Despite the efforts of many people like myself calling and emailing Washington, the so-called "stimulus" bill was passed. 246 members of the House and 60 senators (barely the number needed to pass the bill) voted in favor of a bill that was over 1,000 pages long, that they just received at 11pm the night before, and that not a single one of them had actually read in it's entirety.

Why?

Because "something" has to be done, and it has to be done right-now-hurry-up-don't-bother-with-the-details, or we will face certain catastrophe. Well, this bill is "something" all right. The Congressional Budget Office says the bill will actually harm the economy in the long run. Not only that, the bill is loaded with pork and pet projects that will do little or nothing to actually boost the economy.

This wasn't the only option. Jim DeMint proposed an alternative, as did TCOT (personally I like the TCOT plan!). Republicans in the House and Senate had suggestions and alternative plans but were completely shut out of the process at every step of the way.


But this isn't about party politics. I don't care what party you belong to, and the Republicans by and large have hardly been good examples of fiscal restraint. That's why they keep losing elections. But putting all that aside, this is about the future of our country, it's about what kind of country we will leave our children.

Here are a few highlights from the week.

This bill was thrown together so hastily it still has handwritten notes. Congress not only voted on a bill they hadn't read, they voted on a rough draft:



Not only that, in doing so they broke their own 48-hour rule, which requires that any new legislation be made available to the public online, in searchable form, for 48 hours before it is voted upon. So much for transparency.

Some of our elected officials were blatant in their disregard and contempt for the American people during this process:



Correction, Senator - the American people DO care (and the pork is hardly tiny). I can only hope that the people in your state show you just how much they care when you are up for re-election.

John Kerry articulated just how little faith the "elites" in Washington have in the American people:



Yeah, heaven forbid we actually - GASP - trust the American people with their OWN money. No, we can't have that. I ask you, Senator, what *guarantee* do we have that OUR money will be spent wisely by the government? None whatsoever.

And all that is before we get into the fact that they managed to slip socialized medicine into an economic bill. No disclosure, no debate. More contempt for the will of the people. More to come on that.

I'm disgusted. I'm utterly disgusted. I don't know what else to say. Well, I do but it will have to wait...

Posted on Saturday, February 14, 2009