January 17th, 2009
Just months ago McCain was dogging Obama as non-partisan. Just weeks ago Republicans were stressing the need for both parties to work together in order to pull us out of our financial downward spiral. Seems they have short memories.
The first jab came just minutes after the presidential oath was flubbed. The Republican base was quick to latch onto the ridiculous Fox News claim that the flub somehow discredited President Obama’s presidency. First red flag.
Now as our economy struggles, and many still reel from Bloody Monday, Republicans are holding up economic recovery plans that Team Obama started working on long ago so that no time would be wasted. Huge waving bright red flag.
Republicans are Pushing the Same Old Ideas Then Crying Foul
Republicans are new to the idea of not being the party in power, but what are they willing to risk to keep from giving up the ghost?
I understand that Republicans are now a check and balance to the Democratic Party, and that is a good thing. I wish Democrats could have had a better chance at the same from 2000-2006. But when does that check and balance become more of a roadblock that’s built before anything ever gets there?
Case in point, the Stimulus Package that was just passed Wednesday didn’t receive a single Republican vote. Their claim is that they were left out of the process, suggesting that the new administration is being as partisan about politics as the last one. Hmmm, let’s see about that shall we:
· Republican Congressmen were given the same opportunity to submit amendments and a substitute proposal. If they didn’t take that opportunity then it’s their fault for sleeping on the job. Their state’s voters might want to look into that.
· President Obama had a special meeting specifically with Republican House Members so he could hear what they had to say and so that they could give their input. I don’t ever recall Bush extending the same offer to Democrats.
· As Pelosi put it, “I think when you lose the argument on substance, on policy. . . you talk about process and you talk about personality.”
Attention Republicans: It’s a New Administration
Pelosi’s point hit it home. The Republicans were shooting down the Stimulus Package without giving any solid suggestions that would work for our immediate needs. Worse still, they seemed to be completely overlooking those in most need, the poor.
For one thing, Republicans keep bringing out the bullhorn for tax cuts, which is expected because after all they’re Republicans. However, they seemed to have ignored what history has taught us; taxes aren’t going to stimulate the economy enough, at least not under our current circumstances.
Here’s why:
· They reduce government revenue thus increasing the national deficit which we all know is very bad nowadays as it is. Plus, the loss of revenue leaves the government with an inability to keep providing public programs that are up to snuff.
· Though tax cuts have worked to stimulate economies in the past, success stories like Ireland in 1986 were based on the fact that the government had reduced government spending prior to the tax cut. That’s not the case in the U.S. unfortunately.
· Tax cuts are never going to be fair all around. If cuts are made equally across the board then those that pay the most will get the most back, meaning those that need help the most will see the smallest benefit. If tax cuts are based on the vertical system where income is a measure to the amount of taxation, then the rich will pay more so that the poor can see more of a benefit. I don’t think this is horrible, but I’m not filthy rich and sensitive to the needs of the less fortunate.
· Tax cuts, like the one Bush enacted in at the cost of $150 billion, don’t do enough to generate consumption. Lack of consumption is at the heart of basically every recession, as it is now. Because so many Americans are in debt and struggling, the money saved with another tax cut is likely to get saved or used to pay down debt, just like the Bush tax cut stimulus idea.
· Tax cuts won’t create jobs. Even if there’s a tax cut, if people don’t have jobs then tax cuts don’t matter and consumption will definitely not increase.
If Republicans want to see their policies put in place then they need to come up with some new ideas, and make them ideas that are truly going to work for the problems we are presently facing. And as far as partisan mentality, not one of them broke from the pack to vote for this stimulus package. That’s quite telling. The only question left to ask- is their partisan actions risking the collapse of the American economy and at what cost to the rest of us?
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