Santabama Speaks! (aka: Channukah Barry vs. Reality)

Please allow me to excerpt from and comment upon our President-Elect's economic address made to the nation this morning:

We start 2009 in the midst of a crisis unlike any we have seen in our lifetime...

I was born in 1962. Obama was born in 1961. How come I remember the 70's and Obama doesn't...???

Nearly two million jobs have now been lost, and on Friday we are likely to learn that we lost more jobs last year than at any time since World War II.

(*SIGH*) Different base lines!!! False comparison!!! For God's sake, Mr. President-Elect, neither you or I is a mathematician nor a statistician, but we're both educated enough to know what I'm pointing out is true. Please... Sir... don't try to snow us. Stick to the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Things are bad enough without having to resort to statistical manipulation of the data in an attempt to strengthen your case; that's where President Bush went wrong - remember the WMD's...?!?!

Manufacturing has hit a twenty-eight year low.

And this is BAD. But back during the illusionary "boom" times domestic manufacturing and our industrial base was in decline. What's your bottom line? Filling pot holes will not reindustrialize our nation, nor will subsidizing structural losses of America's (once) private automotive industry. What's your plan...?!?!

Many businesses cannot borrow or make payroll.

And...??? (Why didn't those businesses have SAVINGS to fall back on...???)

Many families cannot pay their bills or their mortgage.

Same question!!! If you refuse to question and deal with the fundamentals which led to the current situation all you'll accomplish by throwing money around is literally throwing good money after bad. (Our money!!!)

Many workers are watching their life savings disappear.

Yeah? And how do you think debasing the currency and stoking the fires of inflation (if not stagflation) is going to "correct" this situation instead of accelerate the losses...???

And many, many Americans are both anxious and uncertain of what the future will hold.

Partially because we're listening to your supposed "solutions." (*SNORT*) (Did anyone happen to notice the Dow tanking bit by bit the longer his national address went on...???) (*SMIRK*)

I don’t believe it’s too late to change course, but it will be if we don’t take dramatic action as soon as possible.

But "change course" to WHAT DIRECTION...?!?! Take WHAT "dramatic action...???" Ordering "full steam ahead" in the WRONG direction is only going to compound the mistakes of the past and lead to future economic disaster. (*SIGH*)

If nothing is done, this recession could linger for years.

And if the WRONG thing is done...??? If the WRONG actions are taken...??? (*SIGH*)

We could lose a generation of potential and promise, as more young Americans are forced to forgo dreams of college or the chance to train for the jobs of the future.

College...??? Dreams of the future...??? I thought the plan was to boost construction spending and fill pot holes...??? Are you planning government subsidies of doctorates in shovelology...?!?! (*SNORT*)

Might one of our societal problems be not that there aren't enough Americans going to college, but rather, too many Americans attend college and pay too much and derive too little from the experience? Just a thought...

In short, a bad situation could become dramatically worse.

Yes. Yes it could. That's why I'm urging you not to advance policies that will make the situation dramatically worse!!!

This crisis did not happen solely by some accident of history or normal turn of the business cycle, and we won’t get out of it by simply waiting for a better day to come, or relying on the worn-out dogmas of the past. We arrived at this point due to an era of profound irresponsibility that stretched from corporate boardrooms to the halls of power in Washington, DC.

Uhmm.... and how about the American People themselves...??? Are we children who bear no responsibility for our own actions and inactions...???

For years, too many Wall Street executives made imprudent and dangerous decisions, seeking profits with too little regard for risk, too little regulatory scrutiny, and too little accountability. Banks made loans without concern for whether borrowers could repay them...

Oh, God... ENOUGH with the class warfare and populist rhetoric!

...and some borrowers took advantage of cheap credit to take on debt they couldn’t afford.

(*CLAP-CLAP-CLAP*) Well thank you for taking SOME account of reality! (*RUEFUL SMILE*)

Politicians spent taxpayer money without wisdom or discipline, and too often focused on scoring political points instead of the problems they were sent here to solve. The result has been a devastating loss of trust and confidence in our economy, our financial markets, and our government.

And unless your proposing a benevolent dictatorship... what exactly are you proposing to deal with this sad fact of human nature and the reality of democracy...??? (*SCRATCHING MY HEAD*)

Now, the very fact that this crisis is largely of our own making means that it is not beyond our ability to solve. Our problems are rooted in past mistakes, not our capacity for future greatness. It will take time, perhaps many years, but we can rebuild that lost trust and confidence.

NOT BY FURTHER INDEBTING THE AMERICAN PEOPLE VIA DEFICIT SPENDING AND UNFUNDED LIABILITIES BEYOND THE IMAGINATION OF MOST!!!

We can restore opportunity and prosperity.

(See above.) (*SIGH*)

...I have moved quickly to work with my economic team and leaders of both parties on an American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan that will immediately jumpstart job creation and long-term growth.

But what you propose is "investment" funded by FURTHER INDEBTEDNESS.... EVER INCREASING DEFICITS... CREATION OF GREATER RATHER THAN FEWER UNFUNDED FUTURE LIABILITIES... (*SIGH*)

Folks. This is insanity.

It’s a plan that represents not just new policy, but a whole new approach to meeting our most urgent challenges.

No. These policies have been tried in the past and they've FAILED!!! All President-Elect Obama is proposing is upping the ante - using OUR credit, taking out loans in OUR name!!!

For if we hope to end this crisis, we must end the culture of anything goes that helped create it – and this change must begin in Washington.

HUH...?!?! He's ADVANCING the culture of "anything goes!" This is positively Orwellian!!!

It is time to trade old habits for a new spirit of responsibility. It is time to finally change the ways of Washington so that we can set a new and better course for America.

Folks. Are you following? What he's PROPOSING is exactly what he's DECRYING!!! Again... positively Orwellian!!!

There is no doubt that the cost of this plan will be considerable. It will certainly add to the budget deficit in the short-term. But equally certain are the consequences of doing too little or nothing at all, for that will lead to an even greater deficit of jobs, incomes, and confidence in our economy.

Primum non nocere!!! (BESEECHING STARE DIRECTED TOWARDS THE HEAVENS*)

It is true that we cannot depend on government alone to create jobs or long-term growth, but at this particular moment, only government can provide the short-term boost necessary to lift us from a recession this deep and severe.

Government... is... BROKE...!!! Uncle Sam is economically "upside down." (*SIGH*)

Only government can break the vicious cycles that are crippling our economy – where a lack of spending leads to lost jobs which leads to even less spending; where an inability to lend and borrow stops growth and leads to even less credit.

In plain English... President-Elect Obama is calling for piling new debt upon old debt. Period. That's his plan.

That is why we need to act boldly and act now to reverse these cycles. That’s why we need to put money in the pockets of the American people...

Ask yourself this: Why not "stimulus" checks of one million dollars per American citizen? Well...??? If there are no "costs" to simply printing/borrowing money why not simply "create" millionaires of each and every one of us? (*SIGH*)

Folks... this is insane. While Bush's policies have done enormous damage to our nation, what Obama has in mind is Bushonomics on steroids!!! Don't buy this economic sophistry!!! Listen... if it walks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck... it's a frigg'n duck!!!

...create new jobs...

The only way government "creates" jobs is by putting people on the government payroll. And you know who PAYS for that payroll...??? Yep. YOU DO!!! You pay wages, benefits, and pensions of government employees already. As it is the system is out of whack with more government employees than we need or can afford. And President-Elect Obama and the Democrats plan on creating MORE government jobs...?!?! This is insanity!!!

...and invest in our future.

I'll do my own investing; thank you very much! (*PURSED LIPS*) (*FROWN*)

That’s why we need to re-start the flow of credit and restore the rules of the road that will ensure a crisis like this never happens again.

Reality check: You can't control the future in an absolute manner. If we knew how to prevent economic downturns we'd never have them and we wouldn't be in the mess we're in. For God's sake, Mr. President-Elect... STOP TALKING NONSENSE!!!

...there are millions of Americans trying to find work, even as, all around the country, there is so much work to be done.

Could you restate that - in espanol? (*SNORT*) (*SMIRK*) Boy... someone had better tell all the illegal alien workers that there's no jobs out there.

Anyway... not to get side-tracked... the bottom line is that unless you decide to resign and start your own business, Barak, "you" are not going to be creating ANY new jobs - other than increasing the size of the White House staff. (*SIGH*)

That’s why we’ll invest in priorities like energy and education; health care and a new infrastructure that are necessary to keep us strong and competitive in the 21st century. That’s why the overwhelming majority of the jobs created will be in the private sector, while our plan will save the public sector jobs of teachers, cops, firefighters and others who provide vital services. To finally spark the creation of a clean energy economy...

Folks. He's lying. You know what "investing in clean energy" would mean? It would mean starting construction of between 50-150 new nuclear power generating reactors around the country. That's NOT what he's talking about.

...we will double the production of alternative energy in the next three years.

(*SNORT*) Yeah. Starting from what baseline and defining "alternative energy" how...??? (*SMIRK*) Anyone who buys this may want to purchase a bridge from me. (*SMILE*)

We will modernize more than 75% of federal buildings and improve the energy efficiency of two million American homes...

Raise your hand if you truly believe you and your family will be among the "two million home" crowd. (*SMIRK*)

...saving consumers and taxpayers billions on our energy bills. In the process, we will put Americans to work in new jobs that pay well and can’t be outsourced – jobs building solar panels and wind turbines; constructing fuel-efficient cars and buildings; and developing the new energy technologies that will lead to even more jobs, more savings, and a cleaner, safer planet in the bargain.

(*SIGH*) You don't actually buy this pie in the sky rhetoric, do you, folks...??? Raise your hand if you see yourself or a family member or friend being gainfully, happily, profitably employed "building solar panels, wind turbines, or fuel efficient cars" in the next three years. Sure we can improve energy efficiency and we should... but how long have the "new" squiggly energy efficient light bulbs been around and yet Americans are still mainly using "old style" light bulbs?! Please. Hype only goes so far. In the final analysis we have to face reality in line with what we know via our own observation and experience.

To improve the quality of our health care while lowering its cost, we will make the immediate investments necessary to ensure that within five years, all of America’s medical records are computerized. This will cut waste, eliminate red tape, and reduce the need to repeat expensive medical tests. But it just won’t save billions of dollars and thousands of jobs – it will save lives by reducing the deadly but preventable medical errors that pervade our health care system.

Again... do you really buy the hype...? Perhaps computerization will save money, perhaps it won't, but in either case there will be unintended consequences in terms of safety and security. Hackers... virus'... simple bad data... (*SIGH*) (It's the computerization of financial/credit info that is largely responsible for the nightmare of identity theft. Think about how this concept might translate from financial record keeping to medical record keeping. (*SHRUG*) As to the "thousands of jobs" it'll supposedly "save," how so...??? (*SCRATCHING MY HEAD*) If you require less clerical labor... doesn't that translate to less clerical jobs? And if the reforms require more clerical labor... won't this increase labor costs which will in term be passed on to consumers via higher fees for services...??? (*HEADACHE*)

To give our children the chance to live out their dreams in a world that’s never been more competitive, we will equip tens of thousands of schools, community colleges, and public universities with 21st century classrooms, labs, and libraries. We’ll provide new computers, new technology, and new training for teachers so that students in Chicago and Boston can compete with kids in Beijing for the high-tech, high-wage jobs of the future.

Don't buy it folks. If there was a positive stand-alone correlation between spending and educational achievement you'd all want your kids attending Washington DC public schools. (*SMIRK*) Bottom line... more money won't solve our nation's educational weaknesses. Did paying higher salaries and bonuses to Wall Street wizards lead to more competent, more honest Wall Street wizards...??? (*SNORT*) Throwing money at people guarantees nothing!

To build an economy that can lead this future, we will begin to rebuild America. Yes, we’ll put people to work repairing crumbling roads, bridges, and schools by eliminating the backlog of well-planned, worthy and needed infrastructure projects. But we’ll also do more to retrofit America for a global economy. That means updating the way we get our electricity by starting to build a new smart grid...

"Smart Grid," huh...? (*SNORT*) O.K. Connected to WHAT exactly...??? (Sorry, Charlie... wind mills and solar panels AIN'T gonna cut it.)

...that will save us money, protect our power sources from blackout or attack, and deliver clean, alternative forms of energy to every corner of our nation.

Folks. Sorry. Again... (*SIGH*) If there was any "there" there beneath the rhetoric I'd be cheering at the top of my lungs. There's not. It's hot air - and not the kind that's gonna cut heating bills for the White House over the next four years. (*SMILE*)

It means expanding broadband lines across America, so that a small business in a rural town can connect and compete with their counterparts anywhere in the world.

I have absolutely NO PROBLEM shopping online now. Even years ago, before I got broadband, back when I used dial-up, I had no problem shopping online. What is this man babbling about...?!?! Mr. President-Elect... with respect... there's a point where "competition" becomes clutter, where too many choices actually hinders actual commerce. What I want is not "faster ordering" of Chinese made junk, but rather, being able to BUY AMERICAN right here in my local area!!!

And it means investing in the science, research, and technology that will lead to new medical breakthroughs, new discoveries, and entire new industries.

More "investing," huh. (*SNORT*) You know another term for government "investment" in the private sector? Corporate welfare!

Finally, this recovery and reinvestment plan will provide immediate relief to states, workers, and families who are bearing the brunt of this recession.

"Relief," huh? Folks... in plan English... he's talking more bailouts. He's talking throwing good money after bad. He's talking about enabling and subsidizing the very same state policies which have led to widespread state deficits/debt in the first place. He's talking about giving OUR money away. (*SHRUG*)

To get people spending again, 95% of working families will receive a $1,000 tax cut...

Around half the folks who will receive these checks pay no net federal income taxes. For these recipients... this isn't a tax cut, it's a welfare payment.

...the first stage of a middle-class tax cut that I promised during the campaign and will include in our next budget.

If Republicans were the Party of "Borrow and Spend," then I suppose we can label President-Elect Obama's proposals as "Uber-Borrowing, Printing, and Spending." (*FROWN*)

Folks! He's trying to BRIBE you! Bribe you with your own money!!! Bribe you with BORROWED money he expects you to pay back - with interest - at a future (unspecified) date!!!

To help Americans who have lost their jobs and can’t find new ones, we’ll continue the bipartisan extensions of unemployment insurance and health care coverage to help them through this crisis.

More spending. More bribes. More borrowing. More unfunded liabilities. Another nail in the coffin of future inflation. (*SIGH*)

Government at every level will have to tighten its belt...

Huh...?!?! But you're talking about EXPANDING government...!!! (Hmm... diet by overeating.) (*SNORT*)

...but we’ll help struggling states avoid harmful budget cuts, as long as they take responsibility and use the money to maintain essential services like police, fire, education, and health care.

But... but... but... what about "belt tightening...???" (*ROLLING MY EYES*)

I understand that some might be skeptical of this plan.

YA THINK...?!?!

Our government has already spent a good deal of money, but we haven’t yet seen that translate into more jobs or higher incomes or renewed confidence in our economy.

So... throwing MORE "good" money after bad is the answer...??? (*SCRATCHING MY HEAD*)

That’s why the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan won’t just throw money at our problems – we’ll invest in what works.

(*SIGH*) Exchanging the word "invest" for the world "throw" doesn't change the reality, sir. (*SHAKING MY HEAD*)

Enough. I can't bear any more.