[StBernard] Let's Get Serious About Our Economy...

[Westley Annis]

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
<http://www.ampo.org/assets/library/184_obama.pdf> ," 1/9/09)

*	REALITY: Unemployment Currently At 10 Percent. (U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics, www.bls.gov <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
<http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Remarks-by-the-President-and-Vic
e-President-at-Signing-of-the-American-Recovery-an/> , 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, www.bls.gov
<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 <http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/26/opinion/26biden.html> ,
7/26/09)

*	REALITY: Since Obama Signed The Stimulus Last February, 712,000
Construction Jobs Have Been Lost. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics,
www.bls.gov <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
<http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/remarks-president-state-union-ad
dress> , 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,
www.bls.gov <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
<http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/remarks-president-state-union-ad
dress> , 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, www.bls.gov
<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
<http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Remarks-by-the-President-and-Vic
e-President-at-the-Department-of-Transportation/> ," 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
<http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/aug/06/stimulus-to-aid-foreign-bat
tery-builders> , 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
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/20/AR200902200
3748.html?hpid=topnews&sid=ST2009022100948> , 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
<http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/gao-transparency-needed-track-stimulus-mon
ey/> , 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 <http://action.gop.com/stimulus> . 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 <http://action.gop.com/stimulus>
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.

Sincerely,
Michael Steele
Chairman, Republican National Committee