American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

In articolul precedent in afisat continutul pachetului de propuneri pentru “Stimularea economiei USA”, pe scurt Stimulus. Numele corect este “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act”

Usor modificat fata de propuneri, Stimulus a fost aprobat de “House of Representatives” si merge acum la Senat pentru a fi discutat.

(Pentru cei interesati, Congresul – Parlamentul American- are doua “Corpuri” legislative:

• Camera Inferioara, numita “House of Representatives” (Camera Reprezantantilor sau “The House”) 435 de delegate, alesi proportional cu numarul populatiei din fiecare Stat.
• Camera Superioara – Senatul (100 de membri, doi din fiecare Stat)

Am spus “discutat” pentruca o propunere atat de importanta deobicei este modificata de Senat. Urmarea modificarilor rezulta in alcatuirea unei Comisii mixte Camera + Senat care pune de acord cele doua variante. Rezultatul final al comisiei este pus la vot de nou in cele doua Camere ale Parlamentului. Daca amandoua camerele voteaza varianta comuna a masurii, aceasta este trimisa Presedintelui Obama pentru aprobare. Daca acesta o aproba, propunerea devine lege si incepe sa fie aplicata.

Pe scurt, cele de mai sus contureaza abianta in care sa desfasoara votarea “Planului de Salvare” a Statelor Unite ale Americii.

Maine voi intra in detalii privind planul cu pricina.

Saluki

Pachetul de masuri pentru stimularea economiei americane.

Pachetul este prezentat astazi Congresului America pentru aprobare.

Imi cer scuze pentru prezentarea in limba engleza: pe masura ce timpul imi va permite, voi traduce partile importante in romaneste.

Cateva mentiuni din suma de bani pe care pachetul o contine:

• $825 billion total (as of 1/15/09) (Suma totala.)
• $550 billion in new spending, described as thoughtful and carefully targeted priority investments with unprecedented accountability measures built in.
• $275 billion in tax relief ($1,000 tax cut for families, $500 tax cut for individuals through SS payroll deductions)
• $ 90 billion for infrastructure
• $ 87 billion Medicaid aid to states
• $ 79 billion school districts/public colleges to prevent cutbacks
• $ 54 billion to encourage energy production from renewable sources
• $ 41 billion for additional school funding ($14 billion for school modernizations and repairs, $13 billion for Title I, $13 billion for IDEA special education funding, $1 billion for education technology)
• $ 24 billion for “health information technology to prevent medical mistakes, provide better care to patients and introduce cost-saving efficiencies” and “to provide for preventative care and to evaluate the most effective healthcare treatments.”
• $ 16 billion for science/technology ($10 billion for science facilities, research, and instrumentation; $6 billion to expand broadband to rural areas)
• $ 15 billion to increase Pell grants by $500
• $ 6 billion for the ambiguous “higher education modernization.”

( Source: Committee on Appropriations: January 15, 2009 )
Detalii privind sumele continute in pachet:

NOTE: The following are highlights of the package; for the full 13-page summary from the Appropriations Committee, click here:

(as of 1/15/09)

Energy
$32 billion: Funding for “smart electricity grid” to reduce waste
$16 billion: Renewable energy tax cuts and a tax credit for research and development on energy-related work, and a multiyear extension of renewable energy production tax credit
$6 billion: Funding to weatherize modest-income homes

Science and Technology
$10 billion: Science facilities
$6 billion: High-speed Internet access for rural and underserved areas

Infrastructure
$30 billion: Transportation projects
$31 billion: Construction and repair of federal buildings and other public infrastructure
$19 billion: Water projects
$10 billion: Rail and mass transit projects

Education
$41 billion: Grants to local school districts
$79 billion: State fiscal relief to prevent cuts in state aid
$21 billion: School modernization ($15.6 billion to increase the Pell grant by $500; $6 billion for higher education modernization)

Health Care
$39 billion: Subsidies to health insurance for unemployed; providing coverage through Medicaid
$87 billion: Help to states with Medicaid
$20 billion: Modernization of health-information technology systems
$4.1 billion: Preventative care

Jobless Benefits
$43 billion for increased unemployment benefits and job training.
$39 billion to support those who lose their jobs by helping them to pay the cost of keeping their employer provided healthcare under COBRA and providing short-term options to be covered by Medicaid.
$20 billion to increase the food stamp benefit by over 13% in order to help defray rising food costs.

Taxes

Individuals:

*$500 per worker, $1,000 per couple tax cut for two years, costing about $140 billion.
*Greater access to the $1,000-per-child tax credit for the working poor.
*Expansion of the earned-income tax credit to include families with three children
*A $2,500 college tuition tax credit.
*Repeal of a requirement that a $7,500 first-time homebuyer tax credit be paid back over time.

Businesses:

*An infusion of cash into money-losing companies by allowing them to claim tax credits on past profits dating back five years instead of two.
*Bonus depreciation for businesses investing in new plants and equipment
*Doubling of the amount small businesses can write off for capital investments and new equipment purchases.
*Allowing businesses to claim a tax credit for hiring disconnected youth and veterans

[Sources: Associated Press: Highlights of Senate economic stimulus plan; January 23, 2009; WSJ: Stimulus Package Unveiled; January 16, 2009; Committee on Appropriations: January 15, 2009]

When is the money being is going to be spent, and on what?

The government wouldn’t be able to spend at least one-fourth of a proposed $825 billion economic stimulus plan until after 2010, according to a preliminary report by the Congressional Business Office that suggests it may take longer than expected to boost the economy. The government would spend about $26 billion of the money this year and $110 billion more next year, the report said. About $103 billion would be spent in 2011, while $53 billion would be spent in 2012 and $63 billion between 2013 and 2019.

• Less than $5 billion of the $30 billion set aside for highway spending would be spent within the next two years, the CBO said.

• Only $26 billion out of $274 billion in infrastructure spending would be delivered into the economy by the Sept. 30 end of the budget year, just 7 percent.

• Just one in seven dollars of a huge $18.5 billion investment in energy efficiency and renewable energy programs would be spent within a year and a half.

• About $907 million of a $6 billion plan to expand broadband access in rural and other underserved areas would be spent by 2011, CBO said.

• Just one-fourth of clean drinking water projects can be completed by October of next year.

• $275 billion worth of tax cuts to 95 percent of filers and a huge infusion of help for state governments is to be distributed into the economy more quickly.

[Note: The CBO's analysis applied only to 40 percent of the overall stimulus bill, and doesn't cover tax cuts or efforts; a CBO report outlining all of its costs is expected in the next week or so.]

• The Obama administration said $3 of every $4 in the package should be spent within 18 months to have maximum impact on jobs and taxpayers; if House or Senate versions of the bill do not spend the money as quickly, the White House will work with lawmakers to achieve the goal of spending 75% of the overall package over the next year and a half.

[Source: AP: Three-quarters of stimulus to go in 18 months; January 22, 2009; Bloomberg News: Much of Stimulus Wont Be Spent Before 2011, CBO Says; January 20, 2009; link]

Who will be spending the money? Will the states be receiving any money to spend, community organizations? Churches?

The economic stimulus plan now moving through Congress would shower billions of federal dollars on state and local governments desperate for cash:

• The House stimulus bill includes an extra $87 billion in federal aid to state Medicaid programs.

• It allots some $120 billion to boost state and city education programs.

• There’s $4 billion for state and local anticrime initiatives in the legislation, not to mention $30-plus billion for highways and other infrastructure projects.

• $6.9 billion to help state and local governments make investments that make them more energy efficient and reduce carbon emissions.

• $87 billion to states, increasing through the end of FY 2010 the share of Medicaid costs the Federal government reimburses all states by 4.8 percent, with extra relief tied to rates of unemployment.

• $120 billion to states and school districts to stabilize budgets and prevent tax increases and deep cuts to critical education programs.

Overall, about one-quarter of the entire $825 billion recovery package would be devoted to activities crucial to governors, mayors, and local school boards – making them among the plans biggest beneficiaries.

[Sources: Committee on Appropriations: January 15, 2009; Reuters: Roads, energy, states win in US stimulus plan;15 January 2009; Christian Science Monitor: States to win big in stimulus sweepstakes; House bill allots almost one-quarter of the $825 billion recovery package to states, localities. How will that boost the economy?; January 25, 2009; Link]

Messiah: A doua saptamana.

( Motto: The economy is still in the pooper. )

Sunt lucruri mult mai importante decat ce am de spus aici. Cred insa cele de mai jos sunt in acord cu “Change” (Schimbare) atat de mult fluturata de Noul Presedinte Obama si ne arata noua, americanilor, la ce ne putem astepta in viitor.

La site-ul Casei Albe http://www.whitehouse.gov/ este un tab care se cheama “the AGENDA”. Selectati acest tab, apoi “Civil Rights” si mergeti in jos pana veti gasi paragraful intitulat “Support for the LGBT Community”.

Pentru cine nu traieste in USA, acel “LGBT” apare criptic, asa ca am sa-l descifrez:

L = lesbian

G = gay (homosexual)

B = bisexual

T = transgender

Si care este Agenda Presedintelui Obama cu privire la adunatura de mai sus ? Textual:

“Obama also believes we need to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act and enact legislation that would ensure that the 1,100+ federal legal rights and benefits currently provided on the basis of marital status are extended to same-sex couples in civil unions and other legally-recognized unions.” .

In romaneste, Obama crede ca trebuie anulat Actului de “Aparare a casatoriei” (Creiat de Presedintele –tot Democrat- Clinton), in asa fel incat sa nu fie nici o deosebire intre casatoria barbat-femeie si casatoria intre doi popo…. , pardon, homosexuali.

Cred ca asa ceva va ridica USA pe cea mai inalta treapta a moralitatii publice.

Bravos natiune, halal sa-ti fie !

Saluki

Messiah, prima saptamana.

Ziua de 20 Ianuarie 2009 a trecut, scenele de prost gust dela cea mai costisitoare Inaugurare Prezidentiala Americana au inceput sa se estompeze in memorie, realitatea isi reia locul in viata de toate zilele.

Asteptam cu totii acea “Change” (Schimbare) promisa de Ingerul-Salvator Obama in fiecare minut de-a-lungul unei campanii electorale desuchiate.

Schimbari … ?

• Hillary Clinton, Secretar de Stat (Ministru de externe), aceiasi Hillary care n-a facut nimic cat timp a fost senator de New York. Desi au fost exprimate numeroase dubii cu privire la competenta ei si cu privire la contributiile banesti primite de nevinovatul ei sot, Senatul a aprobat propunerea Presedintelui Obama ca Hillary sa fie legatura USA cu restul lumii.
• Timothy Geithner, Treasury Secretary (Ministru de Finante, in subordinea caruia se afla Internal Revenue Service -IRS-, colectorul de taxe federale), cu adevarat “Perla Coroanei” Cabinetului Obama. Cu poate fi cineva Treasury Secretary cand nu si-a platit taxele pe cativa ani este un mister pe care numai Messiah il poate deslusi. In ciuda somatiilor vechi de cativa ani dela IRS, individul si-a platit taxele datorate cu doua zile inainte a fi propus ministru. Ca sa vezi ce intamplare: daca era un american obisnuit, era de mult la puscarie. Vice-Presedintele Biden, cunoscut mai degraba prin gafele pe care le face, a afirmat in cursul campaniei ca “.. cine nu-si plateste taxele nu e patriot !…”. Deci ministrul propus nu e ….. patriot ? Senatul isi da avizul Luni, 26 Ianuarie.
• Eric Holder, Attorney General (Ministru de Justitie), alta pramatie care, cu ani in urma, a eliberat 15 teroristi din “Lipsa de probe”, desi jigodiile astea au fost filmati construind bombe! Idea lui despre teroristi dela Guantanamo este ca noi, platitorii de taxe, sa-i mutam intr-o statiune de odihna si sa le cumparam bilete de sky-lift.
• Hilda Solis, Secretary of Labor ( Ministru Muncii), o fufa cunoscuta pentru relatiile sale cu sindicatele. Pentru cine nu cunoaste, Sindicatele au avut rol principal in alegerea lui Obama si constitue sursa principala de voturi pentru Partidul Democrat.

Restul, pe maine.

Saluki

2009

Un nou an – O fi ultimul ? Cine stie ?

Deocamdata, planuri noi pentru 2009:

• sa lucrez cat mai putine zile la servici
• sa pun garajul in ordine
• sa-mi deschid un business de foto

Sanse de indeplinire: juma/juma: de cateva luni, lucrez numai doua zile pe saptamana. Garajul: l-am inceput. Foto-business-ul: am, deocamdata, site-ul la Internet.

Saluki