Comments on: Congress to Pass Bailout Sized Stimulus http://firedoglake.com/2008/11/24/congress-to-pass-bailout-sized-stimulus/ Firedoglake weblog Thu, 26 Nov 2009 01:23:24 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: revday http://firedoglake.com/2008/11/24/congress-to-pass-bailout-sized-stimulus/#comment-1738087 revday Tue, 25 Nov 2008 00:09:58 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/11/24/congress-to-pass-bailout-sized-stimulus/#comment-1738087 <p>I couldn’t help noticing how healthcare was at the bottom of your list. Do you have insurance? I lost mine years ago due to a decade and a half of chronic illness. I am totally disabled and looking at my life with below subsistence level social security income. I’m thinking that along with those who already have what they need, the government would like me to crawl away and die, quietly. No, really. Follow me through the nightmare of poverty healthcare and support. It looks like third world care with shaming providers. Healthcare will raise everyone’s ability to function well. Shouldn’t it be closer to the top? The big picture you’ve suggested leaves out individual humanity. But then perhaps certain numbers fail to appeal to the bland ramparts.</p> I couldn’t help noticing how healthcare was at the bottom of your list. Do you have insurance? I lost mine years ago due to a decade and a half of chronic illness. I am totally disabled and looking at my life with below subsistence level social security income. I’m thinking that along with those who already have what they need, the government would like me to crawl away and die, quietly. No, really. Follow me through the nightmare of poverty healthcare and support. It looks like third world care with shaming providers. Healthcare will raise everyone’s ability to function well. Shouldn’t it be closer to the top? The big picture you’ve suggested leaves out individual humanity. But then perhaps certain numbers fail to appeal to the bland ramparts.

]]> By: MarkH http://firedoglake.com/2008/11/24/congress-to-pass-bailout-sized-stimulus/#comment-1737972 MarkH Mon, 24 Nov 2008 23:00:56 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/11/24/congress-to-pass-bailout-sized-stimulus/#comment-1737972 <blockquote><p>Why not just give everyone $100,000 and see what that stimulates?</p> <p>I’m kidding, but . . . .</p></blockquote> <p>The retail economy doesn’t need that much extra cash shoved at it. Retailers would just jack prices up to absorb it all. You’d just be shifting cash from the investment world to one sector of the economy (and not the really productive sector at that).</p> <p>No, we must remember that aside from the crazy financial sector the rest of our economy was working fairly well. We need to complete this deflation of financials, fix mortgages and use stimulus to keep the rest of the real economy moving while we do new investments into energy efficiency, health care and war-ending.</p> <p>Along the way we might fix some significant, but smaller things like tax craziness that sends jobs overseas and giving billions to oil companies.</p>

Why not just give everyone $100,000 and see what that stimulates?

I’m kidding, but . . . .

The retail economy doesn’t need that much extra cash shoved at it. Retailers would just jack prices up to absorb it all. You’d just be shifting cash from the investment world to one sector of the economy (and not the really productive sector at that).

No, we must remember that aside from the crazy financial sector the rest of our economy was working fairly well. We need to complete this deflation of financials, fix mortgages and use stimulus to keep the rest of the real economy moving while we do new investments into energy efficiency, health care and war-ending.

Along the way we might fix some significant, but smaller things like tax craziness that sends jobs overseas and giving billions to oil companies.

]]> By: MarkH http://firedoglake.com/2008/11/24/congress-to-pass-bailout-sized-stimulus/#comment-1737941 MarkH Mon, 24 Nov 2008 22:39:42 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/11/24/congress-to-pass-bailout-sized-stimulus/#comment-1737941 <blockquote><p>Needless to say it [ bailout of Citigroup ] is expensive, sticks taxpayers with the bill, and is mindlessly stupid.</p></blockquote> <p>So what you’re saying is George had a hand in it?</p>

Needless to say it [ bailout of Citigroup ] is expensive, sticks taxpayers with the bill, and is mindlessly stupid.

So what you’re saying is George had a hand in it?

]]> By: MarkH http://firedoglake.com/2008/11/24/congress-to-pass-bailout-sized-stimulus/#comment-1737936 MarkH Mon, 24 Nov 2008 22:37:41 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/11/24/congress-to-pass-bailout-sized-stimulus/#comment-1737936 <blockquote><p>Just cutting taxes is senseless.</p></blockquote> <p>The Obama tax cuts, as I understand them, give a break to the working poor and small businesses. As our current problem is founded on the bad mortgages I don’t see why Obama’s cuts would be wrong. If anything I’d boost them and find more ways to help people with their mortgages.</p>

Just cutting taxes is senseless.

The Obama tax cuts, as I understand them, give a break to the working poor and small businesses. As our current problem is founded on the bad mortgages I don’t see why Obama’s cuts would be wrong. If anything I’d boost them and find more ways to help people with their mortgages.

]]> By: Ian Welsh http://firedoglake.com/2008/11/24/congress-to-pass-bailout-sized-stimulus/#comment-1737860 Ian Welsh Mon, 24 Nov 2008 21:29:41 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/11/24/congress-to-pass-bailout-sized-stimulus/#comment-1737860 <p>Yup. Fat and unhealthy people use resources best used for other things.</p> Yup. Fat and unhealthy people use resources best used for other things.

]]> By: peony http://firedoglake.com/2008/11/24/congress-to-pass-bailout-sized-stimulus/#comment-1737847 peony Mon, 24 Nov 2008 21:08:33 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/11/24/congress-to-pass-bailout-sized-stimulus/#comment-1737847 <blockquote><p>Melody Barnes…, to head the Domestic Policy Council. Barnes will coordinate the mega-board of the Cabinet secretaries of Health and Human Services, Justice, Labor, Education, Housing and Urban Development, Commerce, Energy, Treasury, Agriculture, Transportation, Interior and Veterans Affairs. Basically, she’ll be domestic policy czar.</p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/11/24/125821/08/298/665847" rel="nofollow">http://www.dailykos.com/story/.....298/665847</a></p>

Melody Barnes…, to head the Domestic Policy Council. Barnes will coordinate the mega-board of the Cabinet secretaries of Health and Human Services, Justice, Labor, Education, Housing and Urban Development, Commerce, Energy, Treasury, Agriculture, Transportation, Interior and Veterans Affairs. Basically, she’ll be domestic policy czar.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/…..298/665847

]]> By: peony http://firedoglake.com/2008/11/24/congress-to-pass-bailout-sized-stimulus/#comment-1737836 peony Mon, 24 Nov 2008 20:58:01 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/11/24/congress-to-pass-bailout-sized-stimulus/#comment-1737836 <p>I’m a no nothing about economics. Am trying to understand from a common sense perspective. The building is on fire. Is the implication that addressing the causes is going to put the fire out? Don’t we need to put the fire out first?</p> <p>About Geithner, some positives are that he doesn’t come from Wall Street, he’s worked mostly in the public sector, and while connected to Rubin, he has the capacity at least to be an independent thinker. Also, he’s worked in international finance, and he speaks Chinese and Japanese! The latter could be useful.</p> I’m a no nothing about economics. Am trying to understand from a common sense perspective. The building is on fire. Is the implication that addressing the causes is going to put the fire out? Don’t we need to put the fire out first?

About Geithner, some positives are that he doesn’t come from Wall Street, he’s worked mostly in the public sector, and while connected to Rubin, he has the capacity at least to be an independent thinker. Also, he’s worked in international finance, and he speaks Chinese and Japanese! The latter could be useful.

]]> By: sunshine http://firedoglake.com/2008/11/24/congress-to-pass-bailout-sized-stimulus/#comment-1737825 sunshine Mon, 24 Nov 2008 20:10:57 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/11/24/congress-to-pass-bailout-sized-stimulus/#comment-1737825 <p>Is spending US dollars on the US economy more important than military spending? What good is a military and it’s huge budget if our country is in shambles? If you watched the truemajority clip above you have seen how ridiculously spending of our tax dollars goes to the military budget.</p> <p>Bloomberg: US could lend as much as $7.4 trillion<br /> Published: Monday November 24, 2008</p> <p>“The U.S. government is prepared to lend more than $7.4 trillion on behalf of American taxpayers, or half the value of everything produced in the nation last year, to rescue the financial system since the credit markets seized up 15 months ago,” according to an estimate by Bloomberg News.<br /><a href="http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Bloomberg_US_could_lend_as_much_1124.html" rel="nofollow">http://rawstory.com/news/2008/....._1124.html</a></p> Is spending US dollars on the US economy more important than military spending? What good is a military and it’s huge budget if our country is in shambles? If you watched the truemajority clip above you have seen how ridiculously spending of our tax dollars goes to the military budget.

Bloomberg: US could lend as much as $7.4 trillion
Published: Monday November 24, 2008

“The U.S. government is prepared to lend more than $7.4 trillion on behalf of American taxpayers, or half the value of everything produced in the nation last year, to rescue the financial system since the credit markets seized up 15 months ago,” according to an estimate by Bloomberg News.
http://rawstory.com/news/2008/….._1124.html

]]> By: sunshine http://firedoglake.com/2008/11/24/congress-to-pass-bailout-sized-stimulus/#comment-1737823 sunshine Mon, 24 Nov 2008 20:03:04 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/11/24/congress-to-pass-bailout-sized-stimulus/#comment-1737823 <p>If schrub’s objective is to leave the treasury dry then BO may have to go to the military budget to get some dollars. And if there are none there, then maybe he’ll just put some of their stuff on the ole auction block.</p> If schrub’s objective is to leave the treasury dry then BO may have to go to the military budget to get some dollars. And if there are none there, then maybe he’ll just put some of their stuff on the ole auction block.

]]> By: sunshine http://firedoglake.com/2008/11/24/congress-to-pass-bailout-sized-stimulus/#comment-1737821 sunshine Mon, 24 Nov 2008 19:41:20 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2008/11/24/congress-to-pass-bailout-sized-stimulus/#comment-1737821 <p>This cartoon from truemajority tells us where we can get money we need for our programs. </p> <p><a href="http://www.truemajority.org/oreos/" rel="nofollow">http://www.truemajority.org/oreos/</a></p> This cartoon from truemajority tells us where we can get money we need for our programs.

http://www.truemajority.org/oreos/

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