Lisa Benson by Lisa Benson
- February 16, 2009
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Clay Bennett by Clay Bennett
Steve Benson by Steve BensonAbout Lisa Benson
Mix a snifter of Bill Mauldin, a dash of Jeff McNelly and a very large dollop of common sense, and you begin to get an idea of Lisa Benson’s considerable talent.
© 2009 Lisa Benson - All Rights Reserved.
Comments (37) Jump to Comments Form
HUMPHRIES
said,
9 months ago
At this point in time “tax cuts” will be essentially noneffective. That’s Ms Benson one step forward and three steps back.
ANandy said, 9 months ago
…and the Idiot Congress put him out the door w/o a reserve.
The Great Oz, jumpmaster.
HUMPHRIES
said,
9 months ago
Hey look here, ANandy trying his best to be coherent.
mytinytown said, 9 months ago
HUMP
Read what you said to me Friday. Yes I am a very curious person. I do like to hear what other have to say. I don’t agree with them, but part of me see why they feel as they do. I believe alot of it could be the same reason I believe what I do. My honest opinion on things is that the government need BOTH parties to stay centered. Heavy in one over the other is bad. I really feel the next 2-4 years are going to be ugly with the house being VERY democratic and the senate being a little heavy with the democratic President. Nothing to balance out anything. Point proven with the “stimulus” garbage. Not what we need at all. About your tax cuts statement, maybe non effective as a whole. But effective for the individual getting them and the small businesses that need them to stay in business. But all the pork that just got passed through is less effective then the tax cuts would have been.
Ian Valenzuela
said,
9 months ago
If you look at your history, from the 1920’s to the 2000’s, you’ll see that upper class tax cuts are the weight that drags down the economy. Money put into the pockets of the rich stays there, or worse, goes out of the country. Money put in the pockets of the poor and the middle class (Your “pork” and “waste” bags could also be labeled “jobs”, because that is what all that “spending” creates) bubbles up into the economy, spreads around, and increases the health of the economy and the nation.
mytinytown said, 9 months ago
IV
Was stated tax cuts for the people and for SMALL businesses. The pork I was referring to I have listen in past posts. I am not as worried about the ones that creates jobs. I think borrowing the money, like G. Bush did, is a terrible idea too though. I don’t like that ones that promote Embryonic Stem Cell research, I don’t like the support of ACORN it gives, Giving ANYTHING to Hollywood is a terrible idea, ect. This is the “pork” that is unnecessary that even some liberals don’t like. BTW Did you support the money Bush borrowed?
HUMPHRIES
said,
9 months ago
MTT, at the risk of sounding like a wisebutt I’ll say this: One man’s pork is another man’s community project. This debate(argument depending upon view point) has been going on since Anrew Jackson.
claudermilk said, 9 months ago
Some people just never learn. This comic strikes me as willfil ignorance.
mytinytown said, 9 months ago
HUMPHRIES
I must agree. That is VERY true. As well i have stated what I thought was the major errors to the stimulus bill. Don’t feel like it again.
fennec said, 9 months ago
If I may, I would like to offer this quote from Cynthia Tucker’s recent commentary:
“Last month, Mark Zandi - economic adviser to Sen. John McCain’s presidential campaign and chief economist for Moody’s Economy.com, a forecasting firm - told House Democrats that the greatest stimulus comes from increases in food and unemployment benefits. Each dollar appropriated for food stamps and unemployment benefits yields more than $1.60 in additional economic activity, Zandi estimated, while tax cuts produce less than a dollar for each dollar of stimulus, according to the New York Times.”
mytinytown said, 9 months ago
fennec
Good to know and I, at this time, will not disagree with you. But the problem I have is the money giving to organizations that either don’t deserve it or don’t need it. As well money giving to areas that don’t stimulate the economy.
dead-eye-bill said, 9 months ago
should have put the pork etc on anvils around our neck
believecommonsense
said,
9 months ago
benson’s bias is showing big time … in this toon, she portrays tax cuts as helpful and all else is dead weight … even conservative economists disagree with her … one note pony, Lisa, get real …..
foxglove16
said,
9 months ago
Lisa Benson willfully misses it again, and Ian V. points it out beautifully. What cuts, and it makes up 40% of the package, that are in there are for the middle class and small business. The GOP was not satisfied w/ it because it was not going to the rich this time, and it wasn’t the main focus of the package. So their whining that Obama and the Dems didn’t compromise really means they didn’t do it entirely like the GOP wants. I also have no doubt the GOP wants to obstruct any recovery only because it is not going to happen on their watch.
Just a little on another topic, I’ve conducted an unscientific survey, and (not withstanding some of my own nasty comments) the right wingers are a lot more violent and hateful in their comments. Humphries, IV, would you agree?
HUMPHRIES
said,
9 months ago
foxglove 16, I could toot my own horn but the readers who’ll believe us will see it and some will deny it anyway.
NoFearPup
said,
9 months ago
What if she is right? It’s just like ANandy said - there’s no plan B. But I think the people in charge already know how they will cover their OWN soft, flabby bottoms. Good going Libs- because of your stubborn-ness , it’ll be atleast another 4 years before we can tweak the system again!
believecommonsense
said,
9 months ago
tax cuts have been tried over and over and over again … they’ve helped get us into this mess, contributed to seven years of annual budget deficits and have a part in the growing national debt … to wish for more of the same is like hitting yourself over the head with a hammer because you have a headache
mytinytown said, 9 months ago
believecommonsense
So you honestly think borrow ANOTHER 700+ billion, giving it to “special interests” and a few useful things is the answer???? Borrowing the money from CHINA?!?!? That is insane in itself. They own us now.
foxglove16
said,
9 months ago
tinytown, infrastructure repair and energy efficiency projects are not special interests. Provisions for healthcare and education are the people’s interest. Bush’s idea for stimulus was making it so the top 1% of the population got more money, and the corporations were deregulated and got more tax cuts. It got a small amount of people filthy rich while the rest of the country stagnated. I suspect you’re not filthy rich tt, so I’d say you’re buying into fox news propaganda. I’m not happy about the growing debt but we’ve borrowed more from China for Bush’s war and occupation (which Exxon/Mobile, Halliburton, et. al. should have paid for since it was to profit them) than the stimulus package. And doing nothing is just that- nothing. Hoover and modern day conservatives are making the same mistake when they preach that road.
claudermilk said, 9 months ago
mtt: I totally agree with your comment on the inappropriate areas to send money. Not a dime ought to be spent anywhere other than stimulative areas. such as infrastructure rebuilding, perhaps increased food stamp funding, etc. Even where I am, I agree subsidising the movie industry really doesnt belong as a good example.
Where this comic is wrong is the implication tax cuts are the solution. Those of us who live in reality already know they don’t work–they’ve been tried over and over, and here we are today. It’s the height of foolishness to insist on trying that again. Borrowing more money really, really sucks, but what other option is there? (re-read my previous sentence until you unsderstand it before parroting “tax cuts” again).
mytinytown said, 9 months ago
foxglove16
I don’t buy the top 1% profited from Bush like you claim. The war was necessary, you can disagree, that is fine. But the government MUST stay out of private business. As well health care, anything the government tried to run is crap. Example, public schools. They are in a whole unsuccessful.
claudermilk
Thank you for agreeing. Right now I do feel tax cuts are not the answer, but BIG government support in many of the areas the stimulus is pushing is worse. Areas like you said infrastructure rebuilding, perhaps increased food stamp funding, ect. I could possibly agree with. But they could not stop there the special interests I was talking about is like what you stated. Thank you again.
Brainiak said, 9 months ago
If you pay taxes you want tax cuts………….
Dale Hopson
said,
9 months ago
mytinytown states “Borrowing the money from CHINA?!?!? That is insane in itself. They own us now.’
Right, and who do we credit for that happening?
Case closed!
mytinytown said, 9 months ago
Dale
Bush AND Obama.
My point, and it only took Obama weeks to rack up almost a trillion. Nice one Dale!
danielsangeo said, 9 months ago
So, let me see if I understand you, mtt.
Bob goes out and borrows money from John, a loan officer. With the money, Bob buys a huge plasma TV, convertible, and a swimming pool.
Steve then comes in, borrows money from John, invests it in job training so he can earn MORE than he borrowed…and pays back the bill that Bob ran up.
Steve and Bob both borrowed from John. They’re exactly the same, right?
mytinytown said, 9 months ago
danielsangeo
Not the same and not what the stimulus is doing. READ MY POSTS! I would have little issues with it if it was just that. But it is not it is giving a lot of bleeep to places that did not need it.
Thank you
danielsangeo said, 9 months ago
Where “a lot of bleeep” is defined as 1%, and where this “lot of bleeep” can also be paid for, very simply, by rolling back the Bush tax cuts on the megawealthy which helped contribute to the current economy in the first place.
And, yes, restoring our infrastructure and putting people back to work is exactly the same as job training in my example. Please tell me how it isn’t.
I find it extremely interesting that the same people that are complaining about the so-called “pork” in this bill were silent on costs of Iraq (which was unnecessary due to the fact that they never attacked us) and the tax cuts.
What I also find amusing is the amount of time spent by the so-called “liberal MSM” on the package being “pork”. In the last three days, I’ve heard the word “porkulus” dozens of times.
I’ve not heard, however, just how much of the bill is “pork”. Got a percentage for me, because all I can find is the Financial Times reporting that the bill contains less than 1% pork.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/b41af1e0-f219-11dd-9678-0000779fd2ac.html?nclick_check=1
“In fact, only $3bn to $5bn of the bill – less than 1 per cent – counts as special interest spending, according to White House estimates.”
And I can’t find how this “special interest spending” won’t create jobs.
mytinytown said, 9 months ago
danielsangeo
If you say so, from what I have read and looked at a whole lot more the 1% is pork. But this is what I read and seen, obviously your description of pork and mine differ.
But as I have said again, I wouldn’t mind it as much if it were ONLY “restoring our infrastructure and putting people back to work” as I have stated 3 times now.
mytinytown said, 9 months ago
Obama’s back up plan.
Now he is saying that “it is likely to get worse before it gets better.”
Is this so he can fail and still be a hero? Or is it so he can pass another outrageous spending bill giving his buds more money? Maybe it is to pass another and get more government control?
What could he be thinking? Time will tell.
HUMPHRIES
said,
9 months ago
MTT, it’s not only the Pres saying that. Most economist are predicting that it’ll be almost two years before we start seeing results. My biggest worry now is that there isn’t a lot of panic between now and then. Guess I’m a lucky one, credit card is paid up and put away.
claudermilk said, 9 months ago
They’ve been saying that for a while now–it’s not a new line.
How about some specific examples of the “pork” you don’t like? You have at least glanced at the bill’s text, haven’t you?
mytinytown said, 9 months ago
HUMP
Still not buying the stimulus, but that is me. Good to hear those cards are put up, they are evil. I have a couple and that is too many. Wish they were paid off and put up. did alot of paying on them with tax money. Easy come easy go.
mytinytown said, 9 months ago
claudermilk
I have state in several past posts what I did not like. If you need me to I’ll relist them.
danielsangeo said, 9 months ago
Tiny, instead of simply listing what you don’t like, provide a total cost as a percentage of the bill, and then tell me if that percentage is accurately represented by Benson’s toon.
Thanks!
mytinytown said, 9 months ago
danielsangeo
Actually this is a toon and mean to exaggerate things. So if or if it isn’t accurate it really does not matter as to this is her freedom of speech AND opinion.
But here it is to make YOU happy…
Things could have changed sense I have received this info, but a week before the signing it was as follows, things I do not agree with.
$600 Million To Buy New Cars For Government Workers (Page 89)
$1.5 billion for construction of “Green Schools” (Page 176)
$1 billion to the controversial COMMUNITY ORIENTED POLICING SERVICES COPS Hiring Program
“$150 billion in new federal spending, a vast two-year investment that would more than double the Department of Education’s current budget. (private and religious schools excluded)
$2.7B in NIH grants which would be targeted to among other things embryonic stem cell experimentation. (Page 56)
$335 million for STD Education and Prevention
$83 billion for the earned income credit for people who don’t pay income tax.
$246 million for Hollywood
$4.19 billion open to ACORN.
$54 billion will go to federal programs that the Office of Management and Budget or the Government Accountability Office have already criticized as “ineffective” or unable to pass basic financial audits.
$227 million for oversight of the pork barrel spending in the stimulus (Page 11)
$1 Billion for The Follow-Up To The 2010 Census (Page 49)
I come up with $300,798,000,000 of non-sense that I do not at all agree with. So it is suppose to be about $700,000,000,000, so I get about 43% pork.
That’s what I quickly came up with. All this is also pushing MORE government control/regulations on things to socialize our country.
I don’t care if you disagree with what I call pork, this is how I feel about it. 43% completely wasted money.
danielsangeo said, 9 months ago
Let’s take the largest of the programs you disagree with and let’s look at them:
“$150 billion in new federal spending, a vast two-year investment that would more than double the Department of Education’s current budget. (private and religious schools excluded)”
You disagree that increasing the budgets of the Department of Education would lead to job growth?
“$83 billion for the earned income credit for people who don’t pay income tax.”
You disagree that those who don’t pay income tax won’t contribute this money directly into the economy?
“$54 billion will go to federal programs that the Office of Management and Budget or the Government Accountability Office have already criticized as “ineffective” or unable to pass basic financial audits.”
Wow. Now that’s vague. Can you be a bit more specific?
Take those three out of the mix and we’re down to 1%.
I know you don’t agree with these programs, but, what if they really DO revitalize the economy….as these programs have done in the past?
The conservatives (yes, they’re conservatives whether you like it or not) had 6 years to do things their way and now we’re in a hole that it’ll take us YEARS to get out of. Why should we listen to their advice now?
(Oh, and let’s toss out that “4.19 billion open to ACORN” thing you mentioned because that’s a myth.)
(Oh, and you should reeducate yourself on “socialism” because NONE of these programs even come close to socialism.)
ledgreen
said,
9 months ago
At least she’s not blaming it on the Democrats this time.