Following up the last post:Keep in mind —
More than two-thirds of all Americans back higher taxes on the rich and even larger numbers think Medicare and Social Security benefits should be left alone, according to a Bloomberg-Washington Post national poll conducted Oct. 6-9.
Even more than half of Republicans think the rich should be paying more taxes, this poll says.
So we have a jobs bill that should do a lot to pump the economy, and the CBO says it should pay for itself and even reduce the deficit, and it can be funded by a surtax to the rich that is popular with a large majority of voters.
And there is real concern that enough Senate Dems will refuse to vote for it that it will get less than 50 votes.
According to Chis Good at The Atlantic, the Dems likely to vote no are:
- Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), who asked on Sept. 17, “If spending money would solve our problems and crisis in America, we wouldn’t have a problem right now because we sure did our share of spending money in the last few years. It’s just common sense to me. If some of the recommendations that are out there hadn’t worked in the past, why would we do them over again?”
- Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.), who said last week he would filibuster the bill. His office told The Atlantic today that Nelson has not yet decided how he will vote.
- Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.), who said last week he will not support the bill unless it’s changed to include more infrastructure projects.
- Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.), who has not spoken publicly in favor of the bill after criticizing its deficit offsets initially, despite Reid’s changes.
Manchin is a flat-out idiot who should be drummed out of the party. I think we’ve all had it up to here with Nelson, too. I don’t know what to make of Tester, but this kind of grandstanding isn’t helpful. Looks like Webb is a question mark.
Also, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) probably will miss the vote, although she supports the bill. Thanks loads.
Now, I have to say that four or five our of 53 Senate Dems is a small minority, and perhaps I shouldn’t tar the whole party, but one does wonder what some Dems are using in place of brains sometimes.
See also If moderate Dems vote No on jobs bill, they’re only hurting themselves.
Maha, I agree with you entirely about this topic, though I think that maybe (just maybe, not sure) Tester has a point. The reason I’m not sure is only because I know nothing about Tester – he might be sincere, or maybe just wants some cash for his brother-in-law’s construction company.
Anyway, if Obama’s jobs program is going to be make-work projects like sweeping streets and planting trees, it’s not doing much to grow the economy long-term. It will keep people from starving until the program runs out of money, then the workers will be laid off. Building some badly needed infrastructure, on the other hand, is one thing that governments should be doing that can make the economy grow permanently. However, it is important that whatever gets built is something of real value, not a white elephant. Building Ten Commandment Monuments (a favorite with the wing-nut crowd) is not my idea of “infrastructure.
”
I’m personally a fan of public transportation projects. If done right, this can save heaps of energy, reduce pollution, traffic jams and road rage, while cutting America’s oil import bill. I’ve traveled all over China by train – it works amazingly well. America’s train service, by comparison, is pathetic. Even if it only gets used for freight, the USA needs to upgrade its rail system to something better than its current Third World condition. In many countries, the railway system is government-run. I guess that’s anathema in the USA.
I do remember Obama wanting to do something with high-speed rail, but I’m not sure what happened to that. I know the wing-nuts were opposed, mainly because it was Obama’s suggestion. If Bush had said he wanted a high-speed rail system, the wingers would be falling on their knees to praise his brilliance.
Aside from rail, another pet project of mine: Shanghai has got this really neat experimental electric bus that uses “ultra-capacitors”. You’ve got to see it to believe it…
Youtube video of the bus, with detailed explanation of how it works:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYL6NyU1g3k
Further explanation of ultracapacitors:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_double-layer_capacitor
The USA is not just falling badly behind in manufacturing, but also in engineering and technology. Not surprising – when you outsource all the manufacturing, you eventually lose the engineers who design the stuff as well. About the only things America is competitive in are weapons and Hollywood movies. And actually, I’m starting to see more-and-more good movies out of Europe and Asia, so we’d better not depend on Disney and Pixar to save the USA. Oh yeah, Lady Gaga was here recently to sell-out crowds, so I guess she’s a “job creator.”
Just my rambling thoughts for the day. Cheers.
OT, Stirling Newberry has a blog. Latest is: OWS isn’t what you think it is. A little obscure but also some good points.
Nelson and Tester decided to save their hides….In Civil War parlance we’d say they skedaddtled…. It’s a shame to watch men put their political fortunes ahead of duty to country.. I hope Obama calls the out by name so that they can stand before the American public and defend their decision to turn coat.
I guess it’s more important that Tester and Nelson get to keep their job than a million other people get to have a job.
I can’t figure Jim Webb. Sometimes he’s spot on and other times he seems a bit neanderthal. None of these people has the least bit of respect for those who actually undestand economic models that that which has demonstrably worked. How are they getting elected if the polls are true. It defies the imagination.
With (*&!@#$ ^(*&^(& %^&%^(*^ Democrats like these, I’m starting to rethink my positions against enhanced interrogation, rendition, and torture.
Suddenly, they don’t sound so bad if you think they’re happening to Ben Nelson.