Fritz Pfister

Do you remember the movie, It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World? This past week Obama, Pelosi, Reid, Collins, Snowe, Schumer, and Specter starred in the 2009 version.

The ending to this latest episode is no laughing matter for the American people. The three Republicans delivered every pet project the left has wanted the past forty years, in the most arrogant display of callous disregard for taxpayers in history. 

The previous week at the urging of President Obama the House and Senate passed their version of a stimulus bill. When details were released to the public, support for the bill plummeted to 37%. There was hope that the conference between the congress and senate would improve the bill. Crafted in secrecy behind closed doors, under the guise of a national crisis, the bill was rushed to a vote by Pelosi and Reid.

President Obama campaigned on the promise to raise the veil of secrecy in Washington. Promised that he would not sign a bill until it had been posted for 5 days on the Internet for public view. Oh how the crowds cheered. What happened? Obama immediately breaks his promise by signing the first two bills he’s handed, will do so with the stimulus bill, and allows congress to craft his plan in the secrecy of back rooms. Transparency and change prove to be mere campaign slogans to Obama, as his actions prove.

The veil of secrecy was not lifted this week as the congressional conference met, increasing an 800 some page bill to over 1000 pages. Pelosi, and Reid then called the vote on the bill without any of the people’s representatives having time to read the bill. This would be like a judge ordering a jury to deliberate before the evidence was presented. Pelosi and Reid made a mockery of the legislative process while displaying contempt toward the opinions of citizens through haste, and secrecy.

This after the congress voted the previous week unanimously to have the bill posted for 48 hours on the Internet before a vote could be taken. Pelosi obviously had no intent of allowing American citizens the opportunity to view the liberal Christmas tree legislation disguised as a stimulus bill. The fraud will be complete upon Obama’s signing.

So much for transparency, and change. Business as usual. Obama and congress prove to be no different than their predecessors, except in their degree of contempt toward American taxpayers, voters, and citizens. The only promise left for Obama to break is hope, which has been tainted by his fear mongering, and talking down the economy.

Will the stimulus package create jobs? I don’t know, however if you are a community organizer, a condom manufacturer, or a mouse in the San Francisco Bay area your ship has come in. The expanded entitlements for unemployment benefits, and insurance have nothing to do with stimulating the economy and should not have been addressed in ‘crisis’ legislation.

The proposed infrastructure spending is needed, however comprises too small a portion of the package, and doesn’t become a stimulus until the majority of the money is spent in 2010 and after. The other spending won’t create jobs, it’s all pork, and for us in Illinois it sure looks like Chicago style political payback to the interest groups that get you elected. There are going to be some sadly disappointed people over the next weeks and months while the details of this stimulus bill finally sees the light of day.

What should concern Americans is if the stimulus fails to create jobs, the seeds of inflation are embedded in the stimulus bill. Our bumbling secretary of Treasury is proposing 2 trillion more to be spent on TARP 2. This will make those seeds of inflation germinate and grow. If this were to happen, you will look fondly back to the good old days of 2009. Obama’s prophecy of catastrophe will be fulfilled.

The senate’s original version of the plan called for a $15,000 tax incentive for home buyers. Then it was reported that the conference had eliminated the incentive. Then it was reported an $8,000 incentive for first time home buyers was added. Who knows, the details haven’t been made public.

This we do know as editorialized in the SJR Friday; “Some of the fiscal modesty improved the bill. We favored a tax credit for those who buy new homes. Negotiators narrowed it so that it only applied to first-time home buyers. Allowing everyone to take advantage of such a credit might actually increase the number of unsold houses on the market and not help the decline in home values”. Say WHAT? That has to be the dumbest analysis I’ve ever heard or read. Are these folks hanging out with Joaquin Phoenix?

Don’t worry all you folks that have to sell your home. The tax incentive being limited to first time home buyers will have an impact upon home sales. About as much as taking a knife to a gun fight.

For you in foreclosure there’s a new plan that will be announced by the president this Wednesday. Let’s hope there’s actually some details provided by Obama, or the reaction will be the same as Giethner’s hollow plan that had Wall Street scratching its’ head and the stock market tanking 5.4%. Amateur week was on full display, and did little to inspire investors.

Here’s my prediction for the foreclosure plan based upon the tract government is following. After robbing future generations with the original 700 billion dollar TARP program, the soon to be signed 787 billion dollar stimulus plan, and an additional 2 trillion dollars being sought for TARP 2, Obama will ask for more money to help families that are in foreclosure to buy down their interest rates and order the banks holding their mortgages to renegotiate the terms of their loans.

Great news for you who have followed the rules and have paid your mortgage as agreed. Now you get the opportunity to help pay someone else’s mortgage. Regrettably you won’t receive any help getting your rate down or terms changed. Let’s hope I’m wrong. We’ll know on February 18 when Obama speaks in Phoenix.

Thank God we live in Springfield Illinois where our economy has historically been recession proof and resistant. We can all proudly say in the months to come, our recession is better than yours!

Will the stimulus plan work? It doesn’t matter as long as the inmates are running the asylum in Washington. We just got rid of our chief nut case in Illinois, and future generations will be paying for that too. The federal government is out of control, and they just proved they will do whatever they please under the shroud of secrecy and in the dark of night.

All with the blessing of Obama, contrary to his campaign promises. Deceit at the highest levels by utilizing a crisis as cover to pass into law the liberal agenda under the guise of a stimulus plan to create jobs. Leaving taxpayers with a ton of debt to boot.

All one can do as a community is to work together to increase productivity that will shield you from this storm of government action. I know it’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World, but it doesn’t have to be where you live. It is up to each of us to be as self reliant, and personally responsible as we can be, and together weather the storm.

The opinions expressed are solely those of Fritz Pfister, and not RE/MAX Professionals of Springfield or RE/MAX International.