Everything in the stimulus/bailout packages should be things we can completely stop funding

when the economy recovers.

If anybody wants something to be funded long term it should be in a separate bill because the implications aren't just for now, but in perpetuity and need to be debated as such.

Otherwise, we put a badly needed stimulus package in jeopardy of not passing.

I realize that we Dems have been out of power so long that we wish to finally further our agendas, but we are beginning to look silly when we call contraception and STD prevention an economic stimulus.

Even the arguments for these funds are not to stimulate the economy, but to save future costs, which should be a goal of the country, but is not what I think of as an economic stimulus.

It seems more bait and switch or misrepresentation otherwise.

problem.

Edit- and the more I think about it, the more I like it. The word "Stimulus" is not helpful and could bite us in the ass down the road.

and are we really going to cut off these programs?

Besides we are supposed to be recovered some day at least I hope so. Then this funding should go away.

they won't need much for a decade or so. One major difference between Democrats and Republicans is, they both like to spend tax payer money but when the Democrats spend we get something, a new road or builduing or bridge or ???. When Republicans spend the only thing that happens is the rich get a whole lot richer and there is absolutely NOTHING to show for it..

damned obvious we are the party of intelligent people and they should trust us over those idiot Republicans.

The Republicans will kill everything they can kill that the killing of which will not hurt them too much politically. Putting these programs into bills that either by rule or by situation are immune to filibuster is exactly how to get them passed.

It gives the Republicans an excuse and will they really be blamed if they are in charge of nothing?

we find 50 ways to lose the match.

When we were the minority in the Senate and they put all their programs into bills like this, we couldn't filibuster because ....

When we had the majority in the Senate and they filibustered or the Pretzledent vetoed, we dropped the offending bill and agreed to their version because ....

Now that we have a majority in the Senate, a near filibuster proof majority, and our party occupies the White House, we have to refrain from passing our bills with our programs in them, even when obstruction by the Republicans would be close to political suicide, because...

It is never time for universal health care.

It is never time for reproductive services being treated like any other medical service.

It is never time for anything remotely resembling a progressive program.

It is always time for one excuse after another.

or things like a new energy grid, high speed rail, and other things that are of great merit and needed to make the country efficient. Putting money there will create good jobs immediately - and the people holding them will spend money - so there will be a multiplier effect.

That is exactly the type of stimulus I want to see done and that belongs in a short term package. Getting people to buy solar water heaters and solar panels would be perfect. So would giving vouchers for fuel efficient cars.

There are so many short term uses that will truly stimulate the economy that I don't understand adding things like birth control and STD prevention, which should be ongoing.

Strip out every single item that isn't ready to be spent within the next 6 months.

Why the fuck are they adding the NEA to this? If its that important to Pelosi and cronies, add it to another bill that does not have the word "stimulus" in it.

Pelosi needs to be rolled into a carpet and stacked in a corner.