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McCook Gazette

Nelson issues statement on stimulus package

Friday, January 30, 2009

WASHINGTON -- Sen. Ben Nelson released the following statement regarding the economic recovery package currently being discussed in the Senate:

"I am troubled by the worsening impact the national economic downturn is having on Nebraskans and I believe we may need a targeted, tailored stimulus bill to create new jobs, save jobs and open new job opportunities.

"Several thousand Nebraskans have lost their jobs or been laid off and unemployment lines are growing. Major Nebraska companies like First National and Union Pacific and many smaller businesses are facing hardship, as are Nebraska families and workers. And we hear that more serious job loss is likely ahead.

"I am working with Republicans and Democrats in the Senate to try to redirect the major stimulus bill to boost more job creation spending and trim non-stimulative items.

"For example, there's $75 million for smoking cessation, $345 million for Agriculture Department computers and $100 million for Energy Department computer research.

"This isn't about pork, but it may be about sacred cows.

"We want to make this stimulus bill better and bipartisan so we get more bang for the buck. I want a final bill that puts a lot of Nebraskans back to work, keeps others on the job and provides a robust stimulus to our weakened economy."

Click here for Nelson audio.

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  • Listen up Ben! All you need to do is cut taxes, mainly income taxes for people with more money than the rest of us and give them a capital gains tax break for a year of two.

    In order for me and the rest of my fellow small business owners in McCook and all over Nebraska to make a living we need people around us that have more money than we do. They need REAL disposable income to buy our goods and services!

    Creating more assinine government spending like what's in the House bill isn't gonna do diddly!

    Giving lower income people a little check isn't going to do anything but let them apy a bill off or put in a savings account. Expending unemployment benefits sounds great, especially if you're unemployed. It sounds like you're taking care of someone who's in tough spot. But tell me what a hundred extra bucks a week is going to do for someone whoe needs to pay bills. Yeah, they can now pay their monthly bills, but thats IT!

    What will that do for the ECONOMY? Nothing. How about major tax breaks and tax holidays for people that have enough money to actually go out and spend it or invest it in this country. THAT is how you are going to create jobs for Nebraskas.

    Redistributing wealth and creating more government programs is not going to stimulate the economy, just make us all equal...equallty miserable and equally sick and tired of living paycheck to paycheck.

    Yea, I'd like a check in the mail, I have debt to pay off and that's exaclty what I would do with it too. Will that stimulate the economy? Keep it. I'd rather let the tax payers keep it for something better for this country. But only if it's going to be used to give tax breaks to the people that will spend it.

    -- Posted by Justin76 on Fri, Jan 30, 2009, at 6:29 PM
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