As Recovery Bill headed for vote, pork reigned

by Roger King

Oink if you love pork like the U.S. Congress.The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009,  one of the most partisan bills in history, was finally passed on Friday, Feb. 13, 2009. Prophetic date isn’t it? This 1,434 page bill was full of money for special interests.

Some economists say this bill would place an additional $9,400 tax burden on each household in America. However, the Congressional Budget Office estimated the cost of permanently extending the twenty most popular provisions in the bill at $3.27 trillion, which would triple this tax burden. What do you think the odds are of Congress actually cutting any provisions in the future?

U.S. News and World Report has noted, lobbyists — not members of Congress — got the first shot at suggesting changes to the measure. Between the lobbyists and the wishes of Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid there are 8 major items worth mentioning:

1. States Rights & Budget Busting: At least 5 Republican Governors are saying no thanks to their share of the stimulus package. Why? Strings are tied to many of those stimulus dollars mandating they could only be spent if the states expand their welfare and health care entitlements. The catch is those federal payments only last for 2 years, at which point the states must pick up the costs or attempt to throw those additional people off the entitlement lists . Even if the government kept those payments coming, the states would have to pick up 30 percent of those additional entitlements. To help ensure the states accept the federal money, a special provision was added that would allow the state legislatures to override a governor and force the state to accept the money. Not only is this underhanded but against states’ rights established by the U.S. Constitution.

2. New programs guarantee larger deficits: The Stimulus Bill not only created 33 new programs but expanded another 73. This spending came in at a whopping $187 billion. Once you realize the government rarely if ever reduces spending on programs, taxpayers will be paying these expanded costs long into the future.

3. Universal Health Care: The outline for Universal Health Care was put in place through this bill. In mandating a computer system for all medical records, every person will be mandated to have their records recorded in a federal database. This outline will likely be used to track treatments to make sure your doctor is doing what the federal government deems appropriate and cost effective. Hospitals and doctors that are not “meaningful users” of the new system will face penalties.

4. Open Ended Welfare Returns: The bill sets in motion another $523 billion in new welfare spending that is hidden by budgetary gimmicks. Although this bill pretends that most of its welfare benefit increases will lapse after two years, Congress intends for most of these increases to become permanent. Instead of welfare ending for recipients in 5 years as done during the Clinton administration, now welfare entitlements will be open ended.

5. RAT Board: The Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board will oversee the inspectors general (watch dogs) that are tasked with investigating allegations of wrongdoing at federal agencies. The RAT board has the authority to ask the inspectors general to either conduct an investigation or not. To override this requires a detailed process. This effectively ends oversight of the majority party.

6. Illegal Aliens Get Money: Speaker Pelosi and Senator Reid made sure the there were no special restrictions that would keep illegal aliens from getting jobs created by the stimulus bill. Not only was this allowance in the bill but Democrats voted against an amendment that specifically would have kept illegals from getting any jobs created with the Stimulus Bill.

7. ACORN: Potentially up to $4 billion for radical groups like ACORN will be dispersed. Many conservatives believe ACORN is a radical socialist group that deepened the housing bust by pushing banks into making bad loans. This organization has been accused of voter fraud in more than 6 states. This group openly supports the Democrats and their tactics were learned through Sol Alinsky’s teachings. Obama even taught these classes to ACORN personnel in his Chicago days.

8. Religious discrimination: Buried in the bill is a section that bans religious activities in many public education buildings. Further, there are upgrades to the national school systems but they are prohibited where religious activates may occur. Democrats voted 43-54 against an amendment to strike from the economic Stimulus Bill language that discriminates against people of faith.

Keep in mind that any money the government spends cannot be used by businesses to create more jobs. So how has the government decided to spend our money? A complete list of spending in the 2009 Stimulus Bill can be found at the US Government website, but a partial list of items debated in committee and likely to be in the final bill follows:

•$286 billion in tax cuts and credits.
•$87 billion for states to be channeled through the Medicaid program to provide medical insurance to low-income Americans.
•$53.6 billion for a "state stabilization fund" designed to alleviate the need for genuine budget reform and cutting at the state level.
•$26 billion for K-12 education.
•$25 billion for a health-insurance subsidy arrangement for workers who are between jobs.
•$19 billion over the coming years on electronic health records and an additional $1.1 billion on research comparing which treatments work best for a particular disease.
•$15.6 billion for Pell Grants.
•$10 billion for the National Institutes of Health.
•$10 billion in tax relief for General Motors related to its acceptance of federal bailout funds.
•$9.2 billion for environmental projects at the Interior Department and the Environmental Protection Agency.
•$9 billion for school construction was added back in (originally cut by the Nelson-Collins “compromise”).
•$8 billion for high-speed rail between Los Angeles and Las Vegas (Senator Reid’s pork).
•$5.5 billion for "green" federal buildings.
•$5.1 billion for environmental cleanup around military bases.
•$5 billion for weatherizing buildings.
•$4.3 billion for job-training programs at the Department of Labor.
•$3.7 billion for police programs.
•$3.7 billion to conduct "green" renovations on military bases.
•$3.4 billion for fossil energy research.
•$3.25 billion in HUD grants and Community Development Block Grants.
•$2 billion for Byrne Justice Assistance Grant program.
•$2 billion for the National Parks Service.
•$2 billion for neighborhood stabilization program for groups like ACORN.
•$2 billion to develop advanced batteries for hybrid cars.
•$1.7 billion for vehicle sales tax deductions for purchasers this year of new cars, light trucks, motor homes and motorcycles.
•Only $1.65 billion, of the entire bill's spending is allocated for infrastructure projects, such as highway construction.
•$1.4 billion for wastewater disposal programs.
•$1.3 billion for Amtrak.
•$1.2 billion for "youth activities" (for "youth" up to 24 years old).
•$1 billion for a "prevention and wellness fund." which includes STD education.
•$1 billion for the 2010 Census.
•$1 billion for the Community Oriented Policing Services program.
•$1 billion for NASA.
•$1 billion for a zero-emissions plant in Illinois.
•$1 billion for Head Start.
•$830 million for NOAA research and facilities.
•$650 million for the digital TV converter box coupon program.
•$600 million for the acquisition of plug-in vehicles.
•$600 million for the EPA Superfund environmental cleanup program.
•$500 million earmark for NIH facilities in Bethesda, MD.
•$500 million earmark for the SSA National Computer Center in MD.
•$400 million for equipment and facilities at the National Science Foundation.
•$375 million for Mississippi River projects.
•$360 million for construction of NIST buildings.
•$300 million to purchase scientific instruments for colleges and museums.
•$300 million for souped-up “green” golf carts.
•$295 million for administrative expenses associated with food stamp programs.
•$290 million for flood prevention.
•$220 million for the International Boundary and Water Commission, U.S. and Mexico.
•$210 million for state and local fire stations.
•$200 million to design and furnish DHS headquarters.
•$200 million for public computer centers at community colleges and libraries.
•$200 million to clean up leaking underground storage tanks.
•$176 million for renovating Agricultural Research Service buildings.
•$170 million for climate change research and another $400 million for NASA to conduct climate change research.
•$160 million for volunteer programs at the Corporation for National and Community Service.
•$140 million for volcano monitoring systems.
•$125 million for rural communities to combat drug crimes.
•$125 million to restore trails and abandoned mines.
•$50 million for the National Endowment for the Arts remains in the bill, as does the $2 billion for the Neighborhood Stabilization Fund, a pile of money ACORN would be able to apply to the government to get.
•$50 million for watershed rehabilitation.
•$32 million for home-delivered nutrition services.
•$30 million for a [LINK] wetlands restoration project meant to protect the endangered salt marsh harvest mouse in Nancy Pelosi's district.
•$30 million for “smart appliances.
•$25 million for the Smithsonian Institution.
•$24 million for United States Department of Agriculture buildings and rent.
•$20 million for IT upgrades at the Small Business Administration.
•$15 million to preserve historically black colleges and universities.
•$10 million to combat Mexican gunrunners.
•$8 to $10 million for oyster restoration in the Gulf of Mexico.
•$10 million for "urban canals."

These items were supposed to be in the final bill. King gathered them from various Internet websites. The bill is posted on the U.S. House of Representatives website.
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First publication Canada Free Press (Feb. 26, 2009); all rights reserved/©RogerKing2009

Roger King is a contributor to The US Report. King is a computer programmer with a master’s degree from Clemson University. Born on a farm in Ohio, he now lives in the suburbs of Raleigh, N.C. Mr. King is a collector of politically incorrect facts.