Stimulating ramblings

I haven't posted much in the last few days. I actually have had a hard time coming to grips with what has been going on in Washington over the stimulus package...

On Monday, I watched President Obama's speech/press conference. I went in with an open mind (as open as possible, I guess). I wanted to hear how this stimulus package was going to help. I wanted specifics. I wanted to hear about measures for success.

According to the President, the only measure he is using is to "save or create 4,000,000 jobs". That sounds like a laudable goal, even if totally unmeasurable. Even if the economy loses jobs over the next year, there will always be the claim that "had it not been for stimulus, it could have been worse."

Second of all, why does it cost $800 billion for 4 million jobs. The government could hire 4,000,000 people to sweep streets at 50,000 per year and it would cost $200 billion a year. Of course...I am no economist...but, if that really was the only measure of success, wouldn't that have been cheaper?

Now, I know its not as simple as that. But, without the transparency that the Obama administration promised, what are we to think? Does anyone even know what is in this bill? Rep. Charlie Rangel, chairman of the House Ways and Means committee says that Senate Democrats "don't even know everything that's in this bill".

Don't get me wrong. I WANT this to work. I WANT the economy to turn around. I not going to be one of these people who secretly (or openly) hope for failure so that the Democrats get defeated in 2 years. I have concerns about the freedoms we are losing here. I have concerns about the liberal interests that are going to get a boost. But, more so, I have a concern that in 3 months, just like the TARP financials bailout, we are going to wondering where the stimulus is.