CURRENT EVENTS

DREAMING Part 1. I ha(d) a dream; Part 2. A dream comes true.


Part 1: I ha(d) a dream (nightmare)

Two senators (formerly air force reserve helicopter pilots) were flying an empty helicopter transport over the desert on the return leg home after delivering foreign aid to some needy Saudis. They spotted a man below lying in the open in the 140 degree sun.

They landed the helicopter and one of the senators went to investigate the man. He returned and reported to the pilot.

“An American citizen. He is suffering from sever sun exposure, he’s dehydrated and suffering from malnutrition.”

“That sun exposure could cause cancer.” responded the other senator. “Give him this jar of sunscreen.”

The senators then started to resume their flight home. “I’ll circle overhead to determine if the man is applying the sunscreen. In that manner we will be providing over-sight as required when administering government aid.”



Part 2: A dream comes true.

Washington DC, Us Senate, Feb 6, 2009. Senators, Kent Conrad (D, N Dakota) and Lindsey Graham (R, S Carolina) introduced and argued for a bi-partisan amendment to the Stimulus bill (900B), diverting 22 Billion of some of the wasteful spending on Non-Stimulus projects currently in the stimulus plan to a program of the FDIC to stop over 1,5 million projected home foreclosures projected in the US within the next year. The senators argued that to fix the current economic crisis it is necessary to attack the three major problems simultaneously. The problem are the employment, housing and banking. Unless all three problems are addressed, any fix will not be effective.

In order to resolve the banking problems, foreclosures must be stopped because
they are one part of the banking problem. Foreclosure result in short sales by banks, causing surrounding homes to devalue causing further foreclosures, causing vicious downward spiraling of bank assets and homeless people. If you do not stop foreclosures, you do not solve the banking problem. The affected population is now not only out of work but also out of a home.

Senators Chris Dodd (D, Conn) and Chuck Schumer (D, New York) applauded the sentiments of the amendment but argued against it because the current Stimulus Bill is just that—a stimulus bill (to stimulate employment) and it is illogical to introduce amendments concerning banking and foreclosures to a stimulus bill. Additionally, they explained, that there is another program (The TARP, 750 B) which has already been allocated for that purpose.

Both Graham and Conrad argued that the TARP is already overspent (43 B to the auto industry) and cannot handle the foreclosure program. That did not seem to dissuade Schumer and Dodd who apparently will offer the American Public a new book on the spread of venereal disease (part of the new “stimulus plan”) which they can read camped out in their new fuel efficient automobiles. (perhaps they will also be given a bottle of sunscreen)

Won’t somebody please introduce an amendment to rename the stimulus plan the recovery plan. Since the spread of venereal disease is part of a “cause” not a “recovery” it could not be a part of the newly named bill.