When Congress passed and the President signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), or the stimulus bill, in February 2009, $7.2 billion was allocated to expand broadband in the United States. Of that amount, $2.5 billion was slated to go to the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) for its Broadband Initiatives Program (BIP). This program supplements an existing RUS program aimed at underwriting broadband projects, the Rural Broadband Access Loan and Loan Guarantee Program. That program was established by Congress as part of the 2002 Farm Bill, and modified as part of the 2008 Farm Bill. Its primary goal is to provide loans to help bring Internet broadband service to unserved rural communities, which are generally defined as communities with populations of less than 20,000.
Stimulating…or Just Plain Depressing?
February 17, 2010 marked the one-year anniversary of America’s favorite farce, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Ironically, this $862 billion “stimulus” bill has proven to be nothing more than a profligate program that has further depressed the nation’s economy.
Don’t Count on an Efficient Census Bureau
The Census and the Super Bowl are American traditions whose paths had never crossed until February 7. That is when the Census Bureau spent $2.5 million for an ad during the big game to urge people to fill out and send in their questionnaires. This expenditure was just the latest in a number of high profile missteps by the agency.
Prime Cuts 2010: Quantifiable Recommendations for Change (We Believe In!)
President Obama’s January 27th State of the Union Address raised more questions than answers. While the national debt continues to soar past $12.3 trillion and the unemployment rate hangs at 10 percent, Americans long to hear the President offer some commonsense solutions. Instead, the President stubbornly clings to his stagnant tax-borrow-and-spend policies. Taxpayers don’t want to pay for another stimulus package (which will undoubtedly be stuffed with wasteful pork-barrel projects like its predecessor), nor are they fooled by the administration’s attempt to re-label it as a “jobs” bill.
Time for a Constitutional Line Item Veto
As the year draws to a close and the nation’s deficit soars to $1.4 trillion, Congress’s spendthrift behavior persists. On December 16, 2009 President Obama signed a $1.4 trillion omnibus spending bill; $446.8 billion of that amount covered six of the seven remaining appropriations bill.
Time to End Stealth Tax Increases
Thirty-two states impose ad valorem excise taxes on moist smokeless tobacco (MST). An ad valorem tax is based on a percentage of the price of the product, so the tax rises any time the price of the merchandise increases. This is similar to property taxes that rise along with increased assessed values.
Dithering on the Debt
On December 16, 2009, by a vote of 218-214, lawmakers voted to raise the debt ceiling by $290 billion to $12.394 trillion. This is similar to the limit that banks and other lenders allow individuals to charge on their credit cards. Ironically, during the recession, millions of Americans received notices from their credit card companies telling them their credit limit was being reduced. Yet, this Congress is expanding its credit at rates far greater than any time in its history.
Amidst the Healthcare Hubbub, Cap-and-Trade Moves Ahead
While Congress and the American public remain fixated on the contentious healthcare debate, little attention has been paid to S. 1733, the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act, better known as the Kerry-Boxer cap-and-trade bill. Democrats have used this distraction to their advantage, steadily pushing the onerous climate change legislation forward.
Wasted Healthcare Dollars
As the national debt exceeds $12 trillion and the monthly deficit record of $176 billion was set in October, it would behoove officials in Washington to take reports of wasteful spending more seriously. This is especially true in regard to the tens of billions of dollars that are wasted each year in federal healthcare programs.
Jobs Numbers and White House Propaganda
One of the cornerstones of the stimulus bill was to create jobs and help the economy get back on its feet. The Obama administration estimated that between 3 and 4 million jobs would be created or saved once the bill was enacted.