I'm sorry, but the Stimulus Package is the most LIBERAL, PROGRESSIVE, KEYNSIAN BILL in decades

[Taverner]

Not even the Clinton or Carter admins passed anything as LIBERAL as the stim package

To me, the doubling of Unemployment is the icing on the cake. 1 year of benefits now - it used to be 5 months. Who gets a job in 5 months in this economy?

We can bash Obama and Congress all we want, but they created and PASSED the most LIBERAL piece of legislation to clear Congress in years. Honestly, the last time Democrats did this was LBJ.

Let me remind everyone what's in it (on edit):

Health Care

- $87 billion for Medicaid health care coverage for the poor.
- $19 billion to accelerate the use of health information technology systems.

Education
- $53.6 billion in direct aid to states, including $40.6 billion for local school districts, $5 billion in bonus grants for meeting key education performance measures and $8 billion for public safety and other critical services.
- $2,500 annual tax credit for higher education expenses.
- $500 increase in the maximum Pell Grant for low-income college students to $5,350 in 2009 and $5,550 in 2010.
- $13 billion for Title I grants for schools in low-income areas.
- $12.2 billion for special education.
- $2 billion for the Child Care Development Block Grant program to help low-income parents.
- $1.1 billion for Early Head Start and $1 billion for Head Start.

Infrastructure
- $29 billion to modernize roads and bridges.
- $18 billion for clean water, flood control and environmental restoration.
- $8.4 billion for transit.
- $8 billion for high-speed rail.
- $5 billion to upgrade Defense Department facilities, including housing for troops.
- $4.5 billion to make federal office buildings more energy-efficient.

Tax cuts
- "Making Work Pay" tax credit of $400 for single filers earning up to $100,000 and $800 for couples earning up to $200,000.
- Allow low-income families earning as little as $3,000 to qualify for the child tax credit.
- Expands the Earned Income Tax Credit for families with three or more children and increases marriage penalty relief.
- Exempts 24 million taxpayers, for another year, from the Alternative Minimum Tax.
- Revises the $7,500 tax credit for first-time homebuyers by removing the repayment requirement.
- Exempts from federal taxes the state and local sales taxes paid on the purchase of cars, light trucks and SUVs.
- Temporarily exempts some unemployment benefits from income taxes.

Unemployed
- Continues through December 2009 the program that provides up to 33 weeks of extended unemployment benefits.
- $25 increase in weekly unemployment benefits.
- A 60 percent federal subsidy for up to nine months for the cost of continuing an employer's health care coverage after a layoff under COBRA.

Food
- Increase monthly food stamp benefits by more than 13 percent.
- $100 million for emergency food and shelter to help community groups.
^Workers
- $4 billion for job training.
- $2 billion for the Neighborhood Stabilization Program to help communities buy and fix up foreclosed, vacant properties.
- $1.5 billion for the Emergency Shelter Grant program to provide short-term rental assistance and other aid.
- Payment of $250 to Social Security and disability recipients and veterans receiving disability compensation and pension benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
- Extends Trade Adjustment Assistance benefits over the next two years for at least 160,000 new workers who lose their jobs because of increased imports or factory shifts to certain foreign countries.

Energy
- $30 billion for a smart power grid, advanced battery technology and other energy efficiency measures.
- $20 billion in tax incentives for renewable energy and energy efficiency over the next 10 years.
- $6.3 billion for energy efficiency in multifamily housing getting federal assistance, such as HUD-sponsored low-income housing.
- $5 billion to weatherize more than 1 million homes owned by "modest-income" families.

Science
- $8.5 billion for programs at the National Institutes of Health, including biomedical research on Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, cancer and heart disease.
- $3 billion for basic research by the National Science Foundation.
- $1.6 billion for the Department of Energy's Office of Science for areas such as climate, biofuels, high-energy physics, nuclear physics and fusion energy.
- $1.5 billion for NIH to renovate university research facilities.
- $1 billion for NASA, including $400 million for climate change research.

Broadband
- $7 billion to expand broadband services to under-served communities.


http://www.13wmaz.com/article/20090212/NEWS04/90212039/1013

[Thrill]

1. Greg Palast said on AA that it has the whole Democratic Party platform in it

Dream Bill.

[Tigermoose]

2. K & R

The final passage of this bill will be enormously good news.

[Avalux]

3. Don't be sorry - it's true! What an acheivement for Obama and Dems.

I know there was much rancor back and forth over the specifics but in the end, the bill is close to what Obama wanted in the first place.

Now - let's just hope it works. ;)

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

4. Honestly, DUers and liberals opposing this bill fall into three classes

1) Not actually progressives.
2) Those that simply prefer to whine.
3) Total morons that have not educated themselves adequately about the bill, yet speak about it anyway.

I'm open to the idea that there may be another category or two, but I have to say, I'm not sure there are any.

[Taverner]

Or #4 (which is actually a subset of #1)

Freeper Trolls trying to stir up shit

I can think of a few who showed their ugly troll faces in the past few days...

[mmonk]

14. Judge much? Some of us don't like some of the compromises

that weaken its impact. That being said, it needs to be passed and maybe later some things can be added.

[Taverner]

18. Personally I'm hoping for several Stim bills

One for National Security (real Nat Security - inside the US - bomb detection units at shipyards, etc...)

One with more Education Stim

A Peace Corps Expansion bill (our image abroad is so bad right now)

And definitely something for the folks who used to work in manufacturing....not just job training, but something that PUTS them in LIVING WAGE jobs

And of course, I would love to see the Minmum wage become a Living Wage

But I am happy with this bill, it's already a marked improvement over any bill I've ever seen in my life time.

[mmonk]

39. We definitely need one more for education.

[Windy]

30. that is the plan. Obama has said clearly that this is a first step. nt

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

32. Some of us don't like *any* compromises.

As you said, it needs to be passed and it's not like there's no chance to revisit some of the stuff that was left out.

[Taverner]

34. It's a Purity issue - if one thing goes wrong they storm the St Petersburg Gates

:eyes:

[iamthebandfanman]

42. exactly

nothing wrong with compromises... its the compromises that contradict everything else that are upsetting.

[mmonk]

46. Yep.

[The Doctor.]

17. The "glass half empty" folks....

And unless I've been misled, there's a nice chunk of corporate welfare in there too.

[Taverner]

19. Yeah yeah that's to be expected

And the fact that Caterpillar is reneging on the layoffs isn't giving me any faith that they will do anything productive with it...

[EFerrari]

25. Some economists seem to believe it's not enough.

I think I agree with them. :shrug:

[Taverner]

26. Yes, but if Obama builds credibility with this one

There will most likely be more...

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

31. Who's to say this has to be the last run?

:shrug:

[EFerrari]

33. I don't know enough about when and how the money is to be used

to know if a "second pass" will be effective or how much it will cost politically. Sometimes you need it all up front. :shrug:

[Taverner]

41. I am hoping some of it helps speed up the Bay Bridge Retrofit

That has been dragging on too long!

Say what you will about Mayor Willie Brown, but on his watch he got stuff DONE

(I still like Gavin too, btw)

[EFerrari]

43. I was sort of hoping the wetlands funds thing was true.

lol

:)

[MercutioATC]

45. Depends on your definition of "Progressive"

If it's "Push through an entire spending bill under the auspice of an emergency stimulus bill and act indignant when people suggest that there's WAY too much non-stimulus stuff in it" then yes, I fall under category #1.

[leftstreet]

5. Meh. They were much more liberal in handing out $ to Wall Street

[Taverner]

6. Yes they were

But who was president? Was it Obama? Nope.

[EFerrari]

20. Yep. And I heard an economist on Amy' show today say very plainly

that it was too small by 2/3s. He said there were many very admirable inclusions but that it was too small and that the president would have to come back in the Spring or Summer to ask for about double the amount and how hard that would be to do.

Here's the link for people who understand economics better than I do:

http://www.democracynow.org/2009/2/13/robert_kuttner_and_michael_hudson_on

Transcript, audio, video at link.

[Taverner]

24. One thing at a time....

I am hoping for, and pushing for a Stim Bill #2, Stim Bill #3

Obama has to build up cred first

If this stim helps, then there will be a sequel

[leftstreet]

28. Don't you get it? If Obama had to 'fight' for this flaccid thing, what's next?

Single payer healthcare?

$20 an hour minimum wage?

Nationalized banking system?

:rofl:

[Believing Is Art]

35. I'm hoping it's done differently

I'd like to see Congress pass a string of smaller, more specific bills that bring the total $ value close to what it should be instead of passing another large stimulus. Doing that would prevent some of the sticker shock, get done more quickly, and help give credence to the stimulus bill once the economy turns around. I'm afraid that going back and asking for one or two more large bills will tarnish the idea that government spending is needed to get the economy back on track.

[Taverner]

36. That would work too - I just think the main this is that this will not be the only bill

Stimulus Bill that is

[bdamomma]

7. when are they going to vote for this.

another thread said Boehner was crying, what a POS he is.

[Taverner]

8. Boehner is such a....BONER!!!

Couldn't resist...

Yeah, I thought it was supposed to go to vote yesterday?

[Avalux]

9. House to vote very soon. Procedural vote underway now; final vote next -

live on CSPAN if you want to watch.

[Taverner]

10. Maybe you can explain this to me - Didn't they already vote on it?

Or do they have to vote and re-vote on every single revision?

[Avalux]

11. They voted before it went to conference w/Senate and changes were made.

Now they need to vote again and then the Senate will vote again too.

[Taverner]

12. It makes sense - but does this happen with every bill?

Of course I am not a CSPAN addict - I should be though...

[Avalux]

16. I'm not either, lol.

Have a lot of time on my hands since being laid off last week though so I've been following this closely. I don't think re-votes happen on most bills - there were House and Senate versions of the stimulus bill so reconciliation needed to happen, then a re-vote. :hi:

[EFerrari]

22. If the bills are not identical, they have to, yes. n/t

[jmg257]

13. When did the tax cuts cut-off go up to $100,000 / 200,000?

[Greyhound]

15. Get it through and here's hoping.

:toast:

[barbtries]

21. i literally teared up

reading this. i haven't paid enough attention - thank you! no apology necessary

[malaise]

23. And it's just passed in the House

Fuck all Rushicans and those seven Dems.
Vote so far:

243 Yea 180 Nah with 9 still to vote.

[barbtries]

27. every fucking republican

against those they are sworn to serve. jeez i hate the bastards.

[Taverner]

29. They hate us for our freedom. Remember that.

They would want nothing more than the US to descend into utter chaos, so they can come in on a white horse and "save" us

[donco6]

37. It's FABULOUS!

(singing) my school won't go bankrupt this year, la la la, my school is going to get some money, la la la.

[eridani]

38. True, but it shows how far standards have dropped since the New Deal n/t

[Taverner]

40. Sad but true

Although it is more Liberal than any bill since Great Society legislation

[4 t 4]

44. T I agree with you

completely but how much better was it when it started at 940 million in it's originality before these fuckers got their hands on it ? That's all I'm saying

[Odin2005]

47. The new New Deal has arrived!

:bounce:

[Cleita]

48. So I'm listening to the Senate Republicans whine about this.

They said it's one of the largest spending bill ever. Did they forget about the $1.3 trillion dollar giveaway in tax cuts when Bush took office that they are still giving away?

[Laelth]

49. Nothing to be "sorry" about.

It is a great achievement.

The United States is a LIBERAL Country.

:dem:

-Laelth

[Oilwellian]

50. K&R

This thread doesn't belong on the 2nd page just yet. :D

[and-justice-for-all]

51. Thank you for this info...nt

[orleans]

52. "I'm sorry?" (and for this you're sorry? why?)

jk

[wroberts189]

53. ...Believe in this guy , he will deliver

[Veritas_et_Aequitas]

54. Wall said. nt