10 things you should know about Obama's plan (but probably don't)
The plan:
Makes a $634 billion down payment on fixing health care that will go a long way toward paying for a more efficient, more affordable health care system that covers every single American.3
Reduces taxes for 95% of working Americans. And if your family makes less than $250,000, your taxes won't go up one dime.4
Invests more than $100 billion in clean energy technology, creating millions of green jobs that can never be outsourced.5
Brings our troops home from Iraq on a firm timetable, finally bringing the war to a close—and freeing up almost ten billion dollars a month for domestic priorities.6
Reverses growing income inequality. The plan lets the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans expire and focuses on strengthening the middle class.7
Closes multi-billion-dollar tax loopholes for big oil companies. 8
Increases grants to help families pay for college—the largest increase ever.9
Halves the deficit by 2013. President Obama inherited a legacy of huge deficits and an economy in shambles, but his plan brings the deficit under control as soon as the economy begins to recover.10
Dramatically increases funding for the SEC and the CFTC—the agencies that police Wall Street.11
Tells it straight. For years, budgets have used accounting tricks to hide the real costs of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Bush tax cuts, and too many other programs. Obama's budget gets rid of the smokescreens and lays out what America's priorities are, what they cost, and how we're going to pay for them.12
This is the change we voted for. President Obama has done his part, now we need to do ours.
Can you pass this on to your personal network and then click here to let us know how many people you told, so we can track our impact together:
link removed
Thanks for all you do.
–Daniel, Tanya, Peter, Justin and the rest of the team
P.S. Turns out there are way more than 10 amazing things in Obama's budget and we couldn't resist sharing just a few more.
Stops unnecessary government subsidies to big banks, health insurance companies and big agribusinesses.13,14,15
Expands access to early childhood education and improves schools by investing in programs that make sure every child has a qualified, strong teacher.16
Negotiates for better prescription drug prices using Medicaid's tremendous bargaining power.17
Expands access to family planning for low-income women.18
Caps the pollution that causes global warming, and makes polluters pay to support clean energy innovation.19
Sources:
1. "Climate of Change," The New York Times, February 27, 2009
link removed
2. "Obama Calls His Budget Sweeping, Needed Change," The New York Times, February 28, 2009
link removed
3. "Obama Offers Broad Plan to Revamp Health Care," The New York Times, February 26, 2009
link removed
4. "Obama Expects Fight Over $3.55 Trillion Budget Plan," Bloomberg News, February 28, 2009
link removed
5. "Energy Budget Is Sunlight After Eight Years of Darkness," Center for American Progress, February 26, 2009
link removed
6. "The Economic Cost of War in Iraq and Afghanistan," The New York Times, March 1, 2009
link removed
7. "Tax Cuts," The New York Times, February 26, 2009
link removed
8. "Energy Budget Is Sunlight After Eight Years of Darkness," Center for American Progress, February 26, 2009
link removed
9. "Student Loans," The New York Times, February 26, 2009
link removed
10. "Obama unveils budget blueprint," CNN, February 26, 2009
link removed
11. "Obama budget would boost SEC, CFTC, FBI," Reuters, February 26, 2009
link removed
12. "Obama's budget," Los Angeles Times, February 27, 2009
link removed
13. "Student Loans," The New York Times, February 26, 2009
link removed
14. "Health Insurance Stocks Dive on Medicare Advantage Cuts," The Wall Street Journal, February 26, 2009
link removed
15. "Agriculture," The New York Times, February 26, 2009
link removed
16. "Investing Wisely in Our Children," Center for American Progress, February 26, 2009
link removed
17. "Obama Offers Broad Plan to Revamp Health Care," The New York Times, February 26, 2009
link removed
18. "Obama Offers Broad Plan to Revamp Health Care," The New York Times, February 26, 2009
link removed
19. "Setting 'Green' Goals," The New York Times, February 26, 2009
link removed
Want to support our work? We're entirely funded by our 5 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.
Great Pop! I'm glad you were able to extract 10 things out of Obama's spending bill that may make a difference in the economy. 10 things??????? That makes me feel warm and fuzzy all over. Let me steal a previous post by my friend johnnybjaguar to remind you of the other parts of the bill that you left out...............Just because many Americans are stupid, doesn't mean it will be that easy to convert the rest of us ;D
"During the not-so-subtle Matt Lauer softball love fest with Obama before the Superbowl, Obama made the statement that the stimulus bill has no earmarks and should immediately re-start our economy."
So I guess the following is what he means:
$1 billion for Amtrak, which hasn’t earned a profit in four decades.
$400 million for research into global warming. This all during one of the coldest winters in a long time.
$2.4 billion for projects to demonstrate how carbon greenhouse gas can be safely removed from the atmosphere. (YES, I wrote the word BILLION)
$650 million for coupons to help consumers convert their TV sets from analog to digital, part of the digital TV conversion. (Why the government has to now provide televisions to everyone is crazy)
$600 million to buy a new fleet of cars for federal employees and government departments. (And this will help the general public how? The govt already spends over $800 million a year on vehicles but they want to add another $600 million.)
$75 million to fund programs to help people quit smoking. (Again, why does the govt have to do this.)
$21 million to re-sod the National Mall, which suffered heavy use during the Inauguration. (Maybe we should just have the democratic party pay this entire bill, since it was their party members who tore up the mall.)
Now remember this is supposed to RE-START our economy
$2.25 billion for national parks. This item has sparked calls for an investigation, because the chief lobbyist of the National Parks Association is the son of Rep. David R. Obey, D-Wisc. The $2,25 billion is about equal to the National Park Service’s entire annual budget. The Washington Times reports it is a threefold increase over what was originally proposed for parks in the stimulus bill. Obey is chairman of the House Appropriations Committee.
$335 million for treatment and prevention of sexually transmitted diseases.
$50 million for the National Endowment for the Arts. $4.19 billion to stave off foreclosures via the Neighborhood Stabilization Program. The bill allows nonprofits to compete with cities and states for $3.44 billion of the money, which means a substantial amount of it will be captured by ACORN, the controversial activist group currently under federal investigation for vote fraud. Another $750 million would be exclusively reserved for nonprofits such as ACORN – meaning cities and states are barred from receiving that money. Sen. David Vitter, R-La., charges the money could appear to be a “payoff” for the partisan political activities community groups in the last election cycle.
$44 million to renovate the headquarters building of the Agriculture Department. (And everyone was angry about the several million dollars spent on the renovation of Citi’s office)
$32 billion for a “smart electricity grid to minimize waste.
$87 billion of Medicaid funds, to aid states.
$53.4 billion for science facilities, high speed Internet, and miscellaneous energy and environmental programs. (For buildings to get high speed internet… come on… really)
$13 billion to repair and weatherize public housing, help the homeless, repair foreclosed homes.
$20 billion for quicker depreciation and write-offs for equipment.
$10.3 billion for tax credits to help families defray the cost of college tuition.
$20 billion over five years for an expanded food stamp program.
Again Obama said there were NO EARMARKS… Welcome to the lying world of Obama:
$2 billion earmark to re-start FutureGen, a near-zero emissions coal power plant in Illinois that the Dept. of Energy defunded last year because the project was inefficient
$650 million for the digital television (DTV) converter coupon program
$88 million for the Coast Guard to design a new polar icebreaker (ship)
$448 million for constructing the Dept. of Homeland Security HQ
$248 million for furniture at the new Homeland Security headquarters
$600 million to buy hybrid vehicles for federal employees
$400 million for the CDC to screen and prevent STD’s
$1.4 billion for a rural waste disposal programs
$125 million for the Washington, D.C. sewer system
$150 million for Smithsonian museum facilities
$1 billion for the 2010 Census, projected cost overrun of $3 billion
$75 million for “smoking cessation activities”
$200 million for public computer centers at community colleges
$75 million for salaries of employees at the FBI
$25 million for tribal alcohol and substance abuse reduction
$500 million for flood reduction projects on the Mississippi River
$10 million to inspect canals in urban areas
$6 billion to turn federal buildings into “green” buildings
$500 million for state and local fire stations
$650 million for wildland fire management on Forest Service lands
$150 million for Smithsonian museum facilities
$1.2 billion for “youth activities,” including youth summer job programs
$88 million for renovating the headquarters of the Public Health Service
$412 million for CDC buildings and property
$500 million for building and repairing NIH facilities in Bethesda, MD
$160 million for “paid volunteers” at the Corporation for National and Community Service
$5.5 million for “energy efficiency initiatives” at the VA “National Cemetery Administration”
$60 million for Arlington National Cemetery
$850 million for Amtrak
$100 million for reducing the hazard of lead-based paint
$75 million to construct a new “security training” facility for State Dept Security officers when they can be trained at existing facilities of other agencies.
Congress can spent all of the $900 billion dollars and still not get the economy moving. Or they could take the $900 billion dollars and send it to the taxpayers. This comes out to about $2500 per person. Why not just send $10,000 to each TAX-FILING family and they can use that money to directly stimulate the economy? The democrat’s way is just a waste of money.