Syndicated columnist Michelle Malkin is staying busy these days keeping track of some of the more wasteful items included in President Obama’s government spending plan. Pitched as a plan to create jobs, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office now estimates its final cost will top $1 trillion, and most of the spending has little to do with creating jobs.
The package passed the House yesterday, but with bi-partisan opposition. As more wasteful spending is uncovered, the White House is now urging the Senate to pass the plan as soon as possible, with little review of the new and increased spending.
Among the items highlighted by Malkin:
* $572 million to the Coast Guard for “Acquisition, Construction, & Improvements." The Coast Guard defends the plan, claiming it will create1,235 new jobs. That comes out to over $460,000.00 per job supposedly created.
* $1.5 billion for a "carbon capturing contest."
And The Wall Street Journal uncovers:
* $600 million to buy new cars for government employees.
* $150 million for The Smithsonian museum system.
* $83 billion in income tax relief for people who don’t pay income taxes.
The Journal and Reason magazine also point to another possible proposal in the plan — artificially increasing the price of milk. According to the Journal, "dairy and beef cattle producers butted heads over talk that the government might buy up dairy cattle for slaughter to drive up depressed milk prices." There was no explanation from the Obama administration as to how forcing mothers and childen to pay more for milk in a sluggish economy qualifies as job creation.
The only people that seem to not be getting anything from Obama’s economic stimulus plan are the millions of employers who need tax and regulatory relief in order to give Americans jobs.
You may contact your two senators at 202-224-3121.
