How Will You Spend Your $600?

Syndicated columnist Molly Ivins said of progressive journalist David Sirota, "Sirota is a new-generation populist who instinctively understands that the only real questions are 'Who's getting screwed?' and 'Who's doing the screwing?'"

It shouldn't come as any surprise to anyone who has been paying attention that the Bush/Cheney administration is doing the screwing and once again it is the American people who are getting screwed. The much touted "Stimulus Package" (don't you dare criticize the size of the president's package =) has been unveiled - although a quick Google search for "Economic Stimulus Package 2008" (the Plan) while listing numerous links to stories, commentaries, and criticisms of the Plan, revealed not one link to the Plan itself. Perhaps that is because Congress is not finished tinkering with the Plan, nothing is yet written in stone. The Senate still has an opportunity to add much needed relief for workers who have been unemployed for more than six months and to add food security for the neediest among us who may be going to bed hungry. However it is highly unlikely given the lack of fight or backbone shown by the Democratically-led Congress thus far. But if the Plan goes through as Bush has insisted that it must, it will represent another huge gift to big business at a time when all the previous gifts to business have gotten us where we are today. Where we are today is deep into a recession that is beginning to look like a bonafide depression to those of us who actually buy groceries, fill our cars up with gas, and try valiently to pay our bills on time.

Here's what two bloggers at Huffington Post had to say about Bush/Cheney's gift to big business:
"For seven years, the Bush administration has pandered to corporate interests, and we've seen the results: soaring profits with stagnant wages and rising income inequality. Now that the nation is facing serious economic reversals, it's time for Democrats to challenge the reasoning that every time average people get boost, businesses need one too." Nancy Cleeland and Lawrence Mishel, It's a Bad Deal! (January 24, 2008)

One of my favorite bloggers over the last year has been David Sirota, whose weekly newspaper column is syndicated by Creators.com. Sirota is the author of the book Hostile Takeover: How Big Money and Corruption Conquered Our Government--and How We Take It Back. Sirota blogs daily at Credo action. He is also a senior fellow at the Campaign for America's Future and board member of the Progressive States Network (both 501(c)(3) organizations), and he had a few choice words for the Stimulus Package that was crafted by the White House and the now traitorous Nancy Pelosi and the spineless wonder Harry Reid:
"There's nothing inherently bad about Washington interacting with Big Business, and nothing conceptually wrong with 'stimulus' as a concept. But as this recession intensifies, there's a big problem with politicians catering exclusively to Big Business and an even bigger problem with converting "stimulus" into yet another code word for 'swindle.'" David Sirota, The Stimulus Swindle (January 25, 2008)

I don't know about you all, but if there's anything left over from my (not tax-free) rebate from a government that hasn't demonstrated the financial acuity that god gave a raisin, then I will send it to the ACLU or Planned Parenthood or the Native American Rights Fund or some other organization that really might help the people of this country. I hope that if you are not hungry or homeless tonight that you will consider doing the same.

Here's the most complete run-down of the Economic Stimulus Plan that I have been able to locate to date: Rebates could be in your hands by May