Stimulus bill? Not if you have to read it . . .

I know. Today's Thurvey question (see last post) is not nearly so sexy as last week's. Last week a good Hallmark or Guidepost response was called for.

But today's Thurvey asks "what is the answer to the economic crisis?" I am about tired of it myself.

My fatigue comes partially from wading through the pages of the American Recovery and Reconstruction Act of 2009. I was hearing so many different things that I thought it would be interesting to go straight to the source. I was wrong. But I think I will continue to study a few pages every day as a Lenten act of sacrifice and repentance. Sort of like self-flagellation.

I was a bit hard on Governor Riley a couple of posts back. He is still, after all, the only Alabama governor who has ever proposed massive tax reform. That was gutsy. He has clarified his position on accepting funds from ARRA, saying that all funds received and disbursed will be closely monitored. A good move as well. I still don't understand his position on not accepting some of the unemployment compensation funds. I hope to find the answer in the ARRA before Easter.

But right or wrong, there is opposition to accepting the ARRA unemployment compensation monies for fear that ultimately, when the federal funds run dry, the State will have to raise unemployment taxes on businesses to fund the expanded benefits and beneficiary pool.

ARRA will raise basic unemployment compensation by twenty five dollars per week, which will be paid out of ARRA funds. That is in addition to the present benefit which is one half of the average pay of the worker, who also paid taxes into the system while he or she was working. The more controversial provisions would increase the number of potential claimants by including workers seeking part-time jobs and those who have chosen to leave their job for a compelling reason based on family need.

I am in favor of being careful about all this spending.

But it does say something about us that we are quibbling about giving tax-paying workers an extra $25 a week for a few months or helping out a worker who can only qualify for part time jobs or paying a mother who had to quit to take care of a terminally ill child when millions of bail-out dollars have been paid to executives of companies who may have had much more to do with our economic woes.

I don't know what the answer is. It may be cookies, or a dog, or me, as some of you have already suggested. Those are all good distractions. But I don't think we can stand by and let large numbers of our people slip into poverty if we can help it. At least until things get better. It may cost some of us some money.

But we are either in this together or we are not.

That's not the answer, but it is the necessary first question.



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Thurvey

The response was so good to last week's survey question I decided to ask a question each Thursday. The Thursday survey. Thurvey.

To give your answer to the question, simply click on "comment" below. Wait for the comment window to open. Type your comment. Click on anonymous. Then click on publish. Sign your name to the comment if you wish. Or not if you don't.


What is the answer to the economic crisis?


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The lie of Riley

Seriously Alabama.

Alabama is a welfare state. We are in the top five states in taking money from the federal government compared to the money we pay in. We are not the fiercely independent,damn the federal government rebels that our bumper stickers, t-shirts, songs and flags imply.

If any Alabamian complains about bailing anyone out of foreclosure, he or she is an ignorant hypocrite. Every person in Alabama, even the most successful business folk, have been bailed out by the federal government for decades as transfused federal money flows into our economic arteries.

Governor Riley is one of those governors who is saying that on behalf of the good people of Alabama he will refuse some of the money from the federal economic stimulus program. Unemployment compensation. Probably nobody will need that in the next year or so. It's funny, I don't remember him refusing money in years past.

Governor Riley may have legitimate reasons for opposing the stimulus package. He may be right about some of his concerns. Nobody knows what will happen.

But the stimulus package passed. The policy argument is over. The money will be paid out to somebody. There are people in Alabama who need help. It is Riley's job to look out for our best interest.

There is only one reason Governor Riley would make noise about refusing the money. We know the word too well here in Alabama. POLITICS.

But I can't believe, as governor of the State, he is risking the very lives of Alabama citizens in the uncertain economic days ahead. Where will the money come from if our economy stalls?

Next thing you know Governor Riley will be saying that President Obama is not qualified to be president because he is not a citizen.

No, wait, Alabama Senator Shelby beat him to it. Yesterday.

Please, Alabama. We are smarter, and better than this.

We can still rise.

(Contact Governor Riley and give him your opinion http://www.governor.alabama.gov/)

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Soliloquy

I appreciate the responses to the survey a couple of posts back. That's probably worth doing once a week or so. You can go back and respond to it if you haven't, or again if you have.

Most of you thought the most important thing was relationship. Family, friends, God.

Saying that relationships are important is like saying oxygen is important.

I am a believer. I believe that God created everything and is omnipresent. I believe we are all in some kind of relationship with Him whether we want to be or not, whether we believe in Him or not.

But I know not everyone believes like I do regarding spiritual matters. So we'll put that aside for the moment.

Unless you are on a deserted island, you have relationships. And even then, you'd probably have to be comatose not to be in relationship.

Consciousness, or self-awareness, creates relationship, with yourself if with no one else.

That's just psychobabble, you may be saying. But to whom are you speaking?

I talk to myself. And I answer back. Occasionally out loud. But almost constantly in my thoughts. Maybe I'm crazy. Maybe I'm alone too much these days. Maybe none of the rest of you do that. But I'm betting you do. When you are alone and there is a full box of fresh Krispy Kreme's on the counter to take to a meeting and you really want one or two, but you know you shouldn't, but what harm could it do, but you'd have to run 800 miles to burn those calories cause you know you can't just eat one or two, who is that conversation with? When you can't find the car keys and no one else is home and you retrace your steps, thinking, when I came in I had to go to the bathroom bad and then the phone rang . . . who are you asking? When you have a pain in your sawdust and you know you should go to the doctor but your afraid cause it seems people that go to the doctor end up being sick so you talk yourself out of making an appointment, who was the argument with? When you've written a stupid mean email and the cursor is poised over the send button and your thumb is waiting for instruction, who offers the opposing positions?

So even alone we are in a relationship. Maybe the most important one. The relationship with self.

And that is important. Because that relationship affects all the rest.

And the rest are significant. Family, friends, lovers, enemies, God, environment, the world.

You're right. It is important.

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