$2 Billion For Broadband Cut From Stimulus Bill

pdabbadabba points out a CNN report on changes to the planned economic stimulus bill (the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 [PDF]) that will remove the $2 billion allocated to broadband development. The changes also eliminated smaller amounts allocated to NASA, the National Institute for Standards and Technology, and the National Science Foundation. $16 billion in school construction funding was removed, as well as another $3.5 billion for higher education construction. A variety of environmental projects were also cut or reduced (half of the $7 billion set aside for energy-efficient federal buildings, half of the $600 million for hybrid federal vehicles), and over $8 billion in health-related provisions are gone. The bill will likely go to vote in the Senate on Tuesday.

Re:Republicans are Flat-Earth Economists

[bryanp]

To the Congressional Republicans, things like school construction won't result in jobs for construction workers: apparently magic pixies will simply drop the new schools out of the sky in exchange for our money.

No, money for schools would come from the taxes paid to their local governments by construction workers who have jobs as a result of the stimulus package.

Re:Great

[Kokuyo]

Corporal punishment in the classroom? What good would that do? I say punish the parents for their kids' behaviour. That's the way it's supposed to be anyway. The parents have a responsibility for what their kids do. Don't hit the little bastards for stuff they've been taught is okay to do. Hit their fucking parents!

Re:Great

[canajin56]

The fact thrown around is, if you spent $1 MILLION dollars every single day, and had started the day Jesus was born, you still would be a little bit short of $800 Billion. So yeah, it does take time to spend money.

No, it makes perfect sense

[mr_josh]

Guys, listen, it is genius and it's why the Republicans have it right:

Tax cuts. More tax cuts and tax rebates and tax credits. It really works, I've seen it.

You get your tax cuts, you take your receipts to that little 4x5 H&R Block kiosk in the middle of Walmart, you walk around while they prepare them, they cut you an advance refund check, and you take it over and buy a new flatscreen Vizio TV to hang on the wood panelling in your trailer. And that stimulates the economy.

Duh.

Re:Great

[SupremoMan]

In fact, to spend all that money you would have to spend around 365,000 dollars a day for the whole 6000 years of this planet's existence.