To the moon, Alice

I am so generally upset at my own political party. I could hurl. Really.

I am a social liberal, without a doubt. I am in agreement with most of the Democratic platform, and I have a touch of civil libertarian in me as well...and I generally disagree with the Republican platform on many issues. I think that Capitalism breeds both good and bad things. I think that "trickle down" economics has had it's chance, and it has failed miserably on all counts.

I am not an economist, and the relationship between labor markets, industry, consumers, the banking industry, and the interplay between world economies is extremely cmplicated. I can assume that there is not an easy fix. I can assume that the national economy does not operate as simply as my own checkbook does. I will assume that I don't know very much, really. I can listen to how the "New Deal" worked with spending to bring us out of the Great Depression, just in time to start into another recession-to then again be boosted by World War II and the massive spending that happened there...

BUT...

This new bill...the "stimulus" bill...SHOULD have been in flight straight as an arrow to do exactly what it was stated to do. Instead, it was loaded up with a bunch of crap that has NOTHING to do with job creation. That CRAP was put in there by Democrats, who, despite the fact that this is a crisis response, decided to take the opportunity to stuff in every pet project they could not get funded over the last 8 years.

President Obama stated that the election already happened, and that the people spoke loud and clear about a new direction. No more of the same old "tired" ideas that didn't work before, and won't work now. While I agree that I don't want any more of that old agenda, I also think that Republican Congress members were voted in as well, and DO represent their constituents when they reject this sorry bill. Asking Republicans to turn their backs on everything they stand for because a Democrat won the Presidency is stupid, and it is not a good argument.

I think that the entire bill should be tossed, and they should start over with a bill that has NOTHING in it but a combination of tax cuts and funding for infrastructure upgrades, technology upgrades, and housing market relief. All of those social programs, pet projects, and cosmetic fixes may be worthy, but not in this bill...or at this time...it should have been another debate entirely...

If we were to stack dollar bills one on top of another, 800 BILLION of them would reach a third of the way to the moon. I want to move there.