The stimulus bill is NOT $825 B in SPENDING; it's $550 B in spending.

[lostnfound]

To the typical American sucking up a steady force-fed gruel of trickle-down ideology for 25 years, this is an important difference. Since it isn't going to do all that needs to be done -- Obama has said we will need more later -- it's a good distinction to make.

Even our own congressmen are sometimes saying things like "spending $825 B is.."

Clearly, $550 B isn't going to break the bank anymore than a trillion dollar war in Iraq did (obviously with infinitely better effect). And unlike the Bush tax cuts, the $275 M in tax cuts are going to help almost everyone from the bottom up, not more for the "have-mores". This important distinction is getting intentionally muddled by the rightwing, and they will surely rack this up -- the whole $825 B -- as "liberal spending" in their diatribes to stir up their base.

Just making people aware of it is good.

[valerief]

1. Yeah, TARP is the spending bill. 700 billion for thin air. nt

[Oregone]

2. Same thing...

"Spending" or not, the other $275 creates a budget deficit. Further, being that such a deficit comes at the cost of not as much money being injected into the economy, its pricier (dollar for dollar) than the actual "spending". Just saying. I think you are trying to split hairs on that point, when there are none to split.

[lostnfound]

3. It is NOT the same thing.

Ideologically, the Republicans supposedly love tax cuts. Theoretically tax cuts shrink the size of government (or at least its ability to pay for stuff). With respect to a balanced budget, you are right. But to those who are focused on the individualist vs collectivist spectrum there is a huge difference.

If the government gives us as individuals $1 trillion in tax cuts, it is borrowing from future generations and letting us decide how to spend it now.
If the government adds $1 trillion in spending, it is borrowing from future generations and deciding collectively how to spend it now.

Of course, if the spending which the government does amounts to checks provided to large segments of the population, it may very well amount to the same thing, but it doesn't sound the same to the mind of a Republican, a Libertarian, or, more importantly, the centrist middle.

[deaniac21]

4. That is really hard to calculate since no one has read the bill.