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| | While Detroit spread gloom on Feb. 17 as GM starkly warned of impending bankruptcy unless it gets more aid, Obama promised $275 billion to help people refinance their home mortgages. Thus far Obama's response to economic crisis closely parallels that of [[Herbert Hoover]] in 1930-31 in dealing with the [[Great Depression]]. It is too early to say if his plan will be as unsuccessful as Hoover's but the mortgage plan was dismissed by CNBC announcer [[Rick Santelli]] who called it "collectivist." The Wall Street Journal says the plan will cost up to $275 billion and will help up to nine million homeowners. Thus, the cost is about $30,000 per homeowner helped. <ref>http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123496582087411241.html?mod=todays_us_page_one</ref> | | While Detroit spread gloom on Feb. 17 as GM starkly warned of impending bankruptcy unless it gets more aid, Obama promised $275 billion to help people refinance their home mortgages. Thus far Obama's response to economic crisis closely parallels that of [[Herbert Hoover]] in 1930-31 in dealing with the [[Great Depression]]. It is too early to say if his plan will be as unsuccessful as Hoover's but the mortgage plan was dismissed by CNBC announcer [[Rick Santelli]] who called it "collectivist." The Wall Street Journal says the plan will cost up to $275 billion and will help up to nine million homeowners. Thus, the cost is about $30,000 per homeowner helped. <ref>http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123496582087411241.html?mod=todays_us_page_one</ref> |
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| − | The Wall Street Journal reported that Obama's carbon [[cap and trade]] system will raise consumer energy prices. It will cost companies $645 billion between 2012 and 2019, which will result in higher prices. All the taxes will be refunded to taxpayers, however. Rep. John Boehner said, "Let's just be honest and call it a carbon tax that will increase taxes on all Americans who drive a car, who have a job, who turn on a light switch, pure and simple."<ref>http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123566843777484625.html</ref>
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| | ===2010 Budget=== | | ===2010 Budget=== |
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| | The budget reorders national priorities to provide national health care, shift the energy economy away from oil and gas, and raise the federal spending on schools. To fund it all, families earning more than $250,000 and a variety of businesses will pay steep new taxes. Observers expect a fierce political battle over the budget, with conservatives calling it "class warfare" and detrimental to long-term growth.<Ref> see [http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123564748462081261.html?mod=djemalertNEWS ''Wall Street Journal'' Feb. 26, 2009]</ref> | | The budget reorders national priorities to provide national health care, shift the energy economy away from oil and gas, and raise the federal spending on schools. To fund it all, families earning more than $250,000 and a variety of businesses will pay steep new taxes. Observers expect a fierce political battle over the budget, with conservatives calling it "class warfare" and detrimental to long-term growth.<Ref> see [http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123564748462081261.html?mod=djemalertNEWS ''Wall Street Journal'' Feb. 26, 2009]</ref> |
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| | + | Obama's carbon [[cap and trade]] system will raise consumer energy prices. It will cost companies $645 billion between 2012 and 2019, which will result in higher prices. All the taxes will be refunded to taxpayers, however. Rep. John Boehner said, "Let's just be honest and call it a carbon tax that will increase taxes on all Americans who drive a car, who have a job, who turn on a light switch, pure and simple."<ref>see [http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123566843777484625.html comment from conservative newspaper]</ref> |
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| | The chairman of the Senate Budget Committee is conservative Democrat [[Kent Conrad]] of [[North Dakota]], a deficit hawk who said he is "very uncomfortable with the build-up of debt" and urged Obama to make good on his promise to overhaul federal retirement and health-care programs. Conrad called for "more discipline on the spending side."<ref> [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/28/AR2009022801960.html?hpid=topnews ''Washington Post'' Mar. 1, 2009]</ref> | | The chairman of the Senate Budget Committee is conservative Democrat [[Kent Conrad]] of [[North Dakota]], a deficit hawk who said he is "very uncomfortable with the build-up of debt" and urged Obama to make good on his promise to overhaul federal retirement and health-care programs. Conrad called for "more discipline on the spending side."<ref> [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/28/AR2009022801960.html?hpid=topnews ''Washington Post'' Mar. 1, 2009]</ref> |