John M. Tomaszewski – 2/20/09

This page was last updated on February 23, 2009.

Country needed stimulus package; John M. Tomaszewski; Beaver County Times; February 20, 2009.

Since September 2004, this is at least the 45^th letter from Mr. Tomaszewski with all but a handful spouting leftist talking points, with most bashing Republicans and/or former President Bush.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject letter.

“The $787 billion economic stimulus bill, which was not backed by the Republican Party except for three senators, is a lot less than President Bush’s $2 trillion in tax cuts and $1 trillion dollars (and counting) spent in the Iraq War.”

[RWC] The porkulus bill is closer to $1.1/$1.2 trillion when you take interest into account. It’s also on top of the $700+ billion TARP bill passed last fall.

As many on the left, Mr. Tomaszewski equates “tax rate cuts” with “tax cuts.” In fact, the last tax rate cuts eventually resulted in record tax collections. Translation: Taxes weren’t cut; they increased. This happens every time we cut tax rates. That’s because people invest, save, and spend their own paychecks more effectively than politicians spending someone else’s paycheck.

“We are going through the greatest economic downturn since the Great Depression. The Republicans call the stimulus bill ‘pork socialism’ and want tax cuts for the upper rates.”

[RWC] “[T]he greatest economic downturn since the Great Depression” is part of lefty talking point boilerplate regardless of the economic environment. If you recall, lefties told us the same thing during a period in which employment grew for 52 consecutive months (9/03 - 12/07) adding more than 8.3 million jobs and GDP grew in every quarter from the fourth quarter of 2001 through the third quarter of 2007. So far, we haven’t reached level of the late 1970s/early 1980s, let alone the 1930s/early 1940s. However, between massive deficit spending and fear mongering by President Obama and his supporters, we may get there yet.

As far as tax cuts, Republicans wanted rate cuts for everyone, just like the previous rate cuts. Folks like Mr. Tomaszewski like to skip over this fact, but as a result of the last “tax cuts for the rich,” “the rich” actually pay a greater proportion of taxes than before.

“The stimulus package is needed to spur jobs through transportation, energy projects and upgrading education and health care.”

[RWC] Mr. Tomaszewski appears to know something Henry Morgenthau, FDR’s Treasury Secretary during the Great Depression, didn’t. Testifying before the House Ways and Means Committee in May 1939, Sec. Morgenthau said, “We have tried spending money. We are spending more than we have ever spent before and it does not work. And I have just one interest, and if I am wrong … somebody else can have my job. I want to see this country prosperous. I want to see people get a job. I want to see people get enough to eat. We have never made good on our promises … I say after eight years of this Administration we have just as much unemployment as when we started … And an enormous debt to boot.” Further, unemployment never got below 9.9% before the U.S. entered World War II.