgency that it's necessary to stem the very real job losses across the country.

The big question is will it work? The editors at the Wall Street Journal don't think so, concluding that "by our estimate only $90 billion [in the proposed stimulus plan], or about 12 cents of every dollar, is for something that can plausibly be considered a growth stimulus. And even many of these projects aren't likely to help the economy immediately."

For a fleeting moment, we were hopeful when Barack Obama talked about demanding accountability in the spending package and insisting that there wouldn't be any "bridges to nowhere."

There was supposed to be an emphasis on 'shovel-ready" public infrastructure projects, but now it appears that only about $30 billion is destined for roads and bridges with an admission that some of those projects aren't expected to begin for two years.

The best part of the package is it includes an array of tax cuts worth $275 billion. Those measures will indeed provide a quick kick start to the economy with the private sector determining how to 'spread the wealth" rather than Congress.

One has to wonder what kind of recovery might ensue if the entire $819 billion were simply distributed to American families and businesses. Nope, that would be too simple for a political mindset that firmly believes Washington knows best.

House Republicans have proposed a variety of alternatives with a much stronger emphasis on tax cuts. But the Democrats are pressing ahead with their own boondoggling plan, and Republicans should let them have full ownership. That's what happened Wednesday when House Republicans unanimously rejected the plan, which nonetheless passed 244-188.