Re: Stimulus Plan . Just Received E-Mail from Move On....

[lib2DaBone]

President Obama's economic stimulus plan is in trouble. Conservative talking points are dominating the media's coverage and there's lots of misinformation around. Here are a few things you may not have heard about it:


1) This is a very, very good bill. As The Nation writes, "If enacted, the economic recovery plan will be one of the biggest and boldest pieces of progressive legislation in the past forty years."1


Here are some facts about what the bill really does:


Creates or saves 3 million to 4 million jobs in the next two years.2
Averts "literally hundreds of thousands of teacher layoffs"—and doubles funding for the Department of Education.3
Creates 500,000 green jobs and doubles our clean energy production.4
Immediately helps unemployed folks get affordable health insurance.5

Some folks are arguing that it should be bigger, and they're probably right, but this is the best down payment on economic recovery we have seen, and it needs to be passed.

2) The stuff that's being singled out for criticism amounts to a tiny fraction of the bill—like anti-smoking programs that make up less than one-ten-thousandth of the spending.6 They would have you believe this is the centerpiece of the bill. It is not. This kind of nit-picking is pure politics.

3) If it doesn't pass, we're in deep trouble. Even John McCain's economic adviser estimates that without the stimulus, unemployment would top 11% by 2010, the highest level since the Great Depression.7

We all urgently need to get these facts out before the public. Can you write a letter to the editor of your local paper about how the stimulus will affect real people? Our tool makes writing a letter really easy. Click here to get started: http://pol.moveon.org/economy/?rc=homepage


Last week alone, 100,000 people lost their jobs in this country.8 So we need to make sure the Senate takes action quickly. Nearly 200 economists from across the political spectrum wrote to Congress, agreeing:

"We do not have the luxury of a lengthy debate over the best course of action. This legislation may not be enough to solve all the economy's problems, but it is urgently needed and an important step in the right direction."9


But with so much rhetoric and demagoguery surrounding the bill, it won't pass unless we can get the real facts out to a wide audience. And letters to the editor by local MoveOn members are one of the best ways to set the record straight.

[fascisthunter]

1. Kick it DU!

[robinlynne]

2. why won't it pass? We don't need the republicans to pass a bill.

[4 t 4]

12. Exactly just pass it

and move on enough playing nice.

[stillcool]

14. We need all the Democrats though..

[Ian David]

3. Fix the link. It may contain YOUR personal info. n/t

[lib2DaBone]

4. Thanx.....

[glinda]

5. Big Media coverage would be most effective-where oh where are the good media?

[stillcool]

6. Thank You! Done...

Here's mine...


It is time to put away childish things. Millions of jobs are being lost and we, I mean we the American people need to act. Please call a Senator, any Senator and demand the stimulus bill be passed ASAP. The Washington Switchboard number is 202-224-3121. If you want to read what is really in the stimulus bill you can find it here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/02/02/senate-stimulus-bill-full_n_163144.html
If we keep on doing what we are doing, we will keep on getting what we've been getting. We can't afford to let the politicians waste one more day playing with our lives and our futures. Please help.

[bdamomma]

7. done

[OHdem10]

8. I have been so concerned about this. To those who think we have

the numbers to pass something without GOP votes--

Obama's favorable or approval ratings have dropped 20 points.

This means the Gop message is getting absorbed by Mr and Ms Public.
The GOP put out their suggestions making themselves sound like
they are the populists extraordinaire. They want to put the
money in the little guys pocket. The BS goes on and on.


From the beginning, Key Republicans from the House and Senate
have been on TV continuously putting a bad light on the Stimulus
Plan. Where are the Democratic Counterparts. They should
be out there promoting the plan for Obama and countering
the GOP.
Our Party continues to think it is Obama alone who should be
on TV. They helped lose the House and Senate for Bill Clinton
during his administration. Staying hidden on Capital Hill is not
a winning strategy.


Letting the Republicans get a head start, gives the opening for
our conservative Blue Dogs to get on GOP side.

Obama would not be losing ground if the GOP are not getting their
message out.

[Oak2004]

10. BTW, that "20 points" crap is wrong

but the (false) citing of two polls about two different things to create that impression is being bandied about the media.

We do need to make our voices heard, however.

[robinlynne]

13. Barbara Boxer is out there speaking up a storm!!!!!

You hit the nail on the head. the blue dogs. I'm sick of em!!!!!!!
except for the PRes, of course.

[wroberts189]

9. k and a r

[corruptmewithpower]

11. The stimulus will become law.

But don't give a few loudmouth republicans too much credit. The final bill will be refined by debate and developing consensus between Democratic lawmakers. Republicans can howl at the moon all night long. They don't matter.

[closeupready]

15. No, I will not support this stimulus in the current form or write LTTE, because

it doesn't do enough for poor and low-income people. It does plenty for banks and wealthy people and homeowners and upper-middle class people, and zilch for people like me.

So no, you're on your own, Move On.

[Fire1]

16. I certainly understand and concur with your assessment.