These were the words of President Barack Obama urging Congress to forgo scrutinizing, debating, and reading the massive stimulus package that he proposed and to simply pass it. His remarks about the imminent “economic catastrohpe” if we delayed acting took place more than two months ago. Here are his remarks below:

Well, Congress took his advice and along partisan lines the Democrats passed the stimulus package in record time… so what has happened since passing this massive spending bill? The federal government has spent less than six percent of the allocated money. What happened to “acting now?” With millions of people losing their jobs since the recession began and with more unemployment claims expected to come in due to the government-managed Chrysler bankruptcy and inevitable GM restructuring, the Democrats’ claim that the stimulus is the only thing that could “jolt” life back into the economy is not being followed up on.

The truth of the matter is that the “stimulus” was really never meant to stimulate anything but government itself. A lot of the money being “offered” to states is not coming for free, but rather with strings attached. For example, here in Florida, in order to receive $444 million in funds, the state would have to expand unemployment eligibility which would eventually mean raising taxes in Florida. Some of the money is being diverted to supplement government-run programs that have been underfunded through regular taxes, for example $600 million to the Superfund program that cleans up pollution which was supposed to be financed by an energy tax (this tax has been brought back) that expired in 1995. The article says that “Ronald Naman, the E.P.A. [Environmental Protection Agency] manager for the Vineland site, said the new money would create or save about 20 jobs.” $600 million = 20 jobs. Wow! At this rate $787 billion = 26,233.3 jobs. Which brings us to the “oxymoron of the day:”

GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY

The stimulus will end up changing state laws and bloating government programs that will, in the end, need sustained funding from the taxpayer, i.e. us. The Democrats made a big deal about exit strategies a few years ago, well… where’s the stimulus package exit strategy? Is it any wonder that Republicans were almost unanimous in voting against this flagrant attempt at inflating the size of the federal government? With all the infighting between Republicans after losing the election, such common sense and such solidarity was a welcome breath of fresh air.

So… for all the fear-mongering about the collapse of the economy, barely 6% of the “urgent” stimulus has been pumped into the economy. Did the new administration just pulled a fast one on all taxpaying Americans? I think you guys already know the answer to that one.

-AG