Stimulus Items: Wastful Spending or Good Growth Idea - Your chance to speak up!
57CNN put out a list of the GOP's biggest "waste" items in the current recovery package. Some of the items I agree with other's I don't. I figured why not set up a poll here on HubPages to get other peoples opinion on if the spending seems like a good idea or not. Remember this should be all about whether or not each item will create jobs. Some things may not make much sense to spend money on but if they create good American jobs we should consider them.
So the question is do you think each item should be part of the recovery package? Does it create jobs?
Also feel free to post add any comments you have about specific items or the package as a whole.
$2 billion earmark to re-start FutureGen, a near-zero emissions coal power plant in Illinois that the Department of Energy defunded last year because it said th
Would you include this in the recovery bill?
See results without votingA $246 million tax break for Hollywood movie producers to buy motion picture film.
Would you include this in the recovery bill?
See results without voting$650 million for the digital television converter box coupon program.
Would you include this in the recovery bill?
See results without voting$88 million for the Coast Guard to design a new polar icebreaker (arctic ship).
Would you include this in the recovery bill?
See results without voting$448 million for constructing the Department of Homeland Security headquarters.
Would you include this in the recovery bill?
See results without voting$600 million to buy hybrid vehicles for federal employees.
Would you include this in the recovery bill?
See results without voting$248 million for furniture at the new Homeland Security headquarters.
Would you include this in the recovery bill?
See results without voting$400 million for the Centers for Disease Control to screen and prevent STD's.
Would you include this in the recovery bill?
See results without voting$1.4 billion for rural waste disposal programs.
Do you think this should be included in the recovery bill?
See results without voting$125 million for the Washington sewer system.
Do you think this should be included in the recovery bill?
See results without voting$150 million for Smithsonian museum facilities.
Do you think this should be included in the recovery bill?
See results without voting$1 billion for the 2010 Census, which has a projected cost overrun of $3 billion.
Do you think this should be included in the recovery bill?
See results without voting$75 million for "smoking cessation activities."
Do you think this should be included in the recovery bill?
See results without voting$200 million for public computer centers at community colleges.
Do you think this should be included in the recovery bill?
See results without voting$75 million for salaries of employees at the FBI.
Do you think this should be included in the recovery bill?
See results without voting$25 million for tribal alcohol and substance abuse reduction.
Do you think this should be included in the recovery bill?
See results without voting$500 million for flood reduction projects on the Mississippi River.
Do you think this should be included in the recovery bill?
See results without voting$10 million to inspect canals in urban areas
Do you think this should be included in the recovery bill?
See results without voting$6 billion to turn federal buildings into "green" buildings.
Do you think this should be included in the recovery bill?
See results without voting$500 million for state and local fire stations.
Do you think this should be included in the recovery bill?
See results without voting$650 million for wildland fire management on forest service lands.
Do you think this should be included in the recovery bill?
See results without voting$1.2 billion for "youth activities," including youth summer job programs.
Do you think this should be included in the recovery bill?
See results without voting$88 million for renovating the headquarters of the Public Health Service.
Do you think this should be included in the recovery bill?
See results without voting$412 million for CDC buildings and property.
Do you think this should be included in the recovery bill?
See results without voting$160 million for "paid volunteers" at the Corporation for National and Community Service.
Do you think this should be included in the recovery bill?
See results without voting$5.5 million for "energy efficiency initiatives" at the Department of Veterans Affairs National Cemetery Administration.
Do you think this should be included in the recovery bill?
See results without voting$850 million for Amtrak.
Do you think this should be included in the recovery bill?
See results without voting$75 million to construct a "security training" facility for State Department Security officers when they can be trained at existing facilities of other agencies
Do you think this should be included in the recovery bill?
See results without voting$110 million to the Farm Service Agency to upgrade computer systems.
Do you think this should be included in the recovery bill?
See results without voting$200 million in funding for the lease of alternative energy vehicles for use on military installations.
Do you think this should be included in the recovery bill?
See results without votingCommentsLoading...
thesuggestr, thanks for posting!
It appears that the majority (that is, including me) believes that the stimulus bill is mostly wasteful spending. While I understand that spending is a necessary component of the economic cycle, I don't think that wasteful spending will be the solution to this economic crisis we are in.
$246 million tax break for Hollywood movie producers? Why?!? Who is going to benefit from that? Only a handful, probably. Why not give that tax break to the airlines? With all the taxes that the government has imposed upon them after 9/11, they are more deserving than these Hollywood movie producers. OR is this tax break a payback for the support given to President Obama? Well, I guess that is understandable then. Oh, c'mon now!
$650 million for the digital converter box coupon program? Ok, granted this is helpful to those who cannot afford a new TV. For me, it would have been more prudent to help them buy a new TV than give them a converter box. Eventually, these converter boxes will become obsolete. And that is wasteful!
Is there something we can do about it? Not much, really. We can only hope and pray.
Caltex, while I agree with what your saying there is a need to put the #'s in perspective. While 650mil is more many than I'll ever see, relative to this bill it is less than 0.1 percent of the total bill. While it be niced to think that there'd be no wasteful spending there is a part of me that thinks that holding up the overall program to fight over less than one percent of it isn't the best idea.
Thanks, thesuggestr. I just want to clarify that I'm not saying that 650mil allocated on converter boxes should be the deal breaker and the bill should not have passed because of it. Not at all.
I was just voicing my opinion why I think it should not have been added to the recovery bill. That's just it.
Update
It looks like some of these items were removed from the bill that is going to the senate. I'll try to create a new hubpage for some of the items in final bill as well. Thanks to everyone who voted.
thesuggestr Hub Author 3 years ago
Anyone know where I can find the full bill?