INTELLIGENCER JOURNAL

In his op-ed titled "Why I opposed the 'stimulus'", Rep. Joe Pitts states the following: ""So the bill we voted on this week was not a bipartisan product, but rather a trillion-dollar pork-barrel spending spree, written by Nancy Pelosi, without input from Republicans, that expands government and rewards special interests."

WATCHDOG: For a brief moment we thought we were going to agree with Pitts which would be a rarity. But the above is typical of the tone of the column as he points to several items which the administration has already consented to have removed before the Bill goes to the Senate.

The real problem is similar to what happened with the so called Patriot Bill rushed through congress before its variety of issues could be even read, let alone studied and debated!

During the first 90 days of the Franklin D. Roosevelt presidency (The New Deal) and during the civil rights reforms under Lyndon Johnson (The Great Society), there were a number of separate bills dealing with separate issues, thus allowing matters to properly explored in committees, understood, amended and eventually passed.

The real concern that NewsLanc and astute Republicans and Democrats have about the current stimulus bill is it appears to be an opportunistic attempt to bundle together in a single law a good portion of the administrations diverse agenda. This will lead to poor legislation and much harm.

As starters, Congress should concentrate on the stimulus portion with emphasis on what can be accomplished in the next two years. Then they should move on to longer term issues.

Our children and grand children will have to repay up to two trillion dollars from so called "recovery" legislation being rushed through, much of it of dubious early effect. They deserve better.