Damage done to stimulus bill

Most Americans support President Obama’s stimulus plan, yet conservative Democrats and Republicans got away with slashing key parts, billions for education, green jobs and health care, in favor of tax cuts for the rich.

Why? Because they think most voters will never know. Politicians are used to lots of pressure before a vote, but they don’t expect accountability after they vote. Their votes have life-or-death consequences for real people, and they should have consequences for lawmakers, too.

Most voters will just hear the news headline: “Congress passed Obama’s stimulus plan to create millions of jobs and rebuild the economy.” Sounds great! But they’ll never know if their own senator or representative voted to help them in tough economic times or not.

The stimulus will be a huge help, but it could have helped even more if conservatives hadn’t cut job-creating investments. Elected officials count on this voter ignorance when they vote against the interests of the people they represent.

How many are aware, for instance, of the $13 billion taxpayer giveaway to Big Oil over five years? All of the job-creating features of the stimulus that were slashed could have been paid with that, and then some. Outrageous.

Thomas Keenan

Coeur d’Alene