Are You Feeling Stimulated?

This does not smell good!

From bailout nation to stimulation central. And stimulation is being contemplated in large doses – doses measuring in the high billions – that’s right billion with a B. Consider the following stimulative measures being contemplated across the country

• $2 million for neon signs in Las Vegas
  
• $500,000 to create a place for dogs to run off the leash in Chula Vista, CA
  
• $886,000 for building a 36-hole disc golf course in Austin, Texas
  
• $1.8million for replacement of tennis courts in Virginia Beach, Va

The list goes on and includes 18,750 projects listed “Ready to Go” as reported in today's WSJ.

Wow! While the average consumer works a job (if he still has one), pinches pennies, postpones the small luxuries of life and watches his retirement savings vaporize – Uncle Sam is busy bailing out insolvent banks and now stimulating asinine and egregious political demands.

But the argument goes – it is all for the good of the American consumer. Stimulating the economy will generate jobs which will restart the economy and good times will be back. I say humbug! The same people who got us into this mess are not going to dig us out of this hole. The politicians, the regulators, the bankers … who was vigilant and on the job? In my opinion – they all failed us. And now the reaction is – print money and throw it at the problem.

Maybe I should give this a chance to work. Maybe they know what they are doing and without these measures we will be in bigger trouble. But then again – neon signs and dog parks – I really am not very stimulated. Are you?

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