What got cut from stimulus bill

[True_Blue_KY_Dem]

Source: CNN

What got cut from the stimulus bill
Story Highlights
Bipartisan group of senators reaches compromise on stimulus bill

Items partially cut include funds for FBI construction, federal hybrid cars, EPA

Items entirely cut include funds for federal prisons, NASA, school construction

(CNN) -- A coalition of Democrats and some Republicans reached a compromise that trimmed billions in spending from an earlier version of the Senate economic stimulus bill.

CNN obtained, from a Democratic leadership aide, a list of some programs that have been cut -- either entirely or partially:

Partially cut:

• $3.5 billion for energy-efficient federal buildings (original bill $7 billion)

• $75 million from Smithsonian (original bill $150 million)

• $200 million from Environmental Protection Agency Superfund (original bill $800 million)

• $100 million from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (original bill $427 million)

• $100 million from law enforcement wireless (original bill $200 million)

• $300 million from federal fleet of hybrid vehicles (original bill $600 million)

• $100 million from FBI construction (original bill $400 million)

Fully eliminated

• $55 million for historic preservation

• $122 million for new Coast Guard polar icebreaker/cutters

• $100 million for Farm Service Agency modernization

• $50 million for CSERES research

• $65 million for watershed rehabilitation

• $30 million for SD salaries

• $100 for distance learning

• $98 million for school nutrition

• $50 million for aquaculture

• $2 billion for broadband

• $100 million for NIST

• $50 million for detention trustee

• $25 million for Marshalls Construction

• $300 million for federal prisons

• $300 million for BYRNE Formula

• $140 million for BYRNE Competitive

• $10 million state and local law enforcement

• $50 million for NASA

• $50 million for aeronautics

• $50 million for exploration

• $50 million for Cross Agency Support

• $200 million for National Science Foundation

• $100 million for science

• $1 billion for Energy Loan Guarantees

• $4.5 billion for GSA

• $89 million GSA operations

• $50 million from DHS

• $200 million TSA

• $122 million for Coast Guard Cutters, modifies use

• $25 million for Fish and Wildlife

• $55 million for historic preservation

• $20 million for working capital fund

• $165 million for Forest Service capital improvement

• $90 million for State and Private Wildlife Fire Management

• $1 billion for Head Start/Early Start

• $5.8 billion for Health Prevention Activity

• $2 billion for HIT Grants

• $600 million for Title I (NCLB)

• $16 billion for school construction

• $3.5 billion for higher education construction

• $1.25 billion for project based rental

• $2.25 for Neighborhood Stabilization

• $1.2 billion for retrofitting Project 8 housing

• $40 billion for state fiscal stabilization (includes $7.5 billion of state incentive grants)


Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/02/07/stimulus.cuts/index.html

[bread_and_roses]

1. can't have young children eating and learning now, can we?

Let's see if the Ds can make a stink about that, if nothing else - food and learning for our neediest children. Will they be on the airways telling America that the Rs have denied young children food and school? And what the hell are the States supposed to do? They're bankrupt. Will the Governors be out there denouncing the Rs? Why do I somehow doubt it? Instead, we'll probably get Ds on the media lauding their own "bi-partisanship" with the vicious R agenda.

[stray cat]

5. The dems should include increases in those areas in this years budget - which isn't done yet

[NeoConsSuck]

22. Here is what the bankrupt states are planning..

but hey, the less we help out the states, the more we can help out wall street banks! Tune in Monday for that episode!

http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=767804

[acmavm]

42. That's exactly what pissed me off the most. When I saw this I was (AM)

livid:


$1 billion for Head Start/Early Start

[FailureToCommunicate]

45. Outrageous! Head Start cut?!?! If even a few corporations paid there fair taxes

insted of hiding them tax free off shore, ALOT of the programs could be funded and healthy. Biggest profit year EVER for ExXon and they walk away whistling...

[DollyM]

51. that is a huge cut for Head Start . . . .

I worked in Head Start for a couple of years and can tell you that those centers make money stretch farther than anything I know as they are considerably underfunded. I remember bringing my electric skillet and toaster from home because we were trying to cook breakfast for 2o children with nothing but a four burner stove with a broken oven. I begged the head office for a new toaster ($10.00?) but they said there was not money! Of course, the main office director took trips all over the country and ate up most of the budget in gasoline and plane fare but . . . that is another story. Head Start, like many federally funded organizations is rather top heavy in administration costs and the centers and the kids do without. I can't imagine what a 1 Billion dollar cut is going to do because you know the main agency directors are not going to take a cut. (I remember when I was told to get all the kids screenings donated including mental, dental and medical. I did but it was a monumental task of pulling in a lot of my personal connections. Then I found out that each center was fully funded for having all those screening done. The money was there but I'm sure ended up in the main office administrators pocket. So I got disgusted and left Head Start. Then I found out the head administrative director had went to work for Head Start in Washington D.C. If she is still there, I bet she is writhing in agony on the floor if they have cut her personal funding.) Head Start is a good program, it just needs more financial oversight than it has and staff needs to be abel to whistle blow without fear of being fired.

[Baby Snooks]

53. The United Way way....

"Head Start, like many federally funded organizations is rather top heavy in administration costs and the centers and the kids do without. I can't imagine what a 1 Billion dollar cut is going to do because you know the main agency directors are not going to take a cut."

And there is as much oversight for these programs as there was for the Great Wall Street Ripoff of 2008. Congress simply doesn't care.

But when they campaign, they all talk about how they supported this and that and how as a result of their support Congress appropriated billions for this program and billions for that program. And believe that is all that matters.

Try filing a complaint against a federal agency for malfeasance with its Inspector General. If they even take it, after a year or two you will give up.

HUD is one of the most wasteful and one of the worst. Their area directors all want kickbacks and the community organizations that need the HUD funding sometimes pay it. That's the only way to get funding. HUD has begun to investigate more based on audits but not on complaints.

It isn't always a matter of the corrupt Republicans, or the corrupt Democrats, but the corrupt system.

And of course when the budgets are cut, the administrative budgets aren't. Only the services.

[DollyM]

54. I agree . . .

I poured my own money into the Head Start program where I was director until I realized I was losing too much money to continue. I wonder what they did when I took my electric skillet home. Oh yeah, I finally broke down and bought them a damn toaster out of my own pocket. The agency director would swing by the center in her Mercedes and take a few pictures and pat her self on the back and leave. It just made me sick.

[704wipes]

69. couldn't have their parents working on a construction project either

like at a historic preservation site, or a fishery or wildlife project.

[d206s]

96. Screw the kids..........

As I recall a long time ago in a land far, far away...........

A certain someone said 'Let them eat cake'.

And as I further recall, a REVOLUTION followed shortly there after.

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

[Muttocracy]

2. ouch. hope the federal science and envir. agencies get enough other ways. nt

[stray cat]

3. Those are budget items that can be increased in this years budget

and with the dems in office they are likely to see an increase. Even moderate repubs like them - evidently just not in a stimulus bill

[Muttocracy]

7. yeah, I actually wish they had focused on a smaller # of more direct stimulus

so I'm OK if this is what it takes to get this done.

[Jawja]

75. Agreed.

The House Democrats loaded the bill with items that need to go into the budget bill. I want to see what is IN this bill.

[2Design]

4. Looks like most cuts were for job creating which the gop doesn't

want on dems watch or for the people they hate

[No Elephants]

11. Yet, one of their main complaints about the stimulus is that it does not create jobs.

[xxqqqzme]

39. That was my reaction as well.

Go down the list - its jobs, jobs, jobs that were cut. Thank goodness that bi-partisan thing is working so well (to the detriment of the economy).

[NaturalHigh]

6. I'm fine with some cuts to the originals bill.

Cuts to child nutrition and law enforcement are asinine, though.

When I was a teacher, I saw kids whose only decent meal of the day came from school lunch. It's immoral to deny those meals to those kids.

[No Elephants]

8. Well, with all the cuts that affect the planet, icebreakers soon won't be needed anyway.

[AllyCat]

87. That's what I thought too!

[napi21]

9. I don't have a real problem with what they've cut or eliminated.

I still want to see the tax cut package though. If it's primarily for the middle class and small businesses, that's exactly what Obama promised during his campaign. The Pubs have given "tax cuts" a bad name because they primarily gave them only to the super rich! They're not ALL BAD. Some actually help everyday Americans!

[No Elephants]

13. But this was supposed to be an economy stimulus bill, not a tax cut bill. Both

sides are guilty of trying to cram into it their own pet issues, instead of sticking only to the stimulus. I guess I would have done the same in their shoes.

[Abq_Sarah]

19. Part of the problem

Is that there's no way to "stimulate" the small business community without tax cuts. Sure, you will create many temporary jobs with infrastructure improvement but those new jobs will come at the expense of existing jobs. There is nothing I have seen in the current bill that will help me keep my company open over the next year or keep my employees working full time.

[w4rma]

25. That's not true. The small business community needs people to have jobs so that they will buy things

from the small businesses, whether services or manufactured or grown objects.

[Abq_Sarah]

26. I repeat

There is nothing in this stimulus bill that will help me keep my employees working and my company open. And I am not alone in this assessment. I am fortunate enough to live in a very liberal town and none of my fellow business owners see any light at the end of the tunnel. A few road construction projects and a new roof on the school is not going to pour money into our economy. It will provide temporary employment for a few people. It's not going to help us make our monthly payments to the state and the fed. It will help the people who hold loans that will be paid down and it will help people who sell items essential to survival but that's about it. At the very best, we might maintain the status quo.

[No Elephants]

35. But, maintaining the status quo, or anything close to it, in an economic downturn of this

magnitude is no small thing. In fact, it's huge.

[No Elephants]

27. There is disagreement about whether tax cuts stimulate the economy or not. Republicans

seem to have more faith in that than Democrats. However, what you are saying about help to stay open makes perfect sense to me. I posted this morning on another board that some of the money could have been used to help organizations, like animal shelters, that were closing their doors. The same principle can be applied to businesses, maybe in the form of some favorable kind of long term loan (voluntary, of course).

As to your individual situation, though, I fear it is not making sense to me. Only your profits should be getting taxed. If you are sufficiently profitable to be able to use a tax cut, I don't understand why you would be forced to close your doors. However, it probably does not make sense to discuss your individual situation on a message board. (Not with me anyway.)

[happyslug]

79. One of the basic economic facts of life is poor people spend 100%, rich save almost 100%

AND economic activity is more important then just the money. i.e. the more transactions a given set of money produces, the better for the economy. Given the poor will spend almost 100% of any income they receive, in many different transactions. The money that produces these transactions will peculates throughout the economy, getting the economy the kick it needs. Small business will get the money through the various transactions, as the money peculates up to the rich who will tend to bank it and stop the peculation. Tax cuts goes to the well off quickly, either directly or by people paying off old debts (This is what happen to the tax cut money last year). Small business does best when the economy is doing well, and right now the general economy needs an increase in the number of transaction to get well. Thus the best thing for small business, as a whole, is for a better economy NOT tax cut to themselves.

Yes, a stimulus package produces temporary jobs, but most people are just temporary out of employment. Giving them jobs, during this period when they have no jobs, will give the economy a boost. The boost will improve the general economy and many of these same people will get other jobs. Thus while these jobs are temporary, employment will be long term do to the general improvement in the economy.

Now, as show in last week's Rachel Maddow show, the best "return" on a stimulus package is food stamps. For every dollar spent on Food Stamps it produces $1.73 in economy activities (and this is according to Moody's), tax cuts produce only $1.02 for every Dollar spent (Barely breaks even).

For more on Moody's report see:
http://www.economy.com/dismal/article_free.asp?cid=102598#_ftn7

Sorry, to get this economy going we need to put the money is the hands of people who will spend it, that is the poor. I notice in the Moody's report Welfare is NOT mentioned, but its return is roughly the same as Food Stamps, but it is unpopular and thus NOT part of the stimulus package. Work programs, like the WPA during the Great Depression, are preferred by Politicians for this reason, people have less objections to such work programs then to increase welfare grants (in fact, since the great Depression, Democrats have been more hostile to Welfare then Republicans for this very reason, the Democrats are afraid of losing votes if they support increases in Welfare do to many voters view of people on welfare as being lazy, the Republicans look at welfare as being cheaper then any other program to help the poor and thus tend, prior to Reagan, to support increases in Welfare as the cheapest way to get help to the poor).

Right now given the general hostility to increases in welfare payments (by BOTH parties) the stimulus package, hopefully without the tax cuts, will do the most good.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

102. I wonder if the reason tax cuts have such a poor return is

because of who they've been historically targeted at. If they had been more targeted at the working poor they would probably supply more bang for the buck. Look at Chimp's tax cuts; those have to have skewed the "return" being preponderantly for the rich.

Iow, as you pointed out, tax cuts for the poor would likely have been spent. However, since most tax cuts have favored the elite, they've been saved, therefore producing little bang.

[Jakes Progress]

29. Oooh! But I'll get a check for free money, won't I.

That's all I care about.

(Oh yeah. I better not forget the little sign : :sarcasm:

[truedelphi]

31. I know. I know.

The pork is always present.

For instance, on the face of it, 20 billion for "computerizing hospital records" seems like a great boon doesn't it?

Buit it is something fought for by the HMO's because here is the way it works (At least in California)

A hospital in COunty A owned by HMO Good HealthCare
spends $ 300,000 for the programemers to create the code and software for their hospital to use.

Now that isn't a lot of money to spend for an institution that has say, 200 or 300 beds and all the outpatient clinics etc.

But since it is part of a chain, shouldn't that software and code go tot all the other hospitals in that HMO?

Yet community activists have uncovered the fact that these HMO's will pretend that they cannot transfer the software and the code from one hospital to the next. Why not? They own it - it's theirs.

So what could cost the HMO and all the hospitals in its control a mere $ 300,000 will cost $ 300,000 times the number of hopspitals owned by that chain. All of which just gets diverted into truly important things - like CEO salaries (Sarcasm intended)

[No Elephants]

37. Well, stupid and wasteful spending in government bills is always an issue that I would

like to see corrected. Right now, the critical thing is, do they have to spend that money within a reasonably short period of time? If so, it will create jobs and/or overtime, either of which should cause more spending. If not, it's just free money.

[natrat]

44. yea but we may be in the midst of an era where it's a"bit more" than just stupid and wasteful

[No Elephants]

48. I noticed!

[Lucinda]

59. If they are creating the programs "in house" they can do as they like with it. But often

they are really just buying a limited license to USE the software, created by an outside company. And the outside company sets usage restrictions.

[truedelphi]

64. The hospital chain in question insisted that licensing some one else's product wasn't good enough

Which is why they initially insisted that the first community pay $ 300,000.

There is absolutely no reason to need to re-create the wheel (in this case the software and code) for the remaining hospitals in that chain. Except to pad the Corporate coffers at the expense of the insured and those who use the hospital. Believe me, all they are doing is pretending that it needs to happen at each hospital individually. But community activists proved that the first hospital's software was being distributed to all the other institutions although the other communities were being given the
$ 300,000 bill for each hospital.

[Lucinda]

66. If they created an own it, then they should have no need to alter it.

There should be standard practices in all their holdings. So, it seems to me that it's either poor management that hasn't standardized operations as much as possible, or someone is pocket lining.

It might be more complicated than that....but I think you're spot on. There IS no need to reinvent the wheel.

[peacetalksforall]

10. well, let's see: Republican children get home-schooled and they don't care about

children of libruls. What per cent of Republica children get home-schooled?

Let's see: Science will be penalized because if denies that the earth is only 6,000 years old.

Let's see: Federal prisons are subject to laws. Since sufficient private prisons owned by Republicans exist now, no need for federal?

Any truth to these statements?

[Joe Chi Minh]

50. That was the first thing that struck me. The utter wickedness. An indirect boost for the

criminal directors and shareholders in the private penals system.

[SOS]

12. $5 trillion for War 'n Wall Street? No problem!

$1 billion for Head Start? Hell no!

[underpants]

14. BTW- school nutrition programs (School lunches) started as a result of WWII draftee rejections

aobut 40% of the initial waves of draftees had to be rejected mostly due to mal- or poor nutrition. Mostly dental related as well as not being able to carry heavy loads (it would take too long and be too expensive to bring them up to speed)

http://www.educationbug.org/a/the-history-of-the-school-lunch-program.html

http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/lunch/AboutLunch/ProgramHistory_5.htm

The National School Lunch Program

During World War II, many U.S. draftees were found to be malnourished to such an extent that they were turned down for military service. The realization of this low nutritional state of the general population led to the passage of the National School Lunch Act (NSLA) in 1946, which established the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) in elementary and secondary schools. This landmark legislation, although amended many times, continues in force today, with its original objectives still in place. These objectives are "to safeguard the health and well-being of the Nation's children, and to encourage the domestic consumption of nutritious agricultural commodities and other food."
http://www.answers.com/topic/school-food-programs

[valerief]

15. What are SD salaries? nt

[Xithras]

28. State Department n/t

[valerief]

85. Ah, merci. nt

[dcindian]

16. What should have got cut from the budget.

Senate pay.

[Dappleganger]

17. Word.

[No Elephants]

18. This is not a budget. It's a stimulus package. Therefore, things cut from here need not be

gone forever. They may just be inappropriate for this particular bill. As always, make your voice heard if you care enough about any of these cuts. www.senate.gov, www.house.gov and www.whitehouse.gov/contact.

[NorCalDem]

57. THIS IS 100% TRUE

This man speaks the truth!

[pecwae]

74. Yes, he does,

but no one wants to hear the truth.

[Metta]

20. No surprise. These are mean spirited, cold hearted, narrow minded, short sighted thugs.

who are completely ignorant of the fact that they inherit part of the suffering of the people they deny aid to.

[ooglymoogly]

21. What we really need to see is what the pugs added to the bill

The glaring truth that no tax cuts were cut from the bill is very telling. I don't mind many of the things cut from the bill except the cuts in education and the poverty in education. The pugs lost track of the fact that this is a stimulus bill meaning spending and the more the better. Of course we all know that the pugs are obstructing anything that might make the economy improve on the dem's watch and doing every thing for O's demise even if it means taking the country down with them.

[whistle]

32. Correct, reTHUGlickass tax cuts are sacred cows of the GOP let's have a look at what they added

[liberal N proud]

23. These cuts are proof the GOP is not representing the people...

• Cutting energy-efficient federal buildings is GOP showing their support for the oil companies.

• Cutting from the Smithsonian and NEA is typical GOP stand against the arts.

• Cutting Environmental Protection Agency Superfund and NOA shouldn't be a surprise knowing the GOP's history with the environment.

• Cutting law enforcement wireless? What happened to keeping America safe? Another GOP fear mantra destroyed on this one.

• Cutting from federal fleet of hybrid vehicles? Is it the hybrid vehicle or the new vehicles? They just don't get it here, New fleet of vehicles for the government will put the car companies back to work. CAN YOU SAY JOBS! Fuck you McCain, FUCK YOU!


Fully eliminated

• Cutting money for historic preservation. We all know how the GOP treats history, the sure don't want anyone to preserve the calamity of the last 8 years to which they are part of.

• Cutting money for Coast Guard polar icebreaker/cutters. There is a story today where those icebreakers would be very handy. Up to 500 fishermen trapped on ice flows on Lake Erie. But this one also is a jobs package. Building ships, creates jobs. Again FUCK YOU JOHN MCCAIN!

• Cutting Farm Service Agency modernization. Coming from farm country, this one surprises me. The GOP must be confident in the holding on to the farmers vote. Something I never understand, the GOP beats up on these people but they keep voting republican.

• Cutting funds for watershed rehabilitation is another one that is a missed opportunity for jobs.

• Cutting funds for distance learning is preventing primarily rural citizens from education opportunities. It also kills jobs opportunities.

• Cutting school nutrition just another example of how the GOP really feels about the children that they are forcing women to have. Some family value here.

• What is aquaculture? Hydroponics? I am not qualified on this one.

• Cutting broadband leaves much of America with nothing more than dial-up for internet (Ted Tubes Stevens is smiling). Just think of the jobs potential this would have provided. Someone would have had to run the cables for the broadband and setup all that equipment. It would have been a task force the size of the number of linemen in the field.

• Cutting funds for federal prisons? Shut the fuck up about closing GITMO you assholes.

• Cutting state and local law enforcement is a fuck you people. Says the GOP does not care about citizens safety.

• Cutting funds for NASA is a typical GOP slap in the face to science. Another jobs opportunity not to mention all the products that have been developed through innovations in the space industry.

• Cutting funds for aeronautics will probably mean the aging air traffic control system will remain obsolete.

• Cutting exploration? I guess that putting people to work exploring is un-American. If these fuckers would have been in charge when this country was growing we would never had the Louisiana purchase, Alaska or any other wilderness which became part of America.

• Cutting funds for Cross Agency Support? Wasn't this something the bu$h regime was pushing for after 9/11? So much for worrying about keeping us safe, Huh?

• Cutting the National Science Foundation is part of the GOP war against science.

• Cutting funds for Energy Loan Guarantees is to insure people in need will never clime out from under the burden of need.

• Cutting funds for GSA is part of the "conservative" war on government agencies.

• $89 million GSA operations

• Cutting funds from DHS is to insure there is not universal health-care

• Cutting from the TSA is proof that all the bullshit we go through at the airport is just that. Keeping us safe. Hah!

• Cutting funds for Coast Guard Cutters sure doesn't help the bullshit war on drugs.

• Cutting funds for Fish and Wildlife is another potential jobs stimulation attack.

• Cutting Forest Service capital improvement is typical GOP attack on the environment and government agencies. It also is another sure fire jobs stimulation cut.

• Cutting $90 million for State and Private Wildlife Fire Management is telling California, burn baby burn.

• Cutting Head Start/Early Start, means they are not pro-life but rather pro-birth.

• Cutting Health Prevention Activity is to protect the insurance lobby

• Cutting school construction and higher education construction is their way to keep the status Que in education. The GOP is not interested in an educated society. It is easier to sell their failed policy to un-educated citizens.

• Cutting Neighborhood Stabilization keeps the crime rate high, why they don't want to prevent crime is a mystery.

• Cutting Project 8 housing is standard GOP class warfare.

• Cutting state fiscal stabilization is one sure way to make sure this stimulus fails and ultimately Obama fails. Their ultimate goal.

Bottom line they are sabotaging this stimulus in a political move to insure they regain power in 2010 and the White House 2012. And with the help of the media, they just might succeed.

[bhikkhu]

24. And apparently all hiking and biking path funding

http://bikeportland.org/2009/02/06/senators-look-to-strip-bike-funding-from-stimulus-bill-blumenauer-responds/

Which I don't have too much of a problem with, except that what was not stripped was a huge amount of transportation funding, which is likely now to build new highways. Perhaps people want new highways, but just dumping another massive effort into a bigger fossil-fuel specific infrastructure is stupid. Everybody knows that, but it seems we will get our new highways anyway.

[Jakes Progress]

30. Can someone look at my back.

I can see the pointy thing coming out my stomach, but I can't see behind me to tell if its a slot or phillips head.

But I do know I've been screwed.

[Pryderi]

33. Luddites Scrooge America.

[MNDemNY]

34. Why the hell are we bending over and grabbing our ankles for 3,(three), fucking votes?

If we spread our cheeks, can we get 4?

[Left Coast2020]

36. Its really not all that bad.

Consider form a post here yesterday of all the repug amendments that went down in flames. McBush tried twice to offce tax cuts and failed both times. I am however, bummed about broadband getting ax'ed. I need it in my neighborhood. But if those of you believe we can recover the stuff that was cut in the budget, I'm cool with that. I just hope you're right.

[No Elephants]

38. Don't hope. Contact your Senators and your Rep and get your

friends and neighbors to do the same. They CAN put these things in other bills, but there is no guaranty, especially if we are passive.

As far as the amendments all going down in flames, I am not sure yet.

First, the Pubs changed the bill in the House, even though not a one of them ended up voting for it anyway. hen, Collins and Nelson and others worked it over before it ever got to any Senate vote. Then, the Senate voted down some amendments, but passed others. http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/vote_menu_111_1.htm (I am not sure exactly what those votes were about, but I am not sure it matters.) And they reconvened at noon today to continue consideration. http://www.senate.gov/

But, I feel sad for two reasons.

One, this should have been a cake walk for the Democrats. Not only do we have the majority, but Obama has high approval ratings and the nation is desperate for help of some kind. With all that going for us, we should have put our foot down, IMO.

Two, the bill should have been better to begin with.

So, while I think it is possible for things that got cut to pass later, I also think we have to put the pressure on if we want them to pass later.

[LynneSin]

40. This is not stuff that we won't see in Congress again - we need this bill done

Trust me, this is just an idea of what is to come with the Obama Administration. We need to get the stimulus bill done and these things cut can be brought up again. Perhaps some of these could wait for future bills on the floor.

[atreides1]

43. Even if they do bring them up again?

Do you really believe that the Republicans are not going to put up a fight? The next budget bill that comes up, the Repukes will once again push to make Bush's tax cuts permanent and will still be against headstart and other social programs.

Yes they'll get re-introduced in another bill, but the Repukes will do everything in their power to make sure that they die.

Meanwhile those kids in headstart programs will still be the losers in all of this.

[LynneSin]

76. They are going to put up a fight with everything why hold back the Stimulus package

The thing is - we only need to get a few republicans to cross. And I know how important Head Start is - I live in downtown Wilmington DE and HS is very important but so is getting this economy jumpstarted. The concerns of some of the moderates was removing programs that really weren't creating new jobs. Headstart is important but not a job creater. It'll have it's chance again and I hope it makes it thru.

[poverlay]

41. PUT IT BACK. ALL OF IT!!! Elitist bastards... n/t

[Phoonzang]

46. They cut NASA funds?!

Well that's it I guess. I should have known that the space program was coming to an end. I just hoped that under a new admin that was positive about science, we'd finally do something in space.

[Hulk]

47. Thank goodness we still have the repugs "looking out for us"....and

how to "not waste" our precious tax dollars. What a f*cking joke!!

I mean.....we would have just stacked the money in nice neat piles and started them on fire. Heaven forbid we would have improved our state and national agencies and maybe put a few hundred thousand people to work for a year or more.

What a bunch of ass wipes. At least we found four....joe liverwurst included....who would be bribed to go along with the stimulus package if "they got their way" so they can show their dumb ass constituents how they "cut taxes". Idiots!! Nation of f*cking morons!!

[cloudythescribbler]

49. Does anyone know what CSERES research and Marshalls Construction are? nt

[Muttocracy]

60. I'm pretty sure that's a typo for CSREES - part of USDA including Cooperative Extension

http://www.csrees.usda.gov/

Stands for Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service. Will be reorganized into the National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA) in 2009. That reorganization has been underway for a while; the fate of many programs within it is a little unclear.

I wish when they picked a new name "Environment" would have gone into it.

The extension part helps fund outreach from the land-grant universities http://www.csrees.usda.gov/qlinks/extension.html

[DollyM]

52. Where is my job creation in this?

I am not going to be building bridges or highways but I may work in a social service program or a drug abuse prevention program with my educational background. What about creating jobs in those areas for those of us who have degrees and would like to use them to better the world a bit. This stimulus seems rather narrow in focus, I don't see any jobs for people like me who could use my skills to help other people get jobs too. Instead, we have been cut out entirely.

[Cass]

55. Fully eliminated: $98 million for school nutrition

Fully eliminated: $98 million for school nutrition

There's a lot on the list that I disagree with but this one really gets me. For some children, school lunch is the most nutritious or only meal they have for the day. With the economy in the shape it is today, there are so many more hungry children than there were a year ago. I wish that additional funding for school nutrition would have remained intact.

[MindMatter]

56. $122 million for new Coast Guard polar icebreaker/cutters is outrageous

If we wait a couple more years, there won't be any ice to cut.

[DuaneBidoux]

58. Why the Repukes think we can't handle terrorism? Because we can't even fuckin' deal with them!!!!

[PurityOfEssence]

61. Ouch. Touche.

They always accuse us of being weak and not capable of leading, and here we waste valuable time trying to get their permission to save the world's economy.

Rome's a'burnin', rosin up the bow!

[DuaneBidoux]

63. As you may gather I am fuckin' boiling right now.

Something HAS indeed happened to us between the FDR that defeated the evil Nazis and what we have become. When the survival of your country is at stake (and quite frankly I believe that is a good possibility here) you don't compromise, especially with people that have the iq of my 14 year old (although he is smart for his age).

I am fucking boiling. I thought this kind of shit was over. I dreamed of finally beginning to do something great in my time. I try not to be discouraged but I am sad, and angry, and need (I think) a valium.

Or a beautiful girl--the latter is probably healthier.

[OhioChick]

62. Too many important things got cut....sad. n/t

[ryanmuegge]

65. Obama and the "Democratic" Congress are both such jokes.

Obama is the epitome of spineless leadership. Keep eating Lincoln's meals and going through ceremonial motions with his Bible because that's as close are you're ever going to get to being him, buddy.

[d206s]

94. yep........

I have never been so disappointed with the political process in my life.
All 58 years.

[blackspade]

67. well lets see....

Lets see what at first glance looks like job cuts:

Partially cut:
• $3.5 billion for energy-efficient federal buildings (original bill $7 billion) **JOB CUT**
• $75 million from Smithsonian (original bill $150 million)
• $200 million from Environmental Protection Agency Super fund (original bill $800 million)**JOB CUT**
• $100 million from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (original bill $427 million)**JOB CUT**
• $100 million from law enforcement wireless (original bill $200 million)
• $300 million from federal fleet of hybrid vehicles (original bill $600 million) **JOB CUT**
• $100 million from FBI construction (original bill $400 million) **JOB CUT**

Fully eliminated
• $55 million for historic preservation **JOB CUT**
• $122 million for new Coast Guard polar icebreaker/cutters **JOB CUT**
• $100 million for Farm Service Agency modernization
• $50 million for CSERES research
• $65 million for watershed rehabilitation **JOB CUT**
• $30 million for SD salaries
• $100 for distance learning **JOB CUT**
• $98 million for school nutrition **CRIMINAL!**
• $50 million for aquaculture **JOB CUT**
• $2 billion for broadband **JOB CUT**
• $100 million for NIST
• $50 million for detention trustee
• $25 million for Marshalls Construction **JOB CUT**
• $300 million for federal prisons **JOB CUT**
• $300 million for BYRNE Formula
• $140 million for BYRNE Competitive
• $10 million state and local law enforcement **JOB CUT**
• $50 million for NASA **JOB CUT**
• $50 million for aeronautics **JOB CUT**
• $50 million for exploration **JOB CUT**
• $50 million for Cross Agency Support
• $200 million for National Science Foundation **JOB CUT**
• $100 million for science **JOB CUT**
• $1 billion for Energy Loan Guarantees **JOB CUT**
• $4.5 billion for GSA **JOB CUT**
• $89 million GSA operations
• $50 million from DHS **JOB CUT**
• $200 million TSA **JOB CUT**
• $122 million for Coast Guard Cutters, modifies use **JOB CUT**
• $25 million for Fish and Wildlife **JOB CUT**
• $55 million for historic preservation **JOB CUT**
• $20 million for working capital fund
• $165 million for Forest Service capital improvement **JOB CUT**
• $90 million for State and Private Wildlife Fire Management **JOB CUT**
• $1 billion for Head Start/Early Start **CRIMINAL!**
• $5.8 billion for Health Prevention Activity**CRIMINAL!**
• $2 billion for HIT Grants
• $600 million for Title I (NCLB)
• $16 billion for school construction **JOB CUT**
• $3.5 billion for higher education construction **JOB CUT**
• $1.25 billion for project based rental
• $2.25 for Neighborhood Stabilization **JOB CUT**
• $1.2 billion for retrofitting Project 8 housing **JOB CUT**
• $40 billion for state fiscal stabilization (includes $7.5 billion of state incentive grants) **JOB CUT**

By my count at least 33 of these programs would have produced jobs, some of them well paying ones. Some of the others I'm sure would of as well but I was unsure what some of the acronyms were and/or didn't recognize the program. Overall some of these cuts are stupid and short sighted, while others are almost criminal. Pitiful....

[Lorien]

68. So the repugs still hate science, education, history, and the environment

and the Democrats are still caving to their demands. Not much new here!

[silver10]

70. outrageous!

These are items that have long been ignored and then unfortunately, get no relief under Obama AND a dem. house and senate?!

Money that could help people, fix buildings and schools, increase research and science, etc. Spending to STIMULATE the economy!!! (jobs, money in people's pockets, increasing spending from the bottom up because trickle down DOES NOT WORK, and hasn't over the last 8 years).

If it was chalk full of more tax cuts for upper-income people, and more money for defense and oil companies, you'd see this bill get passed by the repugs.

Along with more money for Wall Street! The bailout bill was only passed by the repugs the second time when a provision was snuck in that corporate executives would only lose their bonuses if the company they worked for needed to auction off their assets (and you notice no companies taking in bailout money have auctioned off any assets). Coincidence?

Both the house and senate should be ashamed!! Dems for caving in and repukes for just being their selfish reactionary selves - when will the money they have ever be enough for them? And when will the dumb shits who support them ever get their heads out their asses and get some common sense?

[peacetalksforall]

71. How do these cuts translate as far as jobs? Shouldn't everything they

keep and consider be translated to jobs? Just keep the ones that mean jobs soon? Or is that too simplified?

[ohio2007]

78. thats talking pork of a different color

Like congress voting yes to bailouts and later we see where the $ actually goes.

So in a few months time,
we will see how little goes to stimuls and how much goes into pockets of yes men.
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/090206/economy.html?.v=14
;)

[krabigirl]

72. So what's left in the bill? Money for roads, home buyers, oh and tax cuts for the rich?

[slackmaster]

81. Nobody seems to know what's in it

Which is a lot more than what's been cut.

[readmoreoften]

73. Other than taking away the money for more prisons and police, the Republicans sure fucked this up.

Any info on what they DID fund?

[GoddessOfGuinness]

84. The Democrats who agreed to it fucked up even more....

by betraying those who elected them in good faith.

[ohio2007]

77. Is there a list of what didn't get cut ? ie, bridges to nowhere, grants to study ants ...ect

hundreds of billions remainand will be going to certain districts as payoffs.

[1776Forever]

80. Of all the cuts this one doesn't make sense to me - $1.2 billion for retrofitting Project 8 housing

It is so damn hard for disabled and needy people to find any housing they can afford now. I would think they would have left this one in! Shame! They cannot say this wouldn't have "made" jobs!

[ohio2007]

82. it's cheaper to tear them down and build new up to code housing

I see it first hand and don't like the idea of slum lords soaking up federal $$$ and giving nothing back in upgrades.


I could be wrong about that earmark but the details of which units in which cities were going to be 'retrofitted' isn' mentioned.

"Money being dumped into vacant lots" is not a story I look forward to reading in a few months but you can count on the horror stories out shining the congressional bailouts of big buisness ones.

[1776Forever]

83. Do you know if there is money elsewhere in the bill to build more? We sure need them all over!

I can see your point, but my sister lives in a great older community housing area and this is nothing like a "slum" dwelling.

:shrug:

[proud2BlibKansan]

86. Damn I was hoping my school would finally get A/C.

[sendero]

88. Where to start...

... I agree that most of these ideas are worth funding. What I DON'T AGREE with is that they should be part of an emergency stimulus bill.

I'm TIRED OF THE WAY LEGISLATION IS CREATED, and this is a prime example. These measures should pass on their own merits, in their own time with their own debates. Don't you hate it when Republicans pile pork or defense nonsense onto needed legislation? Well DON'T BE A HYPOCRITE.

These ancillary and unnecessary measures just WEAKENED OUR STANCE, WEAKENED OBAMA and gave the pukes a message.

When is the Dem congress going to get a clue, this amateur hour shit has got to stop.

[GOP_refugee]

89. Anyone know if the tax cut for money losing corporations got axed?

If they cut all this and left in a $15 billion boondoggle to reward money losing big corporations, that shows you who really is in charge here.

This tax loss carryover provision was inserted by lobbyists for the national ass. of homebuilders. A pure transfer of money from the Treasury into the bank accounts of corrupt senior management.

More "shock doctrine" tactics: use a crisis to get unthinkably bad tax legislation passed.

Olympia Snowe was making noise on Friday about getting rid of it, but I don't think she succeeded.

[d206s]

90. Tricks on ME

Fool me once it's your trick, fool me dozens of times, I AM THE FOOL.

You would think that by age 58, I would have figured out to never again vote for any of these A__HOLES.
But nooooooooo, November I dutifully pulled the lever again.

But I think I have finally learned my lesson....................

Heaven forbid their 'green' golf carts (300 million) would get cut.

My God, I hate politicians !!!!!!!

[Demeter]

91. Nothing Much, Just the Stimulus!

and none of those holes in the safety net got patched, either!

[d206s]

92. Care Less

They could care less about the safety net.

[d206s]

93. Demeter you fool.......NOTE: Correction !!!!

Very sorry, I posted in haste.

Of course they care about the safety net, Demeter.
The safety net for the wealthy bankers and lobbyists is alive and well.
How foolish of us to think otherwise !!

[depakid]

95. "$40 billion for state fiscal stabilization"

Perhaps the single stupidest thing the Dems could have agreed to.

Want to sabotage the stimulus- one would be hard pressed to find a better way to do it.

Heck of job, Harry & Nancy!

[NeoConsSuck]

98. Please explain?

Almost all states are facing a budget crisis. States provide services to the poor and middle class: unemployment insurance, food stamps, public health and other services.

[depakid]

99. For example, California's having trouble even paying tax refunds it owes

Other states are slashing jobs and cutting other programs that support or create them. This works directly against the goals of the federal stimulus- at locals levels, in what are often much more direct and pointed ways.

State and local government needs to be working alongside the federal government and multiplying the effects- not cancelling them out in deleterious ways.

[NeoConsSuck]

100. That is the purpose of the aid to States

so they don't have to make deep cuts to their workforce or to the services the states provide.

The purpose of this stimulus bill was to put more people back into the labor force *and* keep those employed who are already employed.

States will hopefully now not have to make deep cuts to services. Of course, this enrages the pukes, since the services provided is to those who need it the most.

So maybe Ahh-nold and other governors won't have to cut as deep as planned.

[depakid]

101. That WAS the purpose of the $40 billion cut out in block grants

States like Oregon had hoped for (and in Oregon's cases had draft plans) as to how they'd be able to spread that money around to preserve existing jobs, create new ones- and prevent further degradation of essential services.

Instead- they're now back to making cuts. Perhaps not as drastic as those without any federal money at all- but still very destructive to the overall goal of economic stimulus.

[ronnie624]

97. How To Gauge Whether The Stimulus Is Working

<http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=100542251>