Thinking Right

By Howard

February 2, 2009 8:46 AM | Link to this

Jim…why is this so surprising coming from a committed left-wing socialist and his cabal of fascists?? Americans had better get used to the fact we are under a quasi-dictatorship dedicated to turning this country into something like France or Britain or Sweden. Of course what they are proposing and legislating and decreeing…they have no intentions of taking part in. It’s only for the common folk who liberals love to rule and dominate and advise…and steal from in terms of taxes. This Obama-nation is soon gonna wake up to the fact that this good-looking, sharp talking clown is going to take us so far down the tubes in 2-3 years that Jimmy Carter will look like Ronald Reagan or Harry Truman. The USSA is truly screwed to the wall…all because of a snake oil salesman who talked pretty and claimed he was black. Had Obama been a Republican, his “black” background would have been dropped to emphasize the other side of the coin…believe it!! Change? Change from what??? Hope? Hope in anything Democrats can do??? Oh, and just wait folks until Israel gets hold of Iran and the Middle East blows up…I wanna see what everyone’s hero does to solve that!!! And that’s coming…believe it…that’s coming!! Obama better decide in the middle of all his economic stimulus junk and lies that he has to decide who he will back…Israel with its huge Jewish lobby here in the USA, who ironically voted for Obama OR backing his Muslim brethern…who expect him to bend over and hold the ankles for them!!!

By Ragnar Danneskjöld

February 2, 2009 8:58 AM | Link to this

Good morning all. The bill passed by the House democrats is irretrievably flawed.

(1) The core problem with the House bill is the underlying assumption that Keynesian economics works. The overlords, for decades now, cling to the belief, first proffered by Lord Keynes, that people are too stupid to know how to spend their money and that Federal spending on matters elected by the overlords will move the economy forward. (A kinder presentation of the theory is that a little inflation of the money supply will persuade businesses to expand production, thus leading the economy out of its doldrums.) A direct application of Keynesian economics has been tried twice in American history, during the FDR years under direct supervision of Lord Keynes, and during the Carter years. The terrible history of failure under FDR – the unemployment rate remained above 10% even after seven years of aggressive Federal spending – coupled with the collapse of the Philips Curve (the theory that inflation rate and unemployment rate were inversely related, a first derivative of the core Keynesian theory) during the Carter administration seeming left the overlord-spending theory on the ash-heap of economic history.

Despite the clear history, for reasons nobody understands, the Federal Reserve readopted Keynesian “easy money” theory in 2001, in response to the bursting “dot com” bubble, in an effort to stimulate economic growth. Rather than easing off the accelerator as the Bush tax cuts started to take hold, the Fed redoubled its effort to undermine the international value of the dollar, leaving too much money chasing too few goods. Soon anyone could get a loan for any amount for property worth anything, so much money was in circulation. To facilitate the fraud, Congressional democrats erected taxpayer-backed funding sources, to market baskets-full of mortgages, to create the illusion of worth where there was no evidence of intrinsic value. The failure of those funding sources, FNMA and FHLMC, triggered the financial panic of last summer.

In normal times the financial panic would have cause little ripple after taxpayer guarantees were placed on the system, but a second larger problem faced the economy: Speaker Pelosi’s threat to impose the largest tax increase in the history of the world. The problem now facing the economy is lack of business confidence in the future, due to the reasonably-anticipated effects of such a tax increase.

(2) Beyond the problem of not addressing any of the causative issues that lead to the present economic state, the “stimulus” bill offers no stimulation. Approximately half of the proposed taxpayer spending is to fund Federal government growth and state government bailouts and “neighborhood organizers”, none of which offer any prospective value to the productive economy. Every dollar of funding for government must be taken from the funding source of the private economy – private capital – or must be derived by debasing the money supply, through inflation. Neither of those prospects causes a businessman to hold confidence in the future, such that expansion is desirable. Add to the lack-of-stimulus-in-the-stimulus-bill those additional democrat goodies, proposed restrictions on private businesses in the forms of strengthening unions, increasing energy costs via a new “pollution scam,” and the normal democrat class warfare discouraging entrepreneurs from engaging in efforts to make the economy work, and the question arises, why would anyone want to expand under those circumstances?

(3) President Obama avers that the final bill will strip out all pork, and will clearly aim to stimulate the economy. Isn’t there yet, so I don’t buy.

By Shawny

February 2, 2009 9:15 AM | Link to this

What about the people that just paid to refi? Do they get a break too?

A surge in housing, house prices, loans to people that can’t afford housing is how we got in this mess to begin with. Therefore, lets do it again. nice.

By Curious Observer

February 2, 2009 9:25 AM | Link to this

Ragnar @8:58: You’ve given us the reasons you don’t like the stimulus bill. What is noticeably absent is your version of an alternative. Please bless us with your wisdom about what the country should do to lift us out of the recession. It’s pretty easy, you know, to throw rocks at the windows of vacant premises, as you are doing like a mischievous little boy.

By Keynes Killed the Able

February 2, 2009 9:28 AM | Link to this

Rag, I’ve never seen a guy google something and then write wrongly about it more than you. You have tried to summarize Keynes at least 500 times. You are brave, I’ll give you that. Keynes couldn’t explain Keynes. Neither could Einstein. Neither can Trump. But you can, right.

But today, you will succeed. The way to explain keynes is to draw upon the tried and true, monkeys in the zoo parallel. Start with five monkeys in a cage. You can do it. Then they suffer boom and bust for centuries until one of them decides he knows why, and then uses powerpoint to illustrate how to avoid bust and boom. The other monkeys throw feces at whole idear and invent congressional oversight.

Go ‘head. Leave the stimulus package alone. I dont know what it is about your narrative, but I have no idear what you’re talking about and cant read the entry. at all. It’s like, “the two platoon system is better than the one platoon system, cause it’s twice as goot”. or something.

Wooten asks would you buy the package? We din’t buy the bailout. They did it anyway. We din’t buy the war in Iraq. They did it anyway. We din’t buy the supreme court’s 2000 election decision. They ruined our country anyway.

How about we concentrate on understandable issues, like pardons.

Should America pardon Bush, Rush, and their 1st ammendment Hush? or the Wall Street Lush? or the Peanut Corp’s Mush? or the Bailout Push? or the Supreme Court vote crush?

Your problem, Rag, is that you dont rhyme or speak jive. Get the beat, and dumb it down, and you’ll find more and more lurkers around.

daddyo

By NightTrain

February 2, 2009 9:31 AM | Link to this

Back in 1990, the Government seized the Mustang Ranch brothel in Nevadafor tax evasion and, as required by law, tried to run it.

They failed and it closed.

Now, we are trusting the economy of our country and 850+ Billion Dollars to a pack of nit-wits who couldn’t make money running a w******* house and selling booze.

Now if that doesn’t make you nervous, what does???

By Ragnar Danneskjöld

February 2, 2009 9:33 AM | Link to this

Dear Curious @ 9:25, “Please bless us with your wisdom about what the country should do to lift us out of the recession.” Thanks for asking. You understand our view of the world, that government does only three things competently. “Stimulate the economy” is not one of those three. The best good the government can do is to not do damage. If, hypothetically, one was a leftist who wished to persuade businessmen to hire people and expand the company, one should merely avoid a few simple errors:

(1) don’t make it easier to compel union membership as a requirement of retaining a job;

(2) don’t raise corporate taxes;

(3) don’t raise taxes on higher income individuals;

(4) don’t renegotiate international trade agreements, to make them less free and more “fair”;

(5) don’t implement a “cap and trade” system for energy, primarily to enrich those who control the system;

(6) don’t restrict production of traditional energy sources, such as coal, oil, and nuclear;

(7) don’t raid the taxpayers for corporate welfare, to be paid to preferred “alternative” energy producers, mostly leftists;

(8) don’t nationalize health care, financing all costs through business taxes.

All of those policies increase costs, and would reduce quality of life for all living under the yoke of nanny government. The flight of capital, seen in the decline of the Dow Jones Industrial average, is fully rational, and, as we regularly note here, voters deserve the governments they elect. The real question is whether the elected democrats are foolhardy enough to implement the programs they promised. Voters will have an opportunity to change course soon enough.

By Ragnar Danneskjöld

February 2, 2009 9:52 AM | Link to this

Dear Curious @ 9:25, on second thought, one thing the government could do to stimulate the economy would be to find ways to lower costs for businesses. Those costs arise in two forms: (1) regulatory inefficiency, due to unfunded government mandates, and (2) direct and indirect taxation. For example, simply lowering the corporate income tax would reduce costs, and make expansion theoretically possible.

By Glenn

February 2, 2009 10:07 AM | Link to this

Ooh. Ooh! I’m so stimulated I can hardly stand it. Whenever Washington appropriates billions a few of which eventually find their way to my state over the course of bureaucratic years, I get all excited!

By Ga Values

February 2, 2009 10:10 AM | Link to this

When is Johnny the Socialist change parties, he sure is NOT a Republican..

“Schumer said Sunday on CBS’s Face the Nation that Democrats are open to some proposals, including one advanced by U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) for a $15,000 tax credit for new home buyers. “That’s something we look favorably upon,” he said.”

By PAUL KRUGMAN

February 2, 2009 10:16 AM | Link to this

Question: what happens if you lose vast amounts of other people’s money? Answer: you get a big gift from the federal government — but the president says some very harsh things about you before forking over the cash.

Am I being unfair? I hope so. But right now that’s what seems to be happening.

Just to be clear, I’m not talking about the Obama administration’s plan to support jobs and output with a large, temporary rise in federal spending, which is very much the right thing to do. I’m talking, instead, about the administration’s plans for a banking system rescue — plans that are shaping up as a classic exercise in “lemon socialism”: taxpayers bear the cost if things go wrong, but stockholders and executives get the benefits if things go right.

When I read recent remarks on financial policy by top Obama administration officials, I feel as if I’ve entered a time warp — as if it’s still 2005, Alan Greenspan is still the Maestro, and bankers are still heroes of capitalism.

“We have a financial system that is run by private shareholders, managed by private institutions, and we’d like to do our best to preserve that system,” says Timothy Geithner, the Treasury secretary — as he prepares to put taxpayers on the hook for that system’s immense losses.

Meanwhile, a Washington Post report based on administration sources says that Mr. Geithner and Lawrence Summers, President Obama’s top economic adviser, “think governments make poor bank managers” — as opposed, presumably, to the private-sector geniuses who managed to lose more than a trillion dollars in the space of a few years.

And this prejudice in favor of private control, even when the government is putting up all the money, seems to be warping the administration’s response to the financial crisis.

Now, something must be done to shore up the financial system. The chaos after Lehman Brothers failed showed that letting major financial institutions collapse can be very bad for the economy’s health. And a number of major institutions are dangerously close to the edge.

So banks need more capital. In normal times, banks raise capital by selling stock to private investors, who receive a share in the bank’s ownership in return. You might think, then, that if banks currently can’t or won’t raise enough capital from private investors, the government should do what a private investor would: provide capital in return for partial ownership.

But bank stocks are worth so little these days — Citigroup and Bank of America have a combined market value of only $52 billion — that the ownership wouldn’t be partial: pumping in enough taxpayer money to make the banks sound would, in effect, turn them into publicly owned enterprises.

My response to this prospect is: so? If taxpayers are footing the bill for rescuing the banks, why shouldn’t they get ownership, at least until private buyers can be found? But the Obama administration appears to be tying itself in knots to avoid this outcome.

If news reports are right, the bank rescue plan will contain two main elements: government purchases of some troubled bank assets and guarantees against losses on other assets. The guarantees would represent a big gift to bank stockholders; the purchases might not, if the price was fair — but prices would, The Financial Times reports, probably be based on “valuation models” rather than market prices, suggesting that the government would be making a big gift here, too.

And in return for what is likely to be a huge subsidy to stockholders, taxpayers will get, well, nothing.

Will there at least be limits on executive compensation, to prevent more of the rip-offs that have enraged the public? President Obama denounced Wall Street bonuses in his latest weekly address — but according to The Washington Post, “the administration is likely to refrain from imposing tougher restrictions on executive compensation at most firms receiving government aid” because “harsh limits could discourage some firms from asking for aid.” This suggests that Mr. Obama’s tough talk is just for show.

Meanwhile, Wall Street’s culture of excess seems to have been barely dented by the crisis. “Say I’m a banker and I created $30 million. I should get a part of that,” one banker told The New York Times. And if you’re a banker and you destroyed $30 billion? Uncle Sam to the rescue!

There’s more at stake here than fairness, although that matters too. Saving the economy is going to be very expensive: that $800 billion stimulus plan is probably just a down payment, and rescuing the financial system, even if it’s done right, is going to cost hundreds of billions more. We can’t afford to squander money giving huge windfalls to banks and their executives, merely to preserve the illusion of private ownership.

By Evolution Explained

February 2, 2009 10:35 AM | Link to this

I entered a time warp when I read your already-covered piece that would have been relevant only if you had written it during the pre-election bailout.

moron

By Redneck Convert

February 2, 2009 10:52 AM | Link to this

Well, I couldn’t blog yesterday on account of the trailer catching on fire.

After the missus and me got back from Ryans, I decided to rake some leaves. Then Jim Earl and Joe Bill showed up and offered to help me. Before long we had a big pile of leaves since I didn’t rake them last year. Some of them was wet. So then we talked about what to do with the leaves. Joe Bill said we should burn them but some of them were wet and wouldn’t catch. That’s when Jim Earl come up with the idea of pouring some gas on them and then burning them. Jim Earl fetched a can of gas from underneath the trailer and started pouring it on. Nobody noticed there was a hole in the bottom of the can when he took the can back to the trailer and I throwed a match on the pile. Well, in no time at all the fire followed the trail of leaked gas and the whole trailer went up. Good thing my PC and Skoal were in the truck. The missus was in the bathroom and come diving out the door half-nekkid. I was so ashamed. Anyway, I’m living in a old trailer Joe Bill lent me till the insurance co. can come out and look at the damage.

Anyhow, I’m with Raghead. Us Libraritarians got to stick together. Just shovel tax cuts to the rich and watch Trickle Down take place. The reason it didn’t work when My President tried it is because we didn’t wait long enough for the Trickle Down to take place. And get rid of all this guvmint regulation. We might get a few 100 poisoned every now and then if the guvmint don’t look at the food and such, but we’ll make up for it with lots of new business money. And if you got a job, you oughtn’t to gripe over a few people dying or maybe a few 1000 people loosing their life savings.

Well, I got beer to haul. People plumb cleaned out most of the bars yesterday during this Super Bowl. They probly don’t remember or care who won. Have a good day everybody.

By Churchill's MOM

February 2, 2009 10:54 AM | Link to this

What’s up with the AJC?? We can’t go directly to the opinion page, Jim’s friday work is on the tab, are they trying to tell you something??

This Dusty person is crazy, I bet she can’t cook and weighs 300 pounds because all she eats is from Mickie D’s.

By ron

February 2, 2009 11:09 AM | Link to this

I don’t buy the bailout and I sure am not going to buy another house.There’s that part taken ccare of.

What’s it going to take?As a consumer,and supposedly as a member of the group that has a lot to do with the economy,the government is going to have to do something to regain my confidence to spend instead of hoard my money.The unchecked credit that was prevelent in the last business cycle is going to have to be curtailed.The insane banking practices are going to have to stop.The CEO’S of corporations are going to have to be reined in.Their business ethics are non-existent.I need a stock market where I can safely invest my money.One where I don’t fear that the fat cats are going to pilfer it.Those are just some of the things I need to boost my confidence in the system.Until I see these things in place,I’m keeping my money close to the vest.

The Wall Street economy and the Mian Street economy we have at the moment is still inflaated above the point where the real economy lies.We need to let all of this seek it’s own level and begin anew.Failure to do this is only going to get an economy sputtering ahead to die a real death in the near future.

Cut taxes and learn to live with it.

Cut wages.

Cut the expectations of what you really need to have to live.

Put some ethics back in business.

Sit some really smart people down and decide just how necessary large corporations are to the long range plans of a healthy economy.

Unfettereed capitalism,as far as I am concerned is not a healthy environment to have workers live in.Over regulated capitalism leads to the quagmire we have now.

By Evolution Explained

February 2, 2009 11:14 AM | Link to this

The superbowl! Gen. Patreaus flipped the coin and the Cards called it. But apparently they couldn’t decide how it landed, because the good General had flipped a Kurdish Yen, which shows not a head, but the entrails of a slaughtered goat. The ref flagged him for delay of scram. (in iraq)

The pilot of the hudson river jet landing was also there. The ref flagged him for grounding.

overall, the commercials blew donkey kong. These commercials are created by committee. They were obviously over edited and what we saw was like the starwars mess of a few years ago, unwatchable tripe, too many surprises and no name recognition. I still think it’s the fed-ex baby, and not the etrade baby. I dont get that it’s etrade, so that commercial, which i love, is a failure. Then they ruined the concept with the little black baby singing and the original baby complaining about the singing and trying to sush him. No. Doesn’t work. The original baby is above that kind of pettiness. After showing a little surprise and discombulation over the black baby’s riff, he woulda provided a beatbox backup, not sushed it. The baby is selling something, and woulda tried to improvise a save, kinda like the way Gene Wilder tried to keep it going when the monster started to falter on stage in Young Frankenstein. These no talent adverising hacks make me sick.

The entire commercial saga this year was a disaster. Most of the ideas were stolen from my blogs, and ditto the dialogue, voice, tone, and atmosphere. The directors of these commercials must have gone to the russian potatoe famine school of directing. Compelling visuals were absent. less is more. dont get too cute. name recognition before comedy.

they violated all the rules.

By Evolution Explained

February 2, 2009 11:15 AM | Link to this

Sure ron, we followed THAT along…..

By Peadawg

February 2, 2009 11:24 AM | Link to this

“The interesting player in this entire process is President Barack Obama, who last week took the Wall Street securities industry to task for awarding $18.4 billion in bonuses in 2008. He thought that shameful and declared that”there will be time for them to rake in profits and bonuses later in the economic cycle. But now is not that time.”

And yet, he’s found nothing shameful or excessive about a bill that passes off massive new spending for social programs as stimulus. His reaction, instead, was to urge Republicans to hold the politics to a minimum. Easy to say when the underlying document is politics to the max.”

Exactly. The Democratic Party should change their name to the Hypocracy Party. Everything is ok if they do it.

By getalife

February 2, 2009 11:25 AM | Link to this

Now the gop leader says they will not block it. Looks like the gop guvs won . Let the lobbying begin.

I am guessing this bill will be over 2000 pages and the red States will not get much.

By getalife

February 2, 2009 11:28 AM | Link to this

Instead of Joe the reporter, I think Redneck Convert should replace Jim.

By Sally Flocks

February 2, 2009 11:36 AM | Link to this

On January 23, Jim Wooten suggested you could save more lives by educating pedestrian to cross at intersections than you could by adding refuge islands at midblock locations where people need to cross. Since then, an 87-year old man was killed while crossing with the walk light in a wheelchair at the intersection of Lenox Road at Piedmont Rd. This morning, an SUV-driver killed a 7-year old child who was crossing the street in a crosswalk, despite the presence of a crossing guard. Bad road design and inattentive drivers put pedestrians at risk. Don’t blame the victims.

By Peter

February 2, 2009 11:42 AM | Link to this

Jim wow as you say……….Give the Rich our Tax dollars, and Zero to the poor or needy in America !

Republican Family Values = Money for the Rich, nothing for the poor !

By JLK

February 2, 2009 11:49 AM | Link to this

“Don’t blame the victims.”

No fair! What would Mr. Wooten have to write about, then?

By Dusty

February 2, 2009 12:00 PM | Link to this

Getalife@ 11:28

Sure…RedNeck could replace Jim and Bozo the Clown could replace you.

You are breaking PoFo’s heart (today aka Evolution Explained). He has converted to conservatism just to try for the NEW editor job at AJC. He should try for the comics but they have enough people. Or maybe he could replace Bookman as most amybody could do that.

By Get Real

February 2, 2009 12:04 PM | Link to this

I’m glad the AJC had the foresight to put ol’ Wooten out to pasture. As long as it’s republican, he’s with it. The democrats could do the exact same thing to the T, and he would find fault in it. American society is no longer cut and dry, and I believe the majority of American people would get behind any policy, democrat or republican, as long it was fair and it worked. Wooten belongs to a dying breed a political hacks who want nothing more than to dredge up old issues that society has moved passed. He has yet to admit or even debate that Bush’s tax cuts in a time of war nonetheless led to the deficit, and the lack of Wall St regulations almost led to its collapse. There has to balance now! Georgia has a $2 billion deficit, and if a Democrat was governor this would be all old Wootie would be talking about. Nice job AJC to get rid of this guy, or maybe he had the intelligence to know he’s like a 50 year old pitcher trying to make it into the majors for the first time; he’s out of his league now.

By ron

February 2, 2009 12:25 PM | Link to this

Dear Evolution Explained.——I’m happy that you followed my train of thought to the station.

By Jim Jr.

February 2, 2009 12:29 PM | Link to this

If the Republicans had not done such a terrible job during the time they were “in power” 1994 - 2008 they would still be in power - would the not?

By Ayn Rand was Right

February 2, 2009 12:34 PM | Link to this

Peter - who’s tax dollars? Are those the same tax dollars that the rich earned? If needy or poor is the standard for getting money, why would anyone work?

By david wayne osedach, san diego/ U.S.A.

February 2, 2009 12:38 PM | Link to this

Instead of a revolutionary “new” stimulus program how about if we try without one entirely?

By Ayn Rand was Right

February 2, 2009 12:50 PM | Link to this

Peter - who’s tax dollars? Are those the same tax dollars that the rich earned? If needy or poor is the standard for getting money, why would anyone work?

By @@

February 2, 2009 12:51 PM | Link to this

Would I buy this “pig in the poke” the politicians are trying to sell?

Not the fat parts, I wouldn’t.

I could go with Isaakson’s $15,000 tax credit but not if it comes with the “ham hocks” McConnel’s trying to sell, which is:

(((Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is arguing for 4 percent fixed mortgages backed by taxpayers “to any credit-worthy borrower,”)))

So……what? The politicians are going to “manage” my investment? The politicians are going to determine who’s “credit-worthy”? They can manage my “Fannie” by kissing my a$$.

And Obama?

(((He thought that shameful and declared that”there will be time for them to rake in profits and bonuses later in the economic cycle. But now is not that time.”)))

This guy’s lookin’ more and more like the Queen of England — a figurehead only, while the peasants look on enamored by his royalty.

A hood ornament if ever I saw one.

No thanks, Jim. Even if it passes, I remain vehemently opposed.

This is an excellent video! for those who care to watch.

Simply stated for the sheeple on the left.

Obama’s liberal Dingleberries! Baa-aaa-aaaa…

By Tid Bit

February 2, 2009 12:52 PM | Link to this

It’s not Wooten’s sins of content that led him to be banned from the Garden of Edit, but rather his sins of syntax. He sometimes phrases things so awkwardly that it’s torture to wade through it. So nobody does. ANd then look at the professional wrestlers he attracts here on this blog!

But Wooten will be around. Us writers have one bond: we have to write, and we wont be banned. Bookman banned me, but only to set up the trolls to make fools out of themselves as right bloggers. He eggs them on patronizingly and gets them to expose the right for the mess it truly is. I go along with it because me getting banned by Bookman is like Shakespeare being banned by the guy that wrote Police Academy Six. Ridiculous. Besides, I tend to completely overwhelm a blog and it’s really not fair for the really good writers at Bookman to never get the floor, which forces these pen marksmen to save all their real writing when they all go upstairs into some troll chatroom, of course.

It’s lonely at the top.

By Peter

February 2, 2009 1:09 PM | Link to this

What ???????

By Ayn Rand was Right

February 2, 2009 12:34 PM | Link to this

Peter - who’s tax dollars? Are those the same tax dollars that the rich earned? If needy or poor is the standard for getting money, why would anyone work?

I work hard, and pay all my taxes…..I don’t think the rich wall street guys deserved a penny of Bush’s Bail out as we know they got…..They ran their business into the ground because of Greed to start with….like Bush had zero accountability, then got a great deal of Bonus money……that was a total JOKE !

And your comment about why would anyone work ? Well I guess motivated folks want more than just enough to get by on.

My issue is not that I think we ought to give a bunch away, but we should help the poor, and if memory serves me correctly, most individuals that are going bankrupt have health problems that have bankrupted them.

I find it “Funny” that Republican’s will spend Trillions on a Personal Made up WAR, condone that action, and condone the Bilking of America as Cheney did, with his cost plus contracts…….and then complain about the helping of groups like the Boy and Girls Club of America,whom Bush stopped funding along with after school programs for inner city kids.

There is a BIG Disconnect the way Republican’s and Democrat’s care to spend money…..AS the rich get richer, and we see they did for all the 8 years Bush was in office..they poor got poorer. Even the Congress gave themselves a pay raise EVER YEAR over the last 8, yet they stopped essentially the minimum wage hike, with exception of one time.

I guess business will say the wage hike is bad for business, but taking home 20 Million a year for one individual or a hand full, seems like bad business as well.

Republican’s will tell you they are for “Small” government, and No “Pork”……

Republican’s don’t want to rebuild America’s Infrastructure, yet they allow hundred’s of Million’s of tax payer dollar’s for building in Iraq.

We see the largest government ever under Bush, and then you had Sarah Palin, the Queen of Pork running for VP.

Republican’s talk with Forked Tongue !

By Swede Atlanta

February 2, 2009 1:37 PM | Link to this

As a life-long proud Democrat I have to admit I am concerned about some of the details of the stimulus plan. If someone can articulate how giving $50M for the NEA is stimulative to the economy I might be able to support it. I am in general supportive of government support at all levels for quality arts undertakings. But how this could be relevant to turning the economy around is beyond me. So clearly the pork needs to be stripped.

But the wholesale push for tax cuts to stimulate the economy need to be considered cautiously. We know the Reagan tax cuts did not work but in fact resulted in a huge deficit. We know the Bush tax cuts did not work but in concert with the war spending resulted in the highest level of indebtedness we have known. The Bush “prosperity” was a sham. The seeming prosperity was made possible by record low interest rates that banks used to enable new unqualified homeowners to get stuck with mortgages they couldn’t afford and to enable refinancing. Refinancing drove the economy. Remodeling, cashing out equity to pay for expensive cars, trips, etc. was the driving force in the economy.

Tax incentives to encourage home purchases sounds good but how many people will want to do that? Even if you have a good job today what about tomorrow? Tax incentives to encourage businesses to hire workers sounds good but is that little incentive enough when businesses cannot obtain the financing needed for inventory and operating expenses?

By Ayn Rand Was An Idiot

February 2, 2009 1:39 PM | Link to this

So-called conservatives don’t understand the economic concept of “public goods”, essential to a functional free market.

When it comes to energy, roads, bridges, damns, levies, ports, education, … the “free rider” problem is, and always will be, utter nonsense. We all benefit from roads we’ll never drive on and schools that we or our loved ones never set foot in.

By Ayn Rand was Right

February 2, 2009 1:41 PM | Link to this

Peter - all that wasted space… The “Bush Bailout” you mention was fully created, pushed and supported by your beloved liberals. It was a government bailout and no one including the American Sheeple who bit hook line and sinker are without culpability in this matter. Regarding your other items, equally incorrect.

Answer me this, if the government didn’t take your money (taxes) to give to the needy and poor, would you give your money willingly? Your party does not have a great track record of that.

Oh, I do agree with you on the final statement…all Republicans and Democrats say what they need to say based on the party’s interests and their own.

By N. Joy Pharteen

February 2, 2009 1:46 PM | Link to this

In these tough times, I recommend eating beans. They are inexpensive, nutritious and can replace cable as entertainment.

By Peadawg

February 2, 2009 1:46 PM | Link to this

Macy’s announces 7,000 job cuts — change we can believe in!

By GTO

February 2, 2009 1:51 PM | Link to this

Sign the Depression is here: Wal-Mart has stopped rolling back prices.

By P H D

February 2, 2009 1:53 PM | Link to this

OBAMA = CHICKEN LITTLE

By Peter

February 2, 2009 2:16 PM | Link to this

Hey By Ayn Rand was Right ……

Answer me this, if the government didn’t take your money (taxes) to give to the needy and poor, would you give your money willingly? Your party does not have a great track record of that.

For starters I am independent……… second, I think MORE money has been wasted on the Made up WAR than for any other reason.

By Dusty

February 2, 2009 2:21 PM | Link to this

Get Real @ 12:04

Go soak your liberal head. You are just another lib afraid of a real commentator. Jim Wooten keeps us well informed about state and national politics. His view is clear and honest, something people like you dislike.

If he wants to go part time, that’s our loss. We’ll probably get some twinkle toes who can get along with Democrats. That means get along with everybody liberal in a nice way that doesn’t step on the toes of the two for one leaning liberal opinion editors. Jim has the ability to stand tall in the swamp.

Now run along, Get Real, and play with TidBit PoFo. He’s another crybaby in the liberal wilderness.

By sane jane

February 2, 2009 2:56 PM | Link to this

I wish you wingnuts would hold steady to one position for more than just a second.

First, Obama is a total unknown - NOBODY KNOWS ANYTHING ABOUT HIM! THE MEDIA WON’T REPORT ON THIS GUY!

Now, we learn (as dear Howard notes in comment #1) that he’s a “committed left wing socialist” leading a cabal of fascists.

Well, which is it? Do we know about this guy or don’t we?

Sounds like somebody is letting their FEAR govern their JUDGMENT.

By jim

February 2, 2009 3:31 PM | Link to this

Simple solution to fix the economy:

• Suspend the payroll tax for 6mths to a year

• Cut capital gains to 5 or 10%

• Maintain all current tax cuts

• Strip out everything else in the porkulus bill

This puts the money back in the hands of the people. WE KNOW HOW TO SPEND OUR MONEY BETTER THAN 536(CONGRESS+PREZ) IDIOTS IN WASHINGTON

By Glenn

February 2, 2009 3:42 PM | Link to this

A two-buck Chuck from Brookllyn, on Long Island’s west end,

Never said a word unless he set out to offend.

A congressman named Frank

Viewed the nation as his bank

And neither met a dollar that he didn’t want to spend.

By Dusty

February 2, 2009 3:47 PM | Link to this

Dear Simple,3:10

With the likes of you in the loony lib bin we have to get all the ammunition we can gather to offset the tripe. Jim Wooten will be with us part time which should more than handle any lame brains on the loose like you.

So cheers, Simpleton. Ragnar can also handle his own at any time. He always does which is more than I can say for you.

And…. Bud, use your own “tongue bathing skills” as you said and don’t forget the mouth wash.

By Unwanted Mental Image

February 2, 2009 3:53 PM | Link to this

Dusty,

Indeed, Ragnar “handles his own” with great gusto, as evidenced by his wankerific spurts of non-motile verbiage. And he always has you there to clean up after his spree. Now wipe your chin and begone!

By Ayn Rand was Right

February 2, 2009 3:55 PM | Link to this

Peter - still didn’t answer my question…are you willing to take care of the needy and poor without government intervention? It surprises me that you consider yourself and independent, considering your point of view is directly aligned with the Dems.

Um, and that “made up war” has kept our enemies focused on their backyards instead of ours. Clearly even Mr. President can see that, since he is redeploying our troops to other middle east hotbeds instead of bringing them home.

By Jake

February 2, 2009 3:56 PM | Link to this

Supply side voodoo economics do not work. I’s that simple. GWB ran huge deficits amid huge tax cuts for the wealthy and presided over not one but two recessions, the second being the worst since the Great Depression. 70% of our economy is consumer goods. Let’s drive a recovery from that side because it also has social benefits compared to giving huge bonuses to people who are already rich. I don’t get the health care and education. Those are pure social programs that don’t belong here. They should be addressed in a later part of the economic cycle and the Federal government should get out of education altogether.

By What the heck!

February 2, 2009 4:14 PM | Link to this

Sally Flocks — you mentioned two instances where folks were in the crosswalks …that doesn’t even start to compare with the numbers who are hit every day zig zaging across Buford Highway and downtown Atlanta … just daring somebody to hit them. Not to mention all those nare-do-wells out here in Gwinnett County walking along the sides of the road (actually on the edge of the asphalt) late at night w/dark clothes on and them dark to boot! I learn years ago to wear light clothing and if I were riding my bike to have reflectors on it … the folks this day and time could care less and what is worse they drag their innocent children along with them!!!

By TW

February 2, 2009 4:28 PM | Link to this

FRANKFORT, Ky. – Kentucky’s governor will ask President Barack Obama on Monday to speed up federal aid dollars as costs spiral past $45 million for emergency work to restore power, hand out water and food and clear debris across the state hit hard by an icy winter storm last week.

bwa. Why should my tax dollars go to bail-out these morons who have smoked their brains out and thus had to blow their wad on dealing with the ramifications of that? Number one in the country in smoking deaths - yee ha.

Real trip watching the red states beg Obama for cash.

Beg, Baby, Beg…Beg, Baby, Beg…

God I miss the real republicans.

By Dusty

February 2, 2009 4:30 PM | Link to this

Dear Glenn, 3:42

There once was a lib named Blago.

Who made cheating the same as Chicago.

His dear friend Obama

Became Washington’s charmer,

So now we have tax cheats Chi-gogo!

(Yours was better, Glenn.)

By Dusty

February 2, 2009 4:41 PM | Link to this

Dear PoFo Unwanted Image etc….3:53

I clean up after no one. You are jealous ‘cause Ragnar’s wheels turn better than yours. Yours are stuck in revolving IDs. Now what’s your real name again? Chris something or other or have you forgotten?

This is the time for a nice quotation: “To thyself be true.” And to us too. So there!!

It is also time for me to leave. See ya’ later…

By williebkind

February 2, 2009 4:42 PM | Link to this

I want the IRS to tax to death the slime CEO’s who have those huge bonuses after failing the businesses. Especially those who got it December 31 to avoid looking like it came from the stimulus package.

By Raggedisnott Dimbulbideasareold

February 2, 2009 4:48 PM | Link to this

Ahoy, ye leftist usurpers of my board! Particularly you, Simple Answers— why do ye plague me? Why do ye not quail before my mighty umlauts? Do I not say in four paragraphs what I could do in one? Do I not stretch the boundaries of credulity each and every time I parlay my political purple prose into a diatribe of Brobdinagian proportions? Do I not perform my rhetorical rectumtude faithfully each dawn (aye, generally before the rest of my cohorts here are even astir)? One would think ye liberal heathen would appreciate my pedantic prolixity, but NAAAAAYYYY! My windy wanderings are wasted— WASTED, I tell ye! Fie on ye all. I shall betake me now and continue my attempts at persuading the populist pedagogues of this publication that they have indeed failed miserably by not appointing my own august self as the duly deserving successor for Woo-ten the Magnificient. Should my efforts fall short, I shall betake me to my much-beloved Reichwing sites to cut and paste, cut and paste the evening away, thereby accumulating more wisdom to diffuse on the morrow. Look on my words, ye lefties, and despair!

By question

February 2, 2009 5:06 PM | Link to this

has pofo’s wife dropped dead yet?

By Peter

February 2, 2009 6:05 PM | Link to this

By Ayn Rand was Right

February 2, 2009 3:55 PM | Link to this

Peter - still didn’t answer my question…are you willing to take care of the needy and poor without government intervention? It surprises me that you consider yourself and independent, considering your point of view is directly aligned with the Dems.

Are you willing to help the Rich …… without Government intervention ?

Being of social conscience doesn’t make anyone a Democrat……. for instance killing as in abortion, is no different then George Bush starting a MADE UP WAR !

Killing is Killing no matter what the age.

No I am not going to personally help the poor……BUT…….. helping the RICH as Republican’s like to do, with our tax dollars, is even more a slap in the face to all Americans ! American’s making little money still have to pay taxes and contribute to Social Security…and George Bush and the Republican’s cane not about accountability of American’s hard earned money.

Your theory on why WAR makes sense is incredible….bankrupt our country without a plan ! If George Bush kept us safe …….911 would have NEVER Happened !

By Algonquin J. Calhoun

February 2, 2009 6:05 PM | Link to this

Jim, you’re all outraged about any proposal that would have a positive social effect but you never expressed any offense at the billion a day George W. hitler spent in Iraq. I haven’t heard a word from you about the five trillion he added to our national debt. President Obama is trying to save the nation from the terrible mess that imbecilic, mental dwarf has wrought! Happy farming!