Cheap Sales Tactics at Work in the Selling of the “Stimulus”
Senate leaders called off plans to vote on President Obama’s economic recovery plan Thursday night in hopes that a group of centrist lawmakers from both parties would be able to fashion a compromise to cut the cost of the $937-billion bill and win support from at least a few Republicans.
After a long day of behind-the-scenes negotiations, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) dropped plans to hold a final vote on the bill as the bipartisan group of centrists worked into the night to trim as much as $100 billion, an attempt to bring moderate Republicans on board without driving Democrats away.
$100 billion off a $937 billion package. If that sounds good to you, then you’re probably the type of person who is impressed when the car dealer says he’s willing to knock $500 off the sticker price.
An Instapundit reader points out another transparent sales tactic: “President Obama’s act now or it will be too late shtick sounds an awful lot like the type of high-pressure sales tactic that the Eliot Spitzers of the world like to bring lawsuits over.” You know, this is the last stimulus package left, and there was a couple in here an hour ago who said they just needed to go home to get their checkbook. But if you say yes right now . . .
Mitch McConnell put $1 trillion in perspective by noting that you could spend $1 million every day beginning with the birth of Jesus, and you still wouldn’t have spent a trillion. That’s a nice point from a big-picture perspective, but I think it makes more sense to illustrate the impact on the little guy.
There are about 138 million taxpayers in the country. A $937 billion package, therefore, amounts to $6789 for every taxpayer.
If they cut it by $100 billion, that brings the total to the low, low price of only $6065 per taxpayer. For a typical family, that’s $12,130.
Twelve thousand dollars per family. That’s the number that may bring the “moderate Republicans” on board.
Who’s paying that? You? Or your kids, with interest?
This is why Michelle Malkin calls this the “Generational Theft Act.” That’s precisely what it is.
UPDATE: $12,130, not $13,130. Yes, I know how to double the number six. Time for more coffee!