January 25, 2009

Obama Stimulus Plan Iffy

President Obama launched his first, weekly, radio-television address Saturday to outline his $820 billion economic stimulus plan.

Make that a realistic trillion dollars plus.

We recall a similar speech by President George W. Bush on his first week in office eight years ago – followed by the horrendous terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, against New York City and Washington, D.C.

Hopefully our new president and commander-in-chief will be spared a similar attack.

However, Mr. Obama’s decision to close the terrorist prison at the U.S. Naval Base in Guantanamo, Cuba, -- has spooked folks on mainland USA.

NIMBY

The 245 terrorists at the U.S. Naval Base on the eastern end of Cuba are to be relocated to the mainland U.S.A. where they can be tried in civilian courts.

Liberals are ecstatic about the closing and a mainland relocation. However, they are loudest to invoke NIMBY – Not In My Back Yard. What if a terrorist should escape and rampage the countryside? Or incite riots by other prisoners?

Senator Christopher Bond of Missouri, vice-chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, suggests that “escape-proof” Alcatraz Prison in San Francisco Bay be re-opened for the terrorists.

Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein quickly squashed that location because it now is a “national park and tourist attraction.”

Most likely relocation of terrorists, therefore, will be the U.S. Military Disciplinary Barracks (prison) at Leavenworth, Kansas.

PRESIDENT’S SPECIFICS

With relocation of terrorists aside, President Obama outlined specifics of his proposed economic plan:

“I am pleased to say that both parties in Congress are already hard at work on this plan, and I hope to sign it into law in less than a month.

“I know some are skeptical about the size and scale of this recovery plan. I understand that skepticism – which is why this plan will allow the American people to hold my administration accountable for results.”

LIBERALS TOUCH BASE

In his Saturday message, Mr. Obama touched base with his core liberals.

“To accelerate the creation of a clean energy economy, we will double our capacity to generate alternative sources of energy like wind, solar, and biofuels over the next three years.

“We will begin to build a new electricity grid that will lay down more than 3,000 miles of transmission lines to convey this new energy from coast to coast.”

The president said he will save “billions” for primary care over five years by computerizing the nation’s health care records.

For education, he stated taxpayer funds would be used to modernize 10,000 learning institutions so more Americans may go to college.

“We won’t just throw money at our problems. We will invest in what works.”

TRANSPARENCY PROMISED

Obama’s plan includes enhancing security for 90 major ports and modernizing the nation’s water system with 1,300 wastewater projects, 380 drinking water projects and 1,000 rural sewer systems.

He also promised greater “transparency” and elimination of “earmarks” whereby congressional members could sneak in pork-barrel projects without committee review.

In tune with the times, Obama said he would launch a Web site – www.recovery.gov -- where everyone can see how recovery funds are being spent.

OPPOSITION

As customary, a leader of the opposing political party followed the president’s Saturday address. Responding this time was House Minority Leader John Boehner of Ohio.

He declared that tax cuts -- more than “slow moving government programs” -- were the best way to restart the economy.

Boehner said the Republican proposal would provide an average of $3,200 in tax relief for families, grant a tax credit for home buyers to help bring the housing market back to life, and end the unfair taxation of unemployment benefits, that includes credits for small business.

“Our plan is rooted in the philosophy that we cannot borrow and spend our way back to prosperity,” Boehner asserted.

The House minority leader cited a Congressional Budget Office report projecting that less than half of the $355 billion House Democrats would spend to create jobs, is likely to be used before the end of year 2010.

Democrats said the Budget Office miscalculated how quickly much of the money in their plan would get into the economy.

In politics, the first prognosticator hasn’t got a chance.

A MANDATE ?

President Obama apparently has noted that Republican support for his huge stimulus plans has declined in the past week.

He declared on Friday that he was open to compromises on business tax breaks, but will not accept some Republican proposals to reduce spending.

His aides say the President believes he has been given a mandate by voters to promote his ideas. He told a meeting of his aides, “I won.”

Just so.

However, there is another political truism crafted by humorist Ken Hubbard many moons ago:

“When a feller sez, 'It ain’t the money, but the principle of the thing' – it’s the money.”

By Lindsey Wilger Williams, retired newspaper publisher and syndicated columnist