Keeping a watch on the stimulus bill. - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

Azure · 02-01-2009, 04:49 PM

I do love this.

http://stimuluswatch.org/

Goes without saying that I would cut a LOT from the bill.

Absolutely ridiculous how much money is being wasted.

$700,000 for a city hall in West Virginia? Are you kidding me?

CMPunk · 02-01-2009, 04:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Azure

$700,000 for a city hall in West Virginia? Are you kidding me?

You can build it for cheaper?

Azure · 02-01-2009, 04:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CMPunk

You can build it for cheaper?

I think right now there are better things to worry about than building a new city hall in West Virginia.

There are a lot of projects on that bill that NEED to be funded, but you're using money you don't have to fund them.

Azure · 02-01-2009, 04:55 PM

Another thing that is interesting is how much money is being spent to create one job.

Quote:

$17,500,000,000.00 - 1628 jobs - Energy Program

10 million dollars per job? Is someone insane?

Caged Great · 02-01-2009, 06:02 PM

The thing that I do not like is the American steel provision.

Seriously, Protectionist bullsh*t like that is going to screw everybody over. People in other countries will not buy American after that (I know I'll go out of my way not to buy anything made in the US)

I hope that Harper and Iginatieff team up to institute some protectionist policies towards them when it comes to Oil and lumber.

I've been a long time Obama supporter, but this is a seriously ######ed provision that does nothing but piss off all of the people you do trade with.

Daradon · 02-01-2009, 06:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Azure

I think right now there are better things to worry about than building a new city hall in West Virginia.

There are a lot of projects on that bill that NEED to be funded, but you're using money you don't have to fund them.

Well it IS a stimulus bill. Used to stimulate jobs and the economy. And new buildings do that.

I mean, they will have to hire people to build it. Suppliers to supply the materials for it, etc.

I can't fairly say if it's a good price or not.

Displaced Flames fan · 02-01-2009, 08:33 PM

Yes, earmarks are definitely history in Washington!

koop · 02-01-2009, 08:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Azure

Another thing that is interesting is how much money is being spent to create one job.

10 million dollars per job? Is someone insane?

It's not quite that simple. While each of these projects may only directly create a limited number of jobs, they are also providing business for suppliers, which in theory creates even more jobs. You can argue how effective this will ultimately be, but you can't narrow it down to an exact number of jobs it creates.

Displaced Flames fan · 02-01-2009, 08:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by koop

It's not quite that simple. While each of these projects may only directly create a limited number of jobs, they are also providing business for suppliers, which in theory creates even more jobs. You can argue how effective this will ultimately be, but you can't narrow it down to an exact number of jobs it creates.

You would also have to consider the impact of what they produce with the money. New cheaper, cleaner energy options?

koop · 02-01-2009, 09:16 PM

Where do they get these job numbers from? I would be very curious to know how you can "REBUILD AGING WATER AND SEWER LINES AT VARIOUS LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE CITY" with ZERO jobs. http://www.stimuluswatch.org/project/view/9572

Stranger · 02-01-2009, 09:39 PM

$99,600 on doorbells?
http://www.stimuluswatch.org/project/view/8982

Azure · 02-01-2009, 09:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daradon

Well it IS a stimulus bill. Used to stimulate jobs and the economy. And new buildings do that.

I mean, they will have to hire people to build it. Suppliers to supply the materials for it, etc.

I can't fairly say if it's a good price or not.

There is a proposal of $100,000 for 'doorbells'....I mean seriously, what the heck is that going to stimulate?

And $250mil for road signs in New Jersey? Seriously?

Like I said, lots of good projects on there. Lots of people already ranked them. But if you're spending $10,000,000 for 'one' job, something is wrong.

Very wrong.

But hey, hope, change, accountability and transparency in the government right?

Daradon · 02-01-2009, 11:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Azure

There is a proposal of $100,000 for 'doorbells'....I mean seriously, what the heck is that going to stimulate?

And $250mil for road signs in New Jersey? Seriously?

Like I said, lots of good projects on there. Lots of people already ranked them. But if you're spending $10,000,000 for 'one' job, something is wrong.

Very wrong.

But hey, hope, change, accountability and transparency in the government right?

I'm not suggesting there isn't waste in there, it's government, of course there is. I'm just suggesting that I (and probably you) don't know enough about all the projects to adequetly judge them.

Doorbells, yeah that sounds kinda off.

Road signs, I dunno, for some reason road work always seems to cost so much. I don't know if it's unions or what.

As far as having limits on how much a job should cost, again I think that's kinda short sighted. Do you know how long the job lasts? What materials are involved? etc.

It's kinda hard to take a stand one way or another an definition or explanation that is shorter than a full sentence.

As for the obvious quip or shot about change and hope and transparency, well this site is providing you with transparency so you can get mad about it, aren't you happy about that? Would you rather there was less transparency?

As for hope and change, don't forget under who's watch this all happened. Additionally don't forget who spent over a trillion in Iraq while it was obvious the government was going poor. Don't forget who doubled the debt.

This bill was going to happen no matter who was in office. Bush, Obama, McCain, anyone.

Stranger · 02-02-2009, 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Azure

There is a proposal of $100,000 for 'doorbells'....I mean seriously, what the heck is that going to stimulate?

In tough economic times, can't people just knock?

TheDragon · 02-02-2009, 02:56 PM

This is muchly needed, otherwise I have a feeling that somebody somewhere in the United States will be zipping around in their brand new G5, paid for by the government, as a direct result of this stimulus bill.

Canada 02 · 02-02-2009, 03:09 PM

Quote:

These projects are not part of the stimulus bill. They are candidates for funding by federal grant programs once the bill passes.

no one has rubber stamped these 'projects'