Dear Fellow
Conservative,
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One year ago today, President Barack Obama signed
into law the first major legislation of his presidency, the
Congressional Democrats' so-called "American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act." The Obama Democrats made many bold claims about
what this $862 billion bill would do for America's ailing economy.
Let's see how their promises measure up to reality.
Obama Promised Unemployment Would Not Rise Above 8
Percent With $862 Billion Stimulus. (Christina Romer and
Jared Bernstein, "The Job
Impact Of The American Recovery And Reinvestment Plan,"
1/9/09)
- REALITY: Unemployment Currently At 10 Percent.
(U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, http://www.bls.gov/, Accessed
2/4/10)
Obama Promised His Stimulus Would Create 3.5 Million Jobs
By End Of 2010. (President Barack Obama, Remarks
At The Signing Of The American Recovery And Reinvestment Act,
Denver, CO, 2/17/09)
- REALITY: Since Obama Signed Stimulus Last February,
America Has Lost 2.8 Million Jobs. (U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics, http://www.bls.gov/, Accessed
2/4/10)
Biden Promised Stimulus Would Create Construction Jobs.
"Road projects, energy projects and construction projects
are being started as soon as they pass review, contracts are
competitively bid and reporting systems are in place." (Joe Biden,
"What You Might Not Know About The Recovery," The
New York Times, 7/26/09)
- REALITY: Since Obama Signed The Stimulus Last
February, 712,000 Construction Jobs Have Been Lost. (U.S.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, http://www.bls.gov/, Accessed
2/4/10)
Obama Claims Stimulus Created Manufacturing Jobs.
"That's right -- the Recovery Act, also known as the
stimulus bill. Economists on the left and the right say this bill
has helped save jobs and avert disaster. But you don't have to take
their word for it -- Talk to the window manufacturer in Philadelphia
who said he used to be skeptical about the Recovery Act, until he
had to add two more work shifts just because of the business it
created." (President Barack Obama, Remarks
In State Of The Union Address, Washington, DC, 1/27/10)
- REALITY: Since Obama Signed The Stimulus Last
February, 847,000 Manufacturing Jobs Have Been Lost.
(U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, http://www.bls.gov/, Accessed
2/4/10)
Obama Claims Stimulus Created Teaching Jobs.
"Because of the steps we took, there are about two million
Americans working right now who would otherwise be unemployed --
300,000 are teachers and other education workers." (President Barack
Obama, Remarks
In State Of The Union Address, Washington, DC, 1/27/10)
- REALITY: Since Obama Signed The Stimulus Last
February, 55,000 Education Jobs Have Been Lost. (U.S.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, http://www.bls.gov/, Accessed
2/4/10)
Obama Promised Recovery Act "Will Create Good Jobs That
Pay Well And Can't Be Shipped Overseas." (The White House,
"Remarks
By The President And The Vice President On The American Recovery And
Reinvestment Act," 4/13/09)
- REALITY: Recently Distributed Stimulus Funds Going To
Foreign Corporations Creating Jobs Overseas. "Nearly half
of the $2.4 billion in federal grant money awarded Wednesday to
stimulate the U.S. economy and boost the production of hybrid and
electric vehicles went to six companies with ties to places as far
away as Russia, China, South Korea and France. ... But because so
few American companies have the necessary technology, much of the
money will initially go toward manufacturing electric vehicle
batteries overseas." (Jerry Seper, "Obama Sends Stimulus Aid To
Foreign Firms," The
Washington Times, 8/6/09)
Obama Promised Stimulus Would Have "Responsibility and
Accountability." "'What I will need from [U.S. Mayors] is
unprecedented responsibility and accountability on all of our
parts,' Obama said. 'The American people are watching.'" (Michael D.
Shear, "Obama To Watch Cities' Stimulus Spending," The
Washington Post, 2/21/09)
- REALITY: GAO Says Transparency, Oversight Lacking When
Keeping Track of Stimulus' Effectiveness. "The Government
Accountability Office said in a report that increased transparency
and better oversight is needed to track stimulus money being sent
to state and local governments. -- 'Questions remained about how
to count jobs and measure performance under Recovery Act-funded
programs,' the report said." (Rich Edson and Joanna Ossinger,
"GAO: More Transparency Needed To Track Stimulus Money," Fox
Business, 7/7/09)
Barack Obama and his big-spending Democrat allies in the U.S.
Congress, led by Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, have proven, their
claims notwithstanding, that their kind of "Stimulus" will only run
America's economy into the ground.
And this massive transfer of wealth to the Democrats' public
sector union allies in local and state governments was just the
beginning of Obamanomics -- soak the private sector
to feed the never-ending growth of government.
In fact, as the Obama Democrats moved on from their bloated
"Stimulus" Bill to take over the American auto industry, implement
Cap-and-Trade energy taxes, and socialize private health care, they
made it obvious to everyone not on their gravy train that they care
not a whit for the millions of unemployed who simply want a chance
to earn an honest living in the free marketplace.
Americans know that the Obama Democrats have no intention
of doing what will really create new jobs -- reducing the punishing
tax rates on American small business and investors to spur job
growth and vitalize our economy.
So faced with the reality of the voters' backlash in New Jersey
and Virginia, then Massachusetts and soon the entire country, they
are cloaking their next spending boondoggle as a "jobs bill."
Sorry, Democrats, but the American people have had enough of your
"Stimulus" -- they demand an end to the childish double talk and
irresponsible wealth transfers. But no one expects the
Obama-Pelosi-Reid Democrats to listen.
That's why the RNC needs your support now. Please
make a secure, online contribution of $25, $50, $100, $500, or
$1,000 to the Republican National Committee.
Only with your help can we keep the
pressure on Congress to pass policies that will truly help
fix our economy.
And you also help
provide the resources our Party needs to recruit and support
commonsense, conservative Republican candidates who will defeat the
double talking, double dealing Democrats this fall and return fiscal
sanity to Washington, and a chance for real job growth to American
workers.
Thanks for your time -- I hope you will give
as generously as you can today.