Too Dumb To Type
Tuesday, February 2, 2010 at 9:01AM (FLP Opinion by JAR) - Joe Klein is a typical elitist liberal who looks down on the rest of us. He can’t understand us, he pities us and most of all he knows what’s best for us. His world view is being shaken, and he’s lashing out. Check out this January 25 entry to his blog:
Too Dumb to Thrive
Posted by Joe Klein
Absolutely amazing poll results from CNN today about the $787 stimulus package: nearly three out of four Americans think the money has been wasted. On second thought, they may be right: it's been wasted on them. Indeed, the largest single item in the package--$288 billion--is tax relief for 95% of the American public. This money is that magical $60 to $80 per month you've been finding in your paycheck since last spring. Not a life changing amount, but helpful in paying the bills.
The next highest amount was $275 billion in grants and loans to states. This is why your child's teacher wasn't laid off...and why the fire station has remained open, and why you're not paying even higher state and local taxes to close the local budget hole.
It turns out that what people are really upset about is all that wasteful money that has gone to political public works projects...except that the overwhelming portion of that money hasn't been spent yet. Remember all those "shovel-ready" projects? Well, they didn't exist. The big jobs-creating projects like the rebuilt "smart" electric grid, major highways and fast trains will come on line during the next year. (Although these projects might have gotten greater public support if they'd been chosen by a National Infrastructure Bank--a panel of experts, like the fed--that would have picked them according to their value added, rather than by the bozo appropriators in the Congress.)
So, two thoughts:
1. The Obama Administration has done a terrible job explaining the stimulus package to the American people...especially since there have been very few documented cases of waste so far.
2. This is yet further evidence that Americans are flagrantly ill-informed...and, for those watching Fox News, misinformed.
It is very difficult to have a democracy without citizens. It is impossible to be a citizen if you don't make an effort to understand the most basic activities of your government. It is very difficult to thrive in an increasingly competitive world if you're a nation of dodos.
Well Mr. Klein, let me set you straight on a few things. In case you haven’t taken time to notice, federal income tax receipts are down about 20% and income taxes made up 93% of Federal Tax Revenue in 2008. That means people’s incomes are lower, so excuse us if we don’t celebrate the $60-80 per month.
Additionally, people realize the upward spiraling federal deficits and debt will be a drag on the economy in the long term. The increased numbers of federal employees and payments to service debt will mean higher tax burdens. To cap it off, Obama and Congress have been talking about numerous legislative initiatives which would kill jobs and penalize small businesses with higher taxes, health insurance costs and utility costs. Mr. Klein probably believes Obamacare will reduce health care costs, but has he interviewed small business owners or their accountants or did he just arbitrarily decide, as seems to be his modus operandi, it’s better for them?
It’s not that we don’t like the stimulus package because we don't understand it, or because the messaging was ineffective. We don’t like it because we do understand it!
If Joe Klein can’t can't come to terms with that, there’s really no sense wasting more keystrokes to send the message. If we're too dumb to thrive, he's clearly too dumb to effectively articulate why.
Reader Comments (5)
Joe Klein is a twit. His ramblings are never backed up by fact, but just serve to impress the lamestream media.
Joe Klien really is the worst kind of MSM reporter. He is notoriously nasty to conservatives and has been known to stretch the truth to serve his purposes. In other words, he's a scum bag.
What a surprise. A lefty taking cheap shots at the moronic masses. Never heard of anything like that! After all, they're supposed to be for the little guy.
I'd like to play pin the tail on the idiot with Joe Klein using a nail gun.
Joe, where have you had that thumb ? Mr Klein you are about exciting as a Uber- left Professor
explaining the mating rituals of the ringtail monkey..