A reader writes:
While I generally find myself in agreement with your writing, the post "The Presider Gets Results" on the Collins-Nelson stimulus cuts is way off the mark. What we’re witnessing is not, in fact, bipartisan cooperation. What we’re witnessing is pure political maneuvering, where wasteful pet projects like highway spending that are near and dear to the hearts of senators are retained and some of the best and most stimulative parts of the bill that lack a defined constituency are removed.
Funding to make federal buildings energy efficient puts money into the economy to create jobs immediately and lowers future energy bills, improving the future budget situation. Aid to states to avoid budget cuts also has an immediate effect, as state governments will no longer be forced to eliminate jobs and cut programs like public transit. Again, this is job creation (or more appropriately, preservation) that acts instantly. Rural broadband brings a valuable service to the population and again acts immediately. These programs are exactly what should be kept in a stimulus package if Congress were truly interested in supporting the economy.
Let’s see what the final bill looks like, shall we?
The Dish 