Gold Dome Live

By Downtowner

March 3, 2009 12:06 PM | Link to this

The “costly string attached” to the stimulus money is the expansion of the state’s unemployment benefits so that in the future businesses may have to contribute more to the fund—entirely appropriate given that the present unemployment benefits do not cover part-time work (and thus furloughed workers) and do not run long enough to find another job in many cases.

I feel so helplessly furious about the possibility of this stimulus money being refused. The Republicans under Bush got us into this financial mess—all Georgian taxpayers will have to help repay the stimulus debt whether we accept these billions or not—and now these Republican politicians want to push us all further in the hole. I HATE Republicans!

By bob

March 3, 2009 12:30 PM | Link to this

Mr. Downtowner,

The average cost of corporate healthcare is $9660. Minumum wage for a year, full time, is $13,100 a year. Forcing companies to pay for healthcare will inevitably raise their cost of labor by nearly 75%. At some point we’ve got to ask ourselves just how much is too much to spend on healthcare for the average person?

My post has nothing to do with the article.

By tb

March 3, 2009 12:31 PM | Link to this

Downtowner you should rename yourself handouter. Get off the government teat and take care of yourself. This government is way too intrusive. They have you believing they are your savior.

By JC in Powder Springs

March 3, 2009 12:47 PM | Link to this

If the past is any indication, Perdue will announce cuts to education, healthcare, child support, transportation, and state parks. But the good news is corporations will pay less taxes, special deals for developer buddies at Jekyl Island, new funds for some moronic fishing program, and extra goodies for Georgia Power and/or the gas company. Almost forgot, the unemployed will be sent directly to jail. Then finish up the speech with a prayer for rain. Amen.

By Ms. Downtowner

March 3, 2009 12:49 PM | Link to this

That’s MS. Downtowner, thank you.

What does corporate healthcare have to do with unemployment benefits?

tb, remember that employees also put money into the unemployment benefits funds… this is not a hand-out.

I repeat— ALL Georgia taxpayers are going to have to help repay the stimulus package, whether or not they accept any of it.

By Dan

March 3, 2009 12:49 PM | Link to this

“Hate.” Really? That seems a bit strong. Blaming Republicans is also misguided. The collapse of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae was the catalyst for the economic collapse and was caused by Senate Democrats (Schumer, Franks and others on the Banking Committee) who wanted to score political points with poor Americans by making home loans available to people who had no way of repaying them. Then Senator Obama supported their efforts while President Bush opposed them. Let’s not forget who controlled the pursestrings at the time — Democrats all.

Hating does not help, thinking does. Now that The One is in charge with big majorities on both sides of the Hill, I’m sure everything will be just fine. He just spent the equivalent in one day of a million dollars a day — every day — since the birth of Christ only to see the stock market plummet and the economy worsen as our children are saddled with generations of debt. But that was apparently what you voted for so revel in the glory of your brave new world and figure out how to blame Bush for Obama’s future failures.

By gbatl

March 3, 2009 12:50 PM | Link to this

Downtowner is obviously use to the government taking care of them…..my guess is he/she is a government employee. Gov Perdue is smart not to take any funds that have “strings attached”. These strings will commit us to programs we cannot afford and prevent the employers you referred to from hiring new employees. If you want a “cradle to grave” state, move to California. Have you seen their budget deficit lately?

By Not A Purdue Supporter

March 3, 2009 12:54 PM | Link to this

**My question is WHEN will Purdue’s term in office end????????? Please enough already!!!!!!!

By Not A Purdue Supporter

March 3, 2009 12:55 PM | Link to this

WHEN IS HE GONNA BE GONE FISHING??

By professional skeptic

March 3, 2009 12:58 PM | Link to this

Dan, the Democrats on the Banking Committee did not make loans to people who could not afford them. Mortgage lenders did.

By Mike

March 3, 2009 1:06 PM | Link to this

But the mortgage lenders were encouraged to lend money on risky sub-prime loans because the government promised that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac would buy them from the banks. When the people really paying for it don’t care how risky of a loan you make, why should you?

By Rod

March 3, 2009 1:07 PM | Link to this

Perdue will take the stimulus money and repay his debt. I believe we all helped get us into this mess but what’s funny is now the Republicans want to be fiscally responsible. Where the H have they been these past 8 years. I am a democrat mostly but a republican(not a rino) when it comes to my money.

By harry dick

March 3, 2009 1:11 PM | Link to this

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By Herschworld

March 3, 2009 1:11 PM | Link to this

I think that we should prey that Sonny makes it rain stimulus dollars

By Herschworld

March 3, 2009 1:13 PM | Link to this

We should prey that sonny makes it rain stimulus dollars

By Reality

March 3, 2009 1:17 PM | Link to this

GBATL, what federal dollars don’t have strings attached? You are spinning it as if this is the first time federal dollars going to the sates had strings attached.

By Please get the facts right

March 3, 2009 1:17 PM | Link to this

Mike,

Your statement is missing facts. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loan always held the highest qualified loans and their system was in place to assure that and MI insurance that guaranteed against default. It’s the subprime industry that had no MI and made risky liar loans and high interest loans that were worrisome. Not Fannie and Freddie their are called in now the help with the mess they had nothing to do with but they are gov entity. Sad.

By Greed World

March 3, 2009 1:27 PM | Link to this

There should be no such thing as Democratic or Republican. There is so much blame among the two parties until it is unreal. We have wars all over the world, people homeless, proverty in our own country, starvation,people can’t afford health care, jobless and etc. How can we even sit here and pass any judgement. I know when I saw the movie Iraq

By Lynn

March 3, 2009 1:31 PM | Link to this

We need to blame the prime- mortgage mess on lendors and greedy investors who sold and traded them constantly. We are in debt because of reagonomics and bushisms. We had a surplus when a Democrat left office. Republicans need to take the blame come up with a fresh idea instead of tax cuts and keep moving forward. If I remember correctly it is repubicans who care when and how I drink, who I choose to marry and whether I choose to have a baby or not. That is full intrusion of my rights. ALso, didn’t Bush sign the Patriot Act.( Government intrusion at it’s finest. Please don’t throw the bible in this either because the reason why this country was founded was for seperation of church and state.

By Corey

March 3, 2009 1:32 PM | Link to this

The mathematical formula pulled out of thin air to resell these risky investments is what led to our tanking economy. Stop blaming it on the poor who purchased homes they could not afford. Most people buy things they can’t afford. When Enron et. al. were exposed for their “make a wish” accounting practices we should have realized that more fiat wealth would fall out of the hamper. All the wealth that has evaporated never was real wealth anyway. We are beginning to awaken from a dream, and that’s all it ever was just a dream. I learned a long time ago to save and spend not borrow and spend. People are forever trying to find out what that elusive credit score is which keeps shifting. Credit is not wealth; it’s faith. Instead of calling it a credit score perhaps we should call it ones faith score.

By Get over yourselves

March 3, 2009 1:37 PM | Link to this

Well I certainly don’t see your beloved corporate America stepping up to help fix things… All you retards who thought letting corporations go hog wild with no regulation helped create this disaster. So step aside while the adults fix it.

By b6542

March 3, 2009 1:40 PM | Link to this

Time to go down to my neighborhood health clinic and get my free meds. This ObamaCare is great !! Gotta like free free free…..beats going to Grady

By Greed World

March 3, 2009 1:43 PM | Link to this

Sorry, I did not finish my comments. I saw the movie Iraq for Sale and it was very upsetting to see where mine and your tax dollars went. It went to furnish a Bush and Chaney War and nobody even acknowledge the fact that our tax dollars are over there instead of right here in our own country. We help everybody else with our dollars and we cannot even take care of our own country. Is this greed or what? Please somebody tell me. I have never been on welfare, been a single parent, paid taxes diligently, without a doubt. When I was un-employed I lost everything, did not look for a F——— handout but got back up and dusted my pride off. When I see how we take care all these illegal aliens and helping other countries, it is just disgusting. Make the Bush’s and Chaney’s pay back some of the money they have stole from this country and the taxpayer who they took from. The stimulus that Obama is handing out is to try to pick up the pieces to help build America. The America that was already divided between Republican and Democrats. As you see for yourselves, we are all in this together. If you who has so D— much, with people being without jobs, do you think you are going to keep it. You don’t even have enough police protection to help you keep it. So we need to get off these high horses and get REAL.

By gadem

March 3, 2009 2:54 PM | Link to this

Corey, that is funny… a faith score.

By Porkers in GA

March 10, 2009 10:16 AM | Link to this

You mean Sonny is going to allow the state to receive the stimulus dollars? Sonny needs to jump in the lake now that there is water in it.

On another note, when is the Legislature going to realize that 3/4 of the employees are sucking the state dry by sitting in cubicles downtown at 2 Peachtree doing absolutely nothing or screwing the state up even more because they are not qualified to do their jobs? No advisory boards are in place to make funding decisions. They fund their “Friends” and buddies who look just like them.