Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Stimulus Plan: Economic Prozac or Economic Viagra

Stimulus Plan: Economic Prozac or Economic Viagra
What will the plan do for a depressed and impotent economy

Compare the metrics today to the Great Depression and it is actually on par much worse. 65,000 jobs cut just this week. There is a lot more coming. I really hate being the bearer of all this bad news over the last year but its reality. The government continues to press ahead with big government bailing out big business, as necessary as most of it is. Now here comes $900 billion more. Will this really stimulate the economy? How long will it take to see these tax cuts work and do we really think passing out economic Prozac in the form of paltry stimulus checks will do anything. The plan will not help companies brace against the problems causing millions to get the ax. 25% of the Bill alone is tax cuts. We must be crazy to mint and borrow more and then at the same time cut our revenue. Simply insane. Plus we all know how many times this longer term money will be stepped on anyway before it ever reaches the ground.


The money in the bill is so convoluted and only about half will actually spur jobs – largely in remodeling and construction. fixing bridges, roads, schools & investing in renewable energy will for sure create jobs. But this is going to take a few years. These jobs also fall way outside many of the unemployed skill sets and even if millions go to work under these programs there will be large scale underemployment. Plus I think we all know how the construction industry works when it comes to big projects. “The Big Dig” in Boston should be a beacon to understand how costly and how dirty hands get into the till.

Lets break apart the many projects being funded under this Bill and you will pull your hair right out. Tens of Billions in special projects, Over $100 billion in State aid. Over $100 billion to modernize schools, all be it necessary, it isn’t what we need immediately to revive the economy. Like I said over half of the money is into black holes and the other half will take quite a long while to get America out of the slump. Without fixing the Consumption Economy watch and see the massive layoffs to come.

I will guarantee you if we do not act immediately for small and big businesses alike, get consumers shored up and bolster confidence the effects of any plan just won’t save so many businesses that are sure to drive America closer to Bankruptcy and a Greater Depression.

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