Stimulating the Stimulus

I don't truly think anyone who sat down and thought about this for one minute, that's right one minute, would disagree the stimulus package is badly needed and the price tag will be high. If we add an extra moment or two of thinking and are honest in our appraisal of the situation, we will have to admit we allowed this to happen to ourselves by a combination of personal greed, gluttony and inability to put two plus two together and come up with four. We allowed ourselves to be distracted by political wrangling, shenanigans, and smoke screens, yet the smoke of that smoke screen was this country turning on itself and burning down. So here we are today, during a time where history changes, and possibly our way of life as well.

Yet the same old same old games are being played in Washington and we are being taken for a ride by everyone. What started out as an $800 billion dollar stimulus bill is rapidly approaching $900 billion, and if certain lobby's get their way, it will be a continuation of the Bush system of corporate welfare and BS. The leaders of this charge are the same Republicans that lost everything including our prosperity with the same old broken record cry of "tax cuts". Who do we give the tax cuts to? Why a few dollars to the average American, and big cuts to corporations in the hopes they will go out and create a few more jobs so you and I can bow and praise them for their selfless beneficence to the masses. Yet somewhere forgotten in all this screeching cry of "me, me, me" we forget the past eight years of corporations who were given just that, tax cuts, while they outsourced our jobs overseas and shut down factories and plants here at home.

If the little rant above is not enough to wake folks out of their stupor, then try this little ditty that corporate lobbyist, special interest and of course their Republican cronies so well bought and paid for are trying to slip past us for the sake of their "compromise" and "bipartisan" support. Sadly, Democrats have also fallen into step with this crap for the sake of their campaign war chests and so we see the last eight years reshaping and happening all over again. What? Did you truly think without Democratic complacency this could have happened all by itself? In an article in today's Wall Street Journal, their is a brief look at the costs of the stimulus package that magically keeps rising, because of special interest lobbies. It is the end of the article that got to me though:

Pharmaceutical firms, high-tech companies and a coalition of U.S. multinationals are advancing a plan to allow them to bring hundreds of billions in overseas profits back to the U.S. to spend however they see fit.
This change, backed by California Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer and Nevada Republican Sen. John Ensign, would create a tax "holiday" for any company's overseas earnings, sharply reducing the tax that the U.S. normally imposes on the money when it comes back to the U.S. from corporate subsidiaries in Europe, Asia and elsewhere. Critics worry, however, that the change ultimately could lead to more such tax holidays, and encourage companies to park more money overseas, and avoid U.S. tax.
One recent private estimate puts the amount that U.S. companies currently have parked overseas is $518 billion (emphasis added).

Seems to me if these corporations have that kind of money parked off our shores, sitting in a bank so they don't have to pay taxes on it we should tell them to foot the bill for their own recovery. Then after that we need to close the loopholes in the tax code that allow U.S. companies to do that, and increase taxes on those companies that do ship jobs overseas, or headquarters in places like Dubia.

What astounds me the most though is the simplicity of both our political leaders and the population at large. This really is not rocket science folks, just common sense and basic arithmetic. We are at this time borrowing huge amounts and adding to a national debt that has to be paid off. We have seen a steep decline in the revenue going into our national coffers yet Republicans scream for more tax cuts, while continuing to urge spending, though not on the same things Democrats do. Guess what folks, spending is spending and here soon we are going to max out our credit card. Corporations cry they are being taxed too heavily yet miraculously somehow paying no taxes at all!

America must wake up and realize the free lunch ride is over. Overall, recent research indicates Americans are willing to pay more in taxes to lessen the disparity between rich and poor, also to lower the national debt. Yes President Obama we are in a dire straight right now and spending will be needed, but at the same time we need to look at ways to increase what is put in the national coffers to reduce it. Simplicity should rule here. Tax payers will pay their fair share, provided they have an income. I think most Americans would pay a little bit higher price for goods manufactured here rather than Indonesia where the quality is poor to questionable. The pharmaceutical companies mentioned above who a few years back warned us all about imported drugs are currently importing their drugs to sell to us at an inflated price, yet we wonder what went wrong?

Do not bow to the tax cut crowd Mr. President. If you are going to spend what is left that we have, please make sure we have an income coming in to at least handle the interest payments. Do you remember the old saying< "a bird in hand is worth two in the bush"? Remember then that taxable income coming in is a guaranteed revenue as opposed to the Neocon promise of greater prosperity and job growth that might be generated if you cut corporate taxes. Oh BTW, remember about that re balancing of the current personal income taxes you made on the trail? Time to enact that and end Bush's tax cuts for the wealthiest one percent. That will serve as a small stimulus as well.