Comments on: Stimulus 2009: Five Programs that Congress Forgot

By: Mr. ToughMoneyLove

Mr. ToughMoneyLove — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 02:36:18 +0000

Matt: A lot of high school graduates don’t seem to know much more than those who don’t graduate.

TMN, KITTY: If we as a nation decide that we are going o subsidize a rail system as a matter of public policy, then send it here. We are city of 1,000,000 people with no passenger rail traffic. Why should my tax dollars continue to subsidize a failed business model that provides no benefits to me? Either expand it or let it survive on its own.

Writer’s Coin, Piggy, MasterPo – Thanks for the kind words.

By: MasterPo

MasterPo — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 00:07:54 +0000

Well written.

By: Beef Up Your Piggy

Beef Up Your Piggy — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 15:19:07 +0000

Great writing, TML! I have sent this URL to a few friends to read….hilarious!

By: Writer's Coin

Writer's Coin — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 11:56:42 +0000

Nicely done! Would you consider submitting this to my Comics and Cents Carnival? I think it would be a perfect fit.

By: kitty

kitty — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 00:28:39 +0000

I do like spending on a train system. They have good train systems in Europe, and a lot of people actually take a train rather there rather than drive. Most of us who travel to Europe don’t even bother to rent a car there – why do it when trains are fast, go everywhere and are affordable. One reason hardly anybody uses Amtrack is because it is so expensive. Maybe if they invest in trains, the prices may come down?

“We want our cash-strapped little princes and princesses to celebrate that bounty without the stress of having to scrimp and save for their prom outfits.”
Loved it. I think this can actually stimulate the economy better than $500 tax credit: a lot of people will just use $500 to pay off a debt or put in a bank or under the mattress or even worse, buy some Chinese-made toy. But with prom dresses, the money will actually be spent. Just need to stipulate the dress isn’t going to be made in China.

I have another idea. I think we need a TSFRP i.e. Troubled Stock and Funds Relief Program where the government will buy our stocks and mutual funds from us at the highest price for each stock within last year. On a second thought, I am not greedy. I’ll settle for December 2007 prices.

By: TMN

TMN — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 21:01:11 +0000

We’re sending money to Amtrack because a decent national rail system is a necessity if we ever want a hope of ending our oil addiction. Sure, it’s struggling now with outdated rail competing against airlines (which we’ve also been propping up since the 80s, remember), but modernized high-speed rail makes a lot of sense against an air industry that will be facing mounting fuel prices for the foreseeable future. Rail can be pretty easily retrofit to use electricity or other alternative fuels, while I very much doubt the same is true of the air transport industry unless bio-diesel gets a giant boost in public opinion in the next five years.

By: Matt SF

Matt SF — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 18:06:23 +0000

“We want our cash-strapped little princes and princesses to celebrate that bounty without the stress of having to scrimp and save for their prom outfits.”

On a more positive (tough love) note, I saw that on a national level, 3 in 10 kids don’t graduate from high school anymore. Maybe the kids that actually graduate can get a really nice tux instead of a cheap $100 rental.

Even better, the kids in urban Detroit, Cleveland, and Indianapolis have less than 35% graduation rates. The future certainly looks great for the UAW now. Lots of potential members (and membership fees) coming their way soon.