Opposing view: Stop the spending sprees

Republicans support fast-acting tax relief, not Democrats’ boondoggle.

By Michael Steele

During his campaign, President Obama's advisers promised an economic stimulus that would be "timely, targeted and temporary." It sounded pretty good. But now congressional Democrats are pushing something very different.

The legislation written by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is shortsighted, with potentially harmful long-term ramifications. What was supposed to be an immediate boost to our economy has morphed into yet another overreaching spending boondoggle. There's no place for things like $45 million for ATV trails and government office renovations. Yet, that's precisely the sort of unnecessary spending that Reid and Pelosi are pushing.

Perhaps that's why polls show most Americans want major changes to the stimulus bill moving through Congress. The Republican Party is listening, and ready to work with President Obama to craft legislation that would immediately create jobs.

We should first agree that with so many taxpayers struggling to pay their own bills, every dollar must help job creation. Republicans offered ideas to focus the stimulus directly on creating jobs and helping homeowners, but the Democrat leaders in Congress preferred the top-down big government approach.

In his news conference this week, the president was selling fast and hard. He clearly senses that the American people have had enough of these trillion-dollar spending sprees. As the loyal opposition, Republicans have a responsibility to call him out when he errs, and work with him when he is right.

In that spirit, let's recognize the Democrats' spending bill is a mistake. If you like government dependence, you will love the Reid-Pelosi plan that they are jamming through Congress.

Republicans have a better solution: an economic recovery plan that lets families and small businesses keep more of what they earn. By our analysis, the Republican plan would create 6.2 million jobs, twice the number created under the Democrats' plan, at half the cost. We favor fast-acting tax relief that will boost our economy and create new jobs not slow-moving, wasteful government spending.

It's an honest and fundamental disagreement, and we stand ready to work with the president on a plan that will directly help taxpayers to make ends meet and get our economy back on track.

Michael Steele is chairman of the Republican National Committee.

Posted at 12:21 AM/ET, February 12, 2009 in USA TODAY editorial | Permalink