The occupant of the White House and the spineless, pandering Congress have passed a stimulus package that would throw some crumbs my way. Politicians, pundits and the corporate media have assured me that this plan is just the tonic needed to bring about prosperity if only I take this money and spend, spend, spend.
I don't have a degree in economics, but how does this plan help the American worker? The $168 billion to finance this package will be borrowed from China. Nearly anything I might buy bears a "Made in Communist China" label. China seems to be the chief recipient of this bill.
Excised from an earlier version of this bill were provisions for extended unemployment benefits and food stamps. The unfortunate people that could have benefitted from these things can join the 35 million other Americans that experienced hunger last year and go starve in hell.
Little has been reported regarding the tax breaks businesses will receive in this bill. Do all businesses receive them no matter how unethical they may be? Do businesses that engage in outsourcing receive them? What about those that take advantage of overseas tax shelters? Exxon-Mobile already receives tax breaks from Dick Cheney's energy bill. Will they receive another? Will businesses that participated in price gouging during the Katrina tragedy receive tax breaks? What of war profiteers that already have a blank check from taxpayers? Is there any accountability at all?
Maybe Rep. Souder could answer these questions for me. He has co-sponsored a bill called the Economic Growth Act of 2008, which would reduce all corporate tax rates to 25 percent. I am far from being a wealthy woman, but this is less than I pay.
If the objective of this bill is to aid business in creating jobs with a living wage and health insurance, I hope it passes unanimously. If this bill merely furthers unconscionable greed and accumulation of great personal wealth at the expense of less-fortunate Americans, then it deserves nothing but scorn and rejection.
With the country headed toward economic disaster, speculation has already begun on the possibility of a second stimulus package. The next time lawmakers need to remember Americans need decent jobs, not some trifling handout.
However, I don't expect much from this third-rate occupant of the White House and second-rate Congress.
