You're About To Get Hosed...You Might Want To Call In

Democrat Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi unveiled the initial draft of the 'stimulus' package yesterday, and it's a whopper:

Now we know the price tag of the stimulus plan - at least to start: $825 billion. That's the number Nancy Pelosi put before the House today in unveiling a stimulus plan which she called "a first step along the way" in getting the economy back on the road to recovery.

Reactions are, of course, varied:

Hugh Hewitt:

The House "stimulus" package is a disaster, and the hopes that the president-elect's economic team could moderate the demands of the Congressional Democrats were unfounded.

It is a giant federal firehose spraying money in a hundred directions, and when the party is over, there will be nothing to show for it. Only Congress could spend $550 billion and not be able to identify a major accomplishment at the other end. The $275 billion in tax relief simply does not justify such an orgy of purposeless spending.

[Republican Minority Leader] John Boehner's response? "OMG."

President-elect Obama's response?

"I am pleased that the House of Representatives has acted with urgency on an American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan that will save or create over three million jobs, provide tax relief to struggling families and businesses that create jobs, and invest in priorities like health care, education, and energy that will make America strong and competitive in the 21st century. This plan is a significant downpayment on our most urgent challenges, and it will contain the kind of strict, independent oversight that will allow the American people to hold Washington accountable for how and where their tax dollars are spent."

'Significant down payment'?? What the heck does that mean in terms of a final number? Will there be a final number at all?? I'm with Boehner. Here's a clip:

Get ready for more insanity, though - some Democrats are already saying it's way too small. Why is this thing so bad? Not only is there a severe lack of anything that would actually stimulate long-term growth in there, but it's really just a giant pork bill:

Read it and weep. Or drink. Or drink, then weep.

-$6 billion to weatherize "modest income homes."

-$6 billion to provide internet in "underserved" areas

-$6 billion for "higher education modernization."

-$20 billion in health information technology to "prevent medial mistakes."

-$20 billion to increase food stamp funding

-$87 billion to provide a "temporary" increase in Medicaid funding

-$300 million to provide rebates for people who purchase Energy Star products

-$600 million for the federal government to buy brand new energy efficient cars

-$400 million for state and local governments to buy brand new energy efficient cars

-$2.4 billion for carbon capture demonstration programs

-$350 million to research using energy efficient technology on military bases

-$300 million for grants and loans to state and local governments for projects that reduce diesel emissions, "benefiting public health and reducing global warming"

-$500 million for energy efficient manufacturing demonstration projects.

-$400 million to build major research facilities "that perform cutting edge science"

-$1.5 billion for expanding "good jobs in biomedical research"

If this passes, this will be the beginning of the end of the prosperous American economy. You might want to pick up the phone and call your Rep to tell him/her what you think of this thing. You might also want to call back every day until a vote is actually taken, just to drive your point home.

There's my two one and a half cents.