Stimulus Package Bleeding Green

This is what I was referring to last night amid my alcohol-infused rant - a major portion of the stimulus package under consideration – over a half trillion dollars over two years – is to be spent on tax rebate checks and a myriad of “green” projects ranging from home weatherization to renewable energy.

Look, I realize it’s politically expedient for Obama to appear to be championing the Middle Class in its hour of need, but stimulus checks are the economic equivalent of feeding a man a fish versus teaching him how. And I even concede that this particular downturn may a different animal than in past recessions, requiring the government to step in to minimize job loss through spending on infrastructure improvement projects. For one thing, they are sorely needed; for another, I feel it will help to stave off a larger more ominous downturn in commercial construction that is right around the corner.

But let’s stick to what we know – government can’t create wealth, it can only foster its creation and subsequently spend it. So let’s stimulate the economy through smart tax policy while addressing infrastructure improvements and energy independence through practical investment on bridges and highways, clean coal plants, nuclear energy, and additional petroleum refining capabilities.