American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

Stimulus Money Used to Employ Foreign Guest Workers Instead of Americans

Congressman Peter DeFazio smelled a rat and boy did he find one. A host of Oregon forest thinning and clearing jobs, created by the American Recovery Act and funded by taxpayer dollars, went to foreigners, brought over on H-2B guest worker visas, instead of unemployed Americans. DeFazio fought and obtained funding for those forest projects and jobs in the 2009 Stimulus bill. DeFazio assumed with so many unemployed and desperate U.S.

Any Jobs Bill Must Have Buy American and Hire America Mandatory Requirements

arra signPaul Krugman shows the 2009 economic stimulus was not enough.  We've shown as have many others, tax cuts for the rich do not create jobs.   Yet, many criticized the $787 Billion Stimulus bill as spending, loaded with political favors and misdirected funds.  For example, 84% of the green jobs went offshore and build America bonds were yet another gift for Goldman Sachs.

The problem with the original stimulus wasn't that it wasn't big enough.  It was not smart enough.  What we need is true domestic stimulus.  If you're going to spend our money to stimulate our economy, stop shipping our dough to China instead.
buy american
Is this possible?  Can one stop the offshore outsourcing of jobs, especially jobs created with our hard earned taxpayer dollars?  Is there anything that can be done which actually goes to American workers?   Why yes there is.  First and foremost, all stimulus funding should have two mandatory requirements, Buy American and Hire America.  If a government is enacting Keynesian economic stimulus, they must keep that spending within the domestic economy they wish to stimulate.  The last thing America's workers need is stimulating China's economy and generating more jobs for them.

What is in The Economic Stimulus Bill of 2009? - Part IV

Update: The Senate voted yes on cloture. What this means is now the bill can come up for a vote to pass it with a simple majority.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 is now online.

The amended Senate version, February 7, 2009 is here (click this) (large pdf).

To find out the latest, well frankly watch the Senate Floor Proceedings and also go to The Library of Congress links.

Huffington Post is hosting a what's in the bill citizen legislative text watchdog volunteer tell us what you found effort.

The Buy American provisions are on page 414, line 12. This covers Steel, Iron and probably the most important provision, use of American made manufactured goods.

How Many Jobs in the Stimulus Bill Could Be Offshore Outsourced?

A simple question. An obvious question. While the non-debate debate rages on over tax cuts in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, this fundamental question of how many real jobs will go to real American workers needing a job....is not asked.

So, I'm asking it. I do not have an answer.

We have already seen TARP bail out recipients replace Americans with foreign guest workers.

What is in The Economic Stimulus Bill of 2009? - Part III

I have held off on posting more information on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 ongoing negotiations in the Senate due to the minute by minute changes and even a question of it's passage.

As usual the talking heads on cable news only talk about victory and not the specifics or credible analysis.

Previous posts include CBO analysis and other economists' analysis with potential stimulus effect. See Part II and Part I.

Here are the latest congressional actions.

The new cost is $780 billion dollars....or $805 billion...or what's another few billion? About $110 billion stripped from the previous Senate version.