The Government has enacted several laws recently with the purpose of stimulating the economy, well, at least some of the things they have done have been to stimulate the economy a lot of it has just been to appease the masses and look good before the election (and apparently the Democrats did a better job of fooling everyone).
“Take, for example, the extension of unemployment benefits enacted in June. Normally, jobless benefits are available for 26 weeks. The extension, which will last temporarily through early next year, added another 13 weeks. Following this, between June and October – in only four months – the unemployment rate has risen from 5.5% to 6.5%, a full percentage point.
"What’s odd about the jump in the jobless rate is that it has been accompanied by an unusual increase in the number of people who say they are looking for work. Normally, when the unemployment rate leaps upward we see a decline in the share of the population either working or looking for work (what economists call the participation rate). Not this time.
"In order to receive unemployment benefits, a person must be looking for work, so the extension of benefits is artificially coaxing many people who would no longer be in the workforce at all to say they are still looking for work, just so they can continue to collect benefits. The unintended consequence is that the unemployment rate is boosted faster and further than normal in a recession, making it more likely that policymakers further extend benefits, boosting the deficit and pushing up future tax payments.” - Brian Wesbury
What’s the saying? “Give a man a fish and he’ll eat for a day, give a man half a fish for the next 39 weeks and he won’t go find work because he doesn’t really need it.” While I totally understand the arguments against these points: hard economy and people actually are looking for work and not just pretending because they really do need their jobs, unemployment can’t keep you alive so why would anyone want to stay on it longer, etc. I just don’t think that it accounts for the huge increase in ongoing unemployment claims, especially when I have talked to several people who work at or own Temp agencies and they say they are having a hard time filling the jobs they have available. Many companies have been firing employees and then hiring in temps since they don’t have to pay for their health insurance.
On another blog that I just started I will be placing the articles I write for our clients. Here is a link to my synopsis of the other government programs, though the ones mentioned have a better chance of doing something positive to the economy in the near future.
My biggest concern is that government is now, in an effort to get something done that looks good (which seems to be the only goal of government of late: Look good not necessarily do good), trying to pass further “stimulus” when it might not be necessary and will only serve to further our debt and the dependency from many Americans. What really bothers me is that no one seems to think that the government giving out more money is a bad thing. At first it sounds nice to get more money from the government because, hey, it is our money right? Not in this case. Our money has already been spent. These stimulus acts are being paid for by borrowing.
While I am open to getting money from just about anybody, I am not willing to take that money if there is some undisclosed pay back necessary.
The infamous monkey toes. 
