A prominent item in Mr. Obama’s stimulus proposal now before Congress is to computerize the nation’s health care records.
It was first offered as a cost-cutting measure. Now it is revealed to be the first step in establishing a government-controlled universal health care plan. After all if you want to control one-seventh of the economy you need vast amounts of detailed information.
The idea that private insurance companies should be allowed to sell policies nationwide is not even mentioned.
Other proposals are for investments in “alternative” energy. Mr. Obama wants to subsidize increases in wind, solar, ethanol, etc., up to 20 percent of our total needs. That won’t even satisfy anticipated growth in needs.
Therefore, demand must be reduced by boosting auto CAF standards to 35 mpg. We will still be sending multi-billions abroad for imported oil. Nuclear power is still off the table even though it would be a great, widely-distributed way to charge electric car batteries.
Global warming is dead last on the list of concerns of 70 percent of us. Peak temperatures occurred in the mid-1990s. Now it’s “climate change” that rates very highly in Mr. Obama’s priorities. Likely it is also a convenient tool for future control of society. The proposals for “cap-and-trade” involve global carbon taxes. These revenue streams will strengthen control of society.
Evidence is abundant that government did exactly the wrong things in the 1930s to help the economy.
Perhaps some lessons have been learned. However, Mr. Obama’s attitude that only government can help us now is sadly mistaken. If private investments continue to be stymied by doubts about government, there will be no recovery.
Only a free economy can create wealth. More restrictions laid on the auto industry will not help.
We will buy the cars we want. We won’t buy the ones the government thinks we should want.
Government should stick to the things they are responsible for such as roads, bridges and schools. There are plenty of deferred needs to be met. Politicians spend too much time on abortion and birth control issues. These are private affairs.
Mr. Obama and staff think our financial crisis presents opportunities to legally channel society into their preferred directions.
They are predicting the economy will get worse before it gets better. Indeed they depend on improvement being delayed. Too rapid a recovery will spoil their plans.
Some of the people Mr. Obama hoped to bring into the government are demonstrably dishonest. Mr. Gaithner and Mr. Daschle come to mind. Are we to believe they will inspire the huge bureaucracies under their supervision to think mainly of our welfare?
Their actions, and their excuses about them, are not at all encouraging.
Far too much of the trillion-dollar stimulus package is being used to establish permanent control of health care, energy, education, and the financial system. We could soon wake up to find our freedoms are gone. Our lives will be managed by the government.
This financial mess was made in Washington, D.C. and fueled by cheap money from the Federal Reserve. It’s unlikely that a further boost in cheap money will be the tool that brings stability.
When bailouts and stimulus don’t work there will be no economic rebound. Then what?
George E. Edens is a resident of Lake Oswego.
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