Response to economic crisis is no solution

Bob Fuller, Bullhead City, Ariz.

Sunday, Feb. 3, 2008 | 2 a.m.

In his State of the Union address, President Bush threatened to veto bills with earmarks, or pork barrel spending. At the same time, Arizona Sen. John McCain, a Republican presidential candidate, is making pork barrel spending a central theme of his campaign.

Now Congress is touting a $150 billion bill as an economic stimulus for the country. However, since about one-third of all manufactured goods are imported, which economy will be stimulated? China’s? Indonesia’s? India’s?

And to make matters worse, the money will have to be borrowed. So the taxpayers will have to not only repay the loan, but also pay interest on the loan. Would it be foolish to suggest that instead of this boondoggle, the money be spent on improving our highways and other infrastructure? At least such a move would create jobs in the construction sector, which is suffering from the downturn in the housing industry.

The public has been criticized for not saving enough and spending too much. Now we’re being encouraged to spend borrowed money. Why do you think people have credit cards? Isn’t borrowing part of the problem we have now? This Alice in Wonderland bill from Congress is another reason its approval rating is so low.