Opiate of the Masses
OK – so this lady in Ft. Myers just asked if in the billions given to state government for stimulus projects, there will be a check in the mail for individuals and how much will that be for? “Great question,” says Mr. President. And he went on to explain that there would be $1000 checks in the mail for middle-class families. “If you are making $40,000 – $50,000 a year,” he explained, “You could probably really use an extra $1,000 to offset the payroll taxes you are paying.”
MY POINT EXACTLY! Why not just cut the payroll tax for a year or two, which would immediately put a constant stream of money in the hands of individuals and small businesses (which pay a portion of this tax)! This means businesses would instantly have additional money to retain workers and grow, even if the revolving lines of credit take longer to flow back into the market.
Why continue to tax workers and businesses this way in these hard times, but send employees a $1,000 check in the mail? What’s that one-time help supposed to do? Appease us? Doesn’t anyone understand this? Apparently not – we are cheering for the government’s generosity while that amount is about what they take out of our salary monthly!
How can Mr. Obama get away with mentioning a $1,000 tax credit check and payroll taxes in the same sentence? Not only get away with it, but be cheered for it!
President Obama is doing great. He is a master communicator, he can connect emotionally with the populous in any venue, and we all love him for it. Maybe that’s what we need in these hard times.
President Obama is the new opiate of the masses.
February 11th, 2009 at 1:58 pm
The term “opiate” definitely sums him up. My fear all along is that our newly elected President is all sizzle and no steak but that Americans have been flocking to the buffet regardless. Frankly, it shows how desperate we had become.
Grand oratory does not a leader make. Kissing homeless women and having your staff talk to her later does not make him a great President. It makes him compassionate – not competent. Telling jokes and showing your basketball skills doesn’t show you’ve got what it takes to run the United States. It simply makes you a guy we could enjoy some lunch with.
I for one don’t need an emotional connection – probably because that’s impossible to establish with someone who speaks to me through the television. That will simply never happen and it’s not what I look for. I also don’t need for him to be a master communicator. A good communicator? Sure.
What I do need is for our President to find some substance and some logic and put away the schpeel. The honeymoon is over and while I am proud of our country for showing why we are the greatest place to live on Earth, it’s time to move on and make meaningful strides towards the rebound that we all desperately need.