Originally published February 10 2009
Over Eight Hundred Billion Dollar Stimulus Plan will Pay for New Windows, Day Care and Cable TV
by Jo Hartley
(NaturalNews) The $825 billion stimulus package rolled out by congressional Democrats last week contains huge amounts of government spending being added in with the purpose of creating jobs and providing the economy with a boost. It`s interesting to note that the stimulus package contains a number of items that these congressional leaders don`t often mention.
The stimulus proposal was drafted by Rep. David Obey (D-Wis.), the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. The "American Recovery and Reinvestment Bill" asserts that without this federal spending; America will certainly face "economic chaos."
"Without this package, we are warned that unemployment could explode to near 12 percent," Obey warns in a statement that accompanied the bill`s release. "With passage of this package, we will face a large deficit for years to come. Without it, those deficits would be devastating and we face the risk of economic chaos."
"Tough choices have been made in this legislation and fiscal discipline will demand more tough choices in years to come," the statement contends.
The bill has promised $275 billion in tax cuts and $550 billion in additional benefits that are described as "thoughtful and targeted."
The statement also says: "This package is the crucial first step in a concerted effort to create and save 3 to 4 million jobs, jumpstart our economy, and begin the process of transforming it for the 21st century with $275 billion in economic recovery tax cuts and $550 billion in thoughtful and carefully targeted priority investments."
Some "priority investments" include:
-- $650 million to assist Americans in upgrading to digital cable after the February 17, 2009, official transition to digital television. $2 billion to provide day care services to 300,000 additional low-income children. $1.2 billion to create approximately 1 million summer jobs for young people. $6.2 billion to improve the homes of low-income families to make them more energy efficient. $1.5 billion to build "Community Health Centers." $20 billion to provide "nutrition assistance" for middle-income families and to loosen restrictions for the length of time people can receive food stamps. An undetermined amount to "provide 100 percent federal funding through 2010 for optional State Medicaid coverage of individuals (and their dependents) that are receiving unemployment benefits or have exhausted those benefits."
$44 million to make repairs and improvements to the headquarters of the Department of Agriculture located in Washington, D.C. $276 million to upgrade information technology at the State Department. $400 million in repairs to various "national treasures." 200 million for work on the National Mall, $150 for maintenance performed at the Smithsonian Institution and $50 million to supplement a "lack of philanthropic support for the arts."
$3.1 billion for "infrastructure project" funding on federal land. This includes $1.8 billion for the National Park Service, $650 million for the U.S. Forest Service and $300 million for the National Fish Hatcheries. $209 million for maintenance at the federal Agricultural Research Service`s research facilities located across the nation. $2.5 billion to improve government-owned housing with new insulation, windows, and furnaces.
$600 million for NASA to fund projects like satellite sensors used to measure solar radiation for understanding climate changes. $1.9 billion for the Department of Energy for "basic research into the physical sciences." This includes topics like nuclear physics and fusion energy. $850 million for "wild land fire management." This includes $550 million to states for "volunteer fire assistance," "city forest enhancements" and "wood to energy" research. $400 million for "habitat restoration" projects. These will be administered by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. $2.4 billion for projects involved in carbon-capture technology.
$2.7 billion for "rural water and waste disposal" grant programs. The purpose for these loans is to finance digging wells and to extend municipal water services in rural areas. $600 million to "prepare our country for universal health care." This will be achieved by training more doctors, dentists, and nurses.
Source: http://www.cnsnews.com/public/content/articl...
About the author
Jo Hartley
Wife, Mother of 8, and Grandmother of 2
Jo is a 41 year old home educator who has always gravitated toward a natural approach to life. She enjoys learning as much as possible about just about anything!
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