Stimilus or not

[picard102]

Originally Posted by da_ticklah

(unless only American Hybrid's are purchased)

Dumb. Protectionism exacerbated the last great depresion, it didn't help it.
Not to mention that a lot of "non-American" cars are made in North America.

[NoArmsJames]

I have my own stimulus package I'll be offering to select members of the katg community in April.

[EastTexas]

Is this on top of what these programs already get? If so axe it all.
If it's just a budget of new things, then the ones that sound frivolous to me are: 7, 12, 19, and 28.
Don't change everything over to green technology until it has lived out it's lifecycle of usefulness. and fuck Amtrack let them fail already, quit saving them.

[NoArmsJames]

Originally Posted by EastTexas

and fuck Amtrack let them fail already, quit saving them.

They can't, it's owned by the Government. if they let it fail over 19,000 people lose their jobs.

[marina]

The stimulus isn't just to get new shit for fat cats, it's also to create jobs for people who would suffer the most from this recession: laborers. A lot of these construction and renovation jobs may be the only manual labor available in certain economies. I put the things I thought were least helpful in red, and the things I thought were most helpful in green

Originally Posted by da_ticklah

1. • $2 billion earmark to re-start FutureGen, a near-zero emissions coal power plant in Illinois that the Department of Energy defunded last year because it said the project was inefficient.
2. • A $246 million tax break for Hollywood movie producers to buy motion picture film.
3. • $650 million for the digital television converter box coupon program.
4. • $88 million for the Coast Guard to design a new polar icebreaker (arctic ship).
5. • $448 million for constructing the Department of Homeland Security headquarters.
6. • $248 million for furniture at the new Homeland Security headquarters.
7. • $600 million to buy hybrid vehicles for federal employees.
8. • $400 million for the Centers for Disease Control to screen and prevent STD's.
9. • $1.4 billion for rural waste disposal programs.
10. • $125 million for the Washington sewer system.
11. • $150 million for Smithsonian museum facilities.
12. • $1 billion for the 2010 Census, which has a projected cost overrun of $3 billion.
13. • $75 million for "smoking cessation activities."
14. • $200 million for public computer centers at community colleges.
15. • $75 million for salaries of employees at the FBI.
16. • $25 million for tribal alcohol and substance abuse reduction.
17. • $500 million for flood reduction projects on the Mississippi River.
18. • $10 million to inspect canals in urban areas.
19. • $6 billion to turn federal buildings into "green" buildings.
20. • $500 million for state and local fire stations.
21. • $650 million for wildland fire management on forest service lands.
22. • $1.2 billion for "youth activities," including youth summer job programs.
23. • $88 million for renovating the headquarters of the Public Health Service.
24. • $412 million for CDC buildings and property.
25. • $500 million for building and repairing National Institutes of Health facilities in Bethesda, Maryland.
26. • $160 million for "paid volunteers" at the Corporation for National and Community Service.
27. • $5.5 million for "energy efficiency initiatives" at the Department of Veterans Affairs National Cemetery Administration.
28. • $850 million for Amtrak.
29. • $100 million for reducing the hazard of lead-based paint.
30. • $75 million to construct a "security training" facility for State Department Security officers when they can be trained at existing facilities of other agencies.
31. • $110 million to the Farm Service Agency to upgrade computer systems.
32. • $200 million in funding for the lease of alternative energy vehicles for use on military installations.

[theomne]

There are roughly 308 million people in the US, how about killing just one of these items and shooting each of us a check for a cool million? I know I would be out spending a portion to do my part in stimulating the economy! Not to mention paying off all of my debt. That would teach the banks, everybody pays off all that high interest debt... I'm no economist (obviously) but I could sure use some extra cash in my pocket, certainly more than that piddling 1200 from last year.

[da_ticklah]

Originally Posted by picard102

Dumb. Protectionism exacerbated the last great depresion, it didn't help it.
Not to mention that a lot of "non-American" cars are made in North America.

No I think you're DUMB. Fact and that is all. WTF!!!
Seriously though it's not like we actually design the Hybrid technology everybody licenses it from Toyota and Honda no? But if we are giving the big 3 billions of dollars to hang around and employ Americans shouldn't we then buy their products? Or does buying Toyota's somehow help the global economy and not fuck over the US.

I'm not saying I agree on Bailouts but if we could come up with 700Billion for Banks in about 10 days, spending similar money putting Americans to work who then buy shit, seek lines of credit and in turn stimulate the economy doesn't seem like a half bad idea in context.

[da_ticklah]

Originally Posted by theomne

There are roughly 308 million people in the US, how about killing just one of these items and shooting each of us a check for a cool million? I know I would be out spending a portion to do my part in stimulating the economy! Not to mention paying off all of my debt. That would teach the banks, everybody pays off all that high interest debt... I'm no economist (obviously) but I could sure use some extra cash in my pocket, certainly more than that piddling 1200 from last year.

yeah but they don't make enough spinning rims and flat screens for the hood.

[Mbwakali]

stimulus = we get to pay

[picard102]

Originally Posted by da_ticklah

But if we are giving the big 3 billions of dollars to hang around and employ Americans shouldn't we then buy their products?

No, the best quality at the best price should be top concern. American vehicles don't fall under either of those banners, and would be a waste of money to purchase. The bailout is to help them get into a position were they can be seen as one or both of those things.

Originally Posted by da_ticklah

Or does buying Toyota's somehow help the global economy and not fuck over the US.

Toyota employees 142,000 people in the US. It's also dangerous to start making policy on where you can buy goods, as it will lead into trade wars; and as we all know, America doesn't produce much of anything people consume within it's own borders.