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Nazareth, Pa., United States

Thursday, February 05, 2009

How Will Obama's Stimulus Package Impact Pennsylvania?

Two summers ago, Northampton County Exec John Stoffa got into hot water with Bossman Joe Long after he neglected to chuck me from a news conference. In a blistering epistle, with copies for all the newspapers, Dear Leader Joe Long-Il instructed Stoffa "to cease and desist from treating O'Hare as legitimate press."

Righty oh, Joe. Righty oh.

I hate to say this, but Chairman Joe is now going to have send a "cease and desist" order to Barack Obama. For reasons that elude me, the White House Media Affairs Office has begun to send news releases to me, a "regressive" blogger.

Our most pressing problem is our economy. House Republicans have unanimously rejected Obama's stimulus package, but we all pretty much agree we need to do something. President Obama believes his stimulus package will create or save 3-4 million jobs over two years. But how will it impact Pennsylvania specifically? The following are White House projections.

· Creating or saving 151,700 jobs over the next two years. Jobs created will be in a range of industries from clean energy to health care, with over 90% in the private sector. [Source: White House Estimate based on Romer and Bernstein, “The Job Impact of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan.” January 9, 2009.]

· Providing a making work pay tax cut of up to $1,000 for 4,910,000 workers and their families. The plan will make a down payment on the President’s Making Work Pay tax cut for 95% of workers and their families, designed to pay out immediately into workers’ paychecks. [Source: White House Estimate based on IRS Statistics of Income]

· Making 138,000 families eligible for a new American Opportunity Tax Credit to make college affordable. By creating a new $2,500 partially refundable tax credit for four years of college, this plan will give 3.8 million families nationwide – and 138,000 families in Pennsylvania – new assistance to put college within their reach. [Source: Center on Budget and Policy Priorities analysis of U.S. Census data]

· Offering an additional $100 per month in unemployment insurance benefits to 1,056,000 workers in Pennsylvania who have lost their jobs in this recession, and providing extended unemployment benefits to an additional 156,000 laid-off workers. [Source: National Employment Law Project]

· Providing funding sufficient to modernize at least 409 schools in Pennsylvania so our children have the labs, classrooms and libraries they need to compete in the 21st century economy. [Source: White House Estimate]


It is a work in progress and I understand and agree with some of the many objections raised. Republicans favor deeper tax cuts and fewer layers of bureaucracy. Obama's concerns about our unemployed are also well-considered. It's time to stop thinking in ideological terms and to start thinking about what will work.

24 comments:

Anonymous said...

Another post where you refer to Sam. Seriously, she is a never has been. What's up with you ?

Anonymous said...

It shouldn't because we have only GOP
New World Order Rep's and they oppose it except for bankers.

It's my understanding that they will refuse the money and keep with principles.

Top down economics.

Bernie O'Hare said...

Anon 7:53, The subjecxt here is the stimulus package. The Bennett reference is oblique, at best.

Fly on the Wall said...

BO, you’re not special! 4 million of us have been receiving e-mails from Obama for a year in a half. Welcome into the real world!

Bernie O'Hare said...

"BO, you’re not special!"

That's NOT what Fly was whispering in my ear last night. I had to get my swatter.

Fly on the Wall said...

BO, you should check your med’s, your paranoia is showing!

Bernie O'Hare said...

Now, Fly is trying to deny the sweet nothings he was whispering in my ear last night.

Anonymous said...

LEGITIMATE PRESS: "to cease and desist from treating O'Hare as legitimate press."

Legitimate- would that be politically skewed, sponsor driven media types only? Traditionally the news media were the watchdogs. Now in the new century... the internet becomes the watchdogs of these former watchdogs. < Whom are watched by other watchdogs here. So I suppose this whole "Legitimate" thing has gone to the dogs,eh?

Well here's my silly little opinion on the whole economic mess. JOBS! We get those and the whole thing goes away. It's just that simple. But since Obama's now indicating that he may drop his backing of the 'Buy American' clause in the proposed package. This whole thing is turned to PORK real quick! We all know how congressmen on either side enjoy a big heaping of PORK with a piece of the pie for desert.

Creating government financed work (jobs) is like saying if I take a loan to pay off my IOU's they will all go away. Sort of like nationalizing Allentown's financial budget.

Has he considered Video Poker or creating a national sales tax. It's going to work just fine for us here in Pennsytucky.

Maybe my video can help cheer things up for about 32 seconds?
Click on my name.

J. SPIKE ROGAN said...

"Legitimate Press" the same folks who brought us "Curve Ball" (Chalby)

And the same folks who bring us photos of Brittney Spears vagina as "news".

I've been getting inverted pyramids since the elction to my earthlink address.

And I doubt the Obama Press machine has a clue my blog is around.

Hell most readers of this blog have never seen my blog.

Anonymous said...

He's surrounded himself with crooked lobbyists and connected tax cheats. He let Pelosi shove a partisan, pork-laden embarrassment of a bill up his ass.

Every day is another embarrassment for the guy we all knew had absolutely no experience running anything - least of all the largest economy in the world.

Obama never ran so much as a paper route or lemonade stand. It's difficult to take any of his economic exhortations seriously.

Andrew Kleiner said...

Hey, you never know, we might finally get a bridge across the Lehigh connecting the American Parkway.

Anonymous said...

A lot of idiots on here... WTF do the think pork is anyway?

When they talk about improving the energy grid and alternative energy who the hell do you think that moneys going to go to? It's going to go to companies like Air Products and PPL... but hey our local congressman would rather play politics and vote against funding that would directly benefit his constituents in order to make his party bosses happy. He votes against it at the same time PPL is laying people off. Playing Nero along with the rest of the idiots in the GOP who caused the problems.

And it's all an act anyay... a show for all the idiots out there that think he's fighting to keep all that "pork" out of the bill. When the next version of the bill rolls around when it actually has a higher price tag from the senate... he'll be voting, and even if he doesn't it doesn't matter anyway because the GOP in the house can't even take a piss without asking Pelosi.

It's all a bit of street theater... the GOP bluster about the stimulus bill. Their major objections amount to about 1% of the bills total cost... and yet you get the people like Milton up there who buy into it hook line and sinker...

The real answer is you morons lost the last election. "Elections have consequences" They know they can't do much besides win some pyric victory by eliminating funding to prevent STDs... so rather than actually try to govern responsibly they go for a cheap message to their dwindling base. Whoopty doo.

Anonymous said...

Tax cuts for working families-what a joke-40% of American households do not pay any taxes at all. Thier tas cut will consist of a transfer from your checking account to theirs

Anonymous said...

I like the D Congressman who railed against 3:40's girl for ramrodding a typical spending orgy to a vote before members had a chance to read the bill. He later admitted he was encouraged to do so by Obama advisers. Election have consequences alright. The circus is in town and there will certainly be consequences. Nice to see Nancy's lapdogs out for a trot, though.

Anonymous said...

Dear Really Annoyed,

You are so right; we Republicans are just working out our anger issues on this stimulus bill. Everyone understands that the bureaucracy is the answer.


Scott Armstrong

IRONPIGPEN said...

I have seen your blog, Mr. Rogan, and I recommend it.

I work for a very small business. I might need something to do if I get economically stimulated out of a job.

What was Obama saying again on the campaign trail about 'no earmarks'. I have forgotten.

Why does he and Pelosi and Reid keep hammering the 'we have to pass this immediately'?

Is it so the public does not see exactly all what's in it?

How does 600 million or whatever for wildlife preservation stimulate the economy exactly?

Obama keeps saying he won and has a sweeping mandate. Wonderful. I gave up after third cabinet pick had taxes come up.

The Dems have a majority. Great. I don't understand why then they don't just pass it and be happy.

Strike up some Kum-by-yah already. Pass out some Kool-Aid and have a parade. I don't get it.

Anonymous said...

leave the man alone; he's only been in office two and a half f'n weeks.

let the man have some damn time before you people go running your mouths saying every day is another embarassment. the last 8 years of bush have been an embarassment.

i'm just saying, at least obama can admit a mistake when he makes one. can't say that about our george bush. he went into iraq looking for wmd, didnt find any, we're still in iraq...why are we still in iraq? because george bush couldnt admit a damn mistake and pull out.

george bush just don't know how to pull out, no telling how many illegitemate kids he got because he don't know how to admit a damn mistake and just pull out. and you know none of those kids are gonna stand up proud and say, "that's my daddy!!"

i'm just saying give the man some damn time before you start acting like he's the one who's running this country into the ground.

sorry, the circus isnt in town, it just went back to texas.

Bernie O'Hare said...

Tinkerbell!

Wow! Your boss is a bad influence on you. Tomorrow morning, I'm going to have to get both of you super cinnamon bagels.

Anonymous said...

Tinkerbell,

Of course you are correct, we Republicans should leave our new president alone. We should follow the wonderful example the Democrat's set these past eight years.

Scott Armstrong

Anonymous said...

Scott Armstrong:
Save me your Reagan-esque rhetoric. The size of the government and government spending increased under your beloved president over the last 8 years like it never has before. You want to play budget watch dog... you should have been doing it in 2003, not 2009.

Anonymous said...

Armstrong, isn't what you are saying an "ad hominem"?

Same old shit. Why don't Republicans take some responsibility for the Bush years, at least 2001- 2006?
You had all the majorities, and you effed it up.
Own up to it. Embrace it. It's your f'up. take some credit.
In 8 years, when Jeb Bush takes office for the "Second Coming in America" with Republican majorities in both houses, you guys can celebrate your new tax cuts and deregulation, okay?

Now quit ur bitchin and get busy raising money for Tony Phillips for Mayor....

Though I don't think having a sleep over inside the playground structures is all that great an idea.

Anonymous said...

bernie, lol...

don't worry, she's not the bad influence, i'm like that all day, every day..outside of work, that is...and the fam. if they only knew half the stuff that comes out of my mouth, they'd send me to a priest for an exorcism...lol...

the super cinn bagels were awesome!!! thanks!!!

Anonymous said...

I see nothing changes with the anonymous Dem’s on this blog.

Whether my post is an ad homonym attack may be debatable but the point of my post isn’t. For the past eight years the Democrats have been on a crusade to destroy the Republican president. Does anyone care to deny this? Now conveniently we are suppose to put our difference/beliefs aside and rally behind a very liberal president and his policies? Isn’t this Democrat thinking a bit poly annish ?
For the record there is ample evidence that conservatives have been upset and openly critical with Bush’s spending.

Scott Armstrong

Bryan said...

You know what we need. Some money for the infrastructure. Just a couple bucks. I really hope that's in the plan.