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This is super-easy, and could really make a difference. There was never a more painless way to make a contribution to the planet.

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Carl Fisher

Be Cool to the Pizza Dude:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/stor ... Id=4651531

Please tell me you're kidding. No thanks -- and I'm sure I speak on behalf of all of the libertarians and constitutionalists out there.

Is there a petition urging them NOT to vote for it? I'm up for that.

(PS you started the political thread ... not me )

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Mike Whitney
whit32@gmail.com, 919-454-5445
V10, V8, V8t, I6, I6, V6, F4t, I4, I4, I4, I4, I2, 1, 1

You know what?

IBTL.

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Karl S.
2014 Baby, 2014 House, 2013 Ford Focus ST, 2013 BMW 328i, 1994 Mercedes E320
(Insert passive aggressive signature line here)

Mike, why do you hate America?

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Has no responsibility whatsoever.

Damn you Wes and Karl, you both stole my line.

I'm with Mike, I don't support the "Grow Government Bigger" bill.

‘Those that ignore history are doomed to repeat it.’
-Abraham Lincoln

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02 Focus SVT
STF 9

Is there any hope that there could be a decent discussion on the pros and cons of this package for those of us who are not informed about it?

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In need of car.

Full bill text
http://www.rules.house.gov/111/LegText/111_hr1_text.pdf

Here is a sampling of what we found:

$44 million for construction, repair and improvements at US Department of Agriculture facilties

$209 million for work on deferred maintenance at Agricultural Research Service facilities

$245 million for maintaining and modernizing the IT system of the Farm Service Agency

$175 million to buy and restore floodplain easements for flood prevention

$50 million for "Watershed Rehabilitation"

$1.1 billion for rural community facilities direct loans

$2 billion for rural business and industry guaranteed loans

$2.7 billion for rural water and waste dispoal direct loans

$22.1 billion for rural housing insurance fund loans

$2.8 billion for loans to spur rural broadband

$150 million for emergency food assistance

$50 million for regional economic development commissions

$1 billion for "Periodic Censuses and Programs"

$350 million for State Broadband Data and Development Grants

$1.8 billion for Rural Broadband Deployment Grants

$1 billion for Rural Wireless Deployment Grants

$650 million for Digital-to-Analog Converter Box Program

$100 million for "Scientific and Technical Research and Services" at the National Institute of Standards And Technology

$30 million for necessary expenses of the "Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership"

$300 million for a competitive construction grant program for research science buildings

$400 million for "habitat restoration and mitigation activities" at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

$600 million for "accelerating satellite development and acquisition"

$140 million for "climate data modeling"

$3 billion for state and local law enforcement grants

$1 billion for "Community Oriented Policing Services"

$250 million for "accelerating the development of the tier 1 set of Earth science climate research missions recommended by the National Academies Decadal Survey."

$50 million for repairs to NASA facilities from storm damage

$300 million for "Major Research Insrumentation program" (science)

$200 million for "academic research facilities modernization"

$100 million for "Education and Human Resources"

$400 million for "Major Research Equipment and Facilities Construction"

$4.5 billion to make military facilities more energy efficient

$1.5 billion for Army Operation and Maintenance fund

$624 million for Navy Operation and Maintenance

$128 million for Marine Corps Operation and Maintenance

$1.23 billion for Air Force Operation and Maintenance

$454 million to "Defense Health Program"

$110 million for Army Reserve Operation and Maintenance

$62 million for Navy Reserve Operation and Maintenance

$45 million for Marine Corps Reserve Operation and Maintenance

$14 million for Air Force Reserve Operation and Maintenance

$302 million for National Guard Operation and Maintenance

$29 million for Air National Guard Operation and Maintenance

$350 million for military energy research and development programs

$2 billion for Army Corps of Engineers "Construction"

$250 million for "Mississippi River and Tributaries"

$2.2 billion for Army Corps "Operation and Maintenance"

$25 million for an Army Corps "Regulatory Program"

$126 million for Interior Department "water reclamation and reuse projects"

$80 million for "rural water projects"

$18.5 billion for "Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy" research in the Department of Energy. That money includes:

$2 billion for development of advanced batteries

$800 million of that is for biomass research and $400 million for geothermal technologies

$1 billion in grants to "institutional entities for energy sustainability and efficiency"

$6.2 billion for the Weatherization Assistance Program

$3.5 billion for Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants

$3.4 billion for state energy programs

$200 million for expenses to implement energy independence programs

$300 million for expenses to implement Energy efficient appliance rebate programs including the Energy Star program

$400 million for expenses to implement Alternative Fuel Vehicle and Infrastructure Grants to States and Local Governments

$1 billion for expenses necessary for advanced battery manufacturing

$4.5 billion to modernize the nation's electricity grid

$1 billion for the Advanced Battery Loan Guarantee Program

$2.4 billion to demonstrate "carbon capture and sequestration technologies"

$400 million for the Advanced Research Projects Agency (Science)

$500 million for "Defense Environmental Cleanup"

$1 billion for construction and repair of border facilities and land ports of entry

$6 billion for energy efficiency projects on government buildings

$600 million to buy and lease government plug-in and alternative fuel vehicles

$426 million in small business loans

$100 million for "non-intrusive detection technology to be deployed at sea ports of entry

$150 million for repair and construction at land border ports of entry

$500 million for explosive detection systems for aviation security

$150 million for alteration or removal of obstructive bridges

$200 million for FEMA Emergency Food and Shelter program

$325 million for Interior Department road, bridge and trail repair projects

$300 million for road and bridge work in Wildlife Refuges and Fish Hatcheries

$1.7 billion for "critical deferred maintenance" in the National Park System

$200 million to revitalize the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

$100 million for National Park Service Centennial Challenge programs

$200 million for repair of U.S. Geological Survey facilities

$500 million for repair and replacement of schools, jails, roads, bridges, housing and more for Bureau of Indian Affairs

$800 million for Superfund programs

$200 million for leaking underground storage tank cleanup

$8.4 billion in "State and Tribal Assistance Grants"

$650 million in "Capital Improvement and Maintenance" at the Agriculture Dept.

$850 million for "Wildland Fire Management"

$550 million for Indian Health facilties

$150 million for deferred maintenance at the Smithsonian museums

$50 million in grants to fund "arts projects and activities which preserve jobs in the non-profit arts sector threatened by declines in philanthropic and other support during the current economic downturn" through the National Endowment for the Arts

$1.2 billion in grants to states for youth summer jobs programs and other activities

$1 billion for states in dislocated worker employment and training activities

$500 million for the dislocated workers assistance national reserve

$80 million for the enforcement of worker protection laws and regulations related to infrastructure and unemployment insurance investments

$300 million for "construction, rehabilitation and acquisition of Job Corps Centers"

$250 million for public health centers

$1 billion for renovation and repair of health centers

$600 million for nurse, physician and dentist training

$462 million for renovation work at the Centers for Disease Control

$1.5 billion for "National Center for Research Resources"

$500 million for "Buildlings and Facilties" at the National Institutes of Health in suburban Washington, D.C.

$700 million for "comparative effectiveness research" on prescription drugs

$1 billion for Low-Income Home Energy Assistance

$2 billion in Child Care and Development Block Grants for states

$1 billion for Head Start programs

$1.1 billion for Early Head Start programs

$100 million for Social Security research programs

$200 million for "Aging Services Programs"

$2 billion for "Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology"

$430 million for public health/social services emergency funds

$2.3 billion for the Centers for Disease Control for a variety of programs

$5.5 billion in targeted education grants

$5.5 billion in "education finance incentive grants"

$2 billion in "school improvement grants"

$13.6 billion for Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

$250 million for statewide education data systems

$14 billion for school modernization, renovation and repair

$160 million for AmeriCorps grants

$400 million for the construction and costs to establish a new "National Computer Center" for the Social Security Administration

$500 million to improve processing of disability and retirement claims

$920 million for Army housing and child development centers

$350 million for Navy and Marine Corps housing and child development centers

$280 million in Air Force housing and child development centers

$3.75 billion in military hospital and surgery center construction

$140 million in Army National Guard construction projects

$70 million in Air National Guard construction projects

$100 million in Army Reserve construction projects

$30 million in Navy Reserve construction projects

$60 million in Air Force Reserve construction projects

$950 million for VA Medical Facilities

$50 million for repairs for military cemeteries

$120 million for a backup information management facility for the State Department

$98 million for National Cybersecurity Initiative

$3 billion for "Grants-in-Aid for Airports"

$300 million for Indian Reservation roads

$300 million for Amtrak capital needs

$800 million for national railroad assets or infrastructure repairs, upgrades

$5.4 billion in federal transit grants

$2 billion in infrastructure development for subways and commuter railways

$5 billion for public housing capital

$1 billion in competitive housing grants

$2.5 billion for energy efficiency upgrades in public housing

$500 million in Native American Housing Block Grants

$4.1 billion to help communities deal with foreclosed homes

$1.5 billion in homeless prevention activities

$79 billion in education funds for states

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02 Focus SVT
STF 9

Well if that's all the money were talking about.......

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2002 MCS, 2003 MCS Track Rat, 2003 Generic White Yukon, 2003 BMWk1200rs, 1973 CB350F, 02 996. 08 Cayenne Turbo
http://www.clinehallagency.com

Come on Cline, you know you're setting yourself up!

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In need of car.

The great thing about Keynesian economics is that it says you can fix the economy by having the government spend money. Politicians love that, it looks like they're doing something.

The bad thing about Keynesian economics is it doesn't work. It also racks up an enormous tax bill in a depressed economy which actually slows recovery.

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Martyn Wheeler
AXing Kit's '05 Mazda 3, #29 HStock
(when The Gonzo Symphonic allows)

Yep, solve the disaster created by way too much debt by the consumer and many businesses by the most massive debt ever created by a government. Sounds like a well thought out plan. You don't want to accept short-term pain so you force massive debt on the future of every citizen in the country, whether they like it or not (while you pray China keeps buying Treasuries even though you are bad mouthing them...nice). Follow the money trail -- the number of special interests lining up at the trough is beyond anything ever seen in the past. Orders of magnitude beyond. I guess it will be a fun party for some while the debt spending lasts.

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Current stable:
2019 BMW M2 Competition slicktop 6MT
2011 BMW M3 sedan slicktop 6MT
2007 BMW 328i wagon (slushbox for now)
1975 CanAm 125MX2

Have you followed the money trail, Chuck? Can you provide us a list of the special interests you've identified? Looking through the bill, I do not see a whole lot of special interests lined up, at least not ones that cannot be credibly argued to belong in there (such as specifying only US-manufactured steel in contruction projects). There actually a pretty good transparency and accountability provision here- all grantees (Federal, state, local) must post: the amount of their grant, what they're going to do with it, how much it will cost, and contact information at the agency if there are questions, all on the website at www.recovery.gov.

I haven't been through the entire thing, but most of the money Ryan listed does seem to be going to infrastructure projects, whether as grants or loans. If I had a little more time, it would be interesting to take those figures and pump them into Google Charts to come up with a pie chart. The trick would be that you'd really need to tag them with keywords so they could be grouped in various ways- there are so many items that no individual slice would likely be very visible.

(edit for grammar)

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Carl Fisher

Be Cool to the Pizza Dude:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/stor ... Id=4651531

But FDR implemented Keynesian economic policies. Oh wait, that prolonged the Great Depression.

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Has no responsibility whatsoever.

I'm not an expert on the US economy, so can somebody here tell me how to fix the current situation? Assuming this isn't the right direction to go in. I feel odd about all the bailouts over the past year or so, and all the bailouts that are supposed to go down in 09 - I mean, if they're failing in the first place, why give them more money? Seems like a waste to me. But there's also the fact of how many people are employed by auto manufacturers, the effect on the US overall, etc. I'm just wondering what the real solution is. Does anybody really know? Or do we basically just have to try something and see if it works, then try the next thing?

Not to sound like an asshole but the answer is PAIN and lots of it.

You have 2 schools of thought:

Keynesian Economics: John Maynard Keynes, FDR, The new Deal, Obama, and George W Bush (whether you like it or not)

Classical Economics: Adam Smith, the Invisible Hand

Keynesian folk think the gov't can "spend" its way out of economic troubles. FDR drank the "Keynes" Kool Aid and we got the new Deal. Keynesian folks like to "Try stuff and see if it works"

Classical Economics believes the market will drive where itself where it needs to go without government intervention, ie "The Invisible Hand". Classical Economist think that letting the bubble burst and "resetting" is the way to go. It hurts like hell but they feel recovery starts quicker. Reagan's great quote about the 1987 stock market crash "Markets go up, Markets go down" is an example of letting the "invisible hand" do its thing.

Just my probably oversimplified look at it, I don't even understand a bunch of it. Plus its really boring to read about

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02 Focus SVT
STF 9