Wake Me Up When It's Over

          One of my favorite short stories of all time is the classic tale of "Rip Van Winkle" penned by Washington Irving.  Irving's symbolic, underlying themes and allusions within the story relating to the change that the people during revolutionary period of America were experiencing is quite striking and thought provoking.  While I could delve into immense detail pondering the symbolism of the day hidden in the words of this classic, I will constrain myself for the sake of space and your potential waning of interest.  However, a brief reminder of the basic plot is in order and relevant to my ramblings to follow, so I would beg your patience.
          As Irving tells it, Rip Van Winkle was a man of modest means, always ready to help his neighbor, but ever neglect in helping himself and his family.  His lackluster zeal at providing for his household caused an obvious rift between he and his wife, allowing his wife to come across as an ever present nag.  To escape his self-induced plight, he would frequent the local hotspots sharing his woes until his wife would find him.  She would drag him back home, all the while giving him a tongue lashing only a fed-up, overworked, and under appreciated mother of two young children could deliver.
          Trying to rid himself of his wife's persistent nagging, Rip and his trusty canine companion wonder into the hills outside of their village to do what he does best - absolutely nothing.  He settles in under a shade tree and drifts off to sleep.  After what seems to him as a dream involving bowling and carousing with some sailors, Rip awakens to find himself significantly older and the world around him quite different than when he dozed off.  It turns out that Rip's cat nap wasn't that at all; he awakens twenty years in the future.  Looking for answers, he makes his way into the village below.  No one initially recognizes the aged man he has become, until an old friend recognizes his distinctive frame.  Rip discovers that his daughter and son are still in the village; the son mirroring his father's relaxed, unproductive lifestyle while the daughter has secured an estimable place in their society.  Rip learns as well that his henpecked days are over since his wife had died while he slumbered.  He takes residence with his daughter and spends the remainder of his days sitting on the porch of a local inn telling his story and being revered as a witness to history.
          Today, Irvings's character of Rip Van Winkle has taken on a meaning of it's own.  By definition, to be referred to as a Rip Van Winkle is to be a person who sleeps so much that the world passes them by or to be oblivious to social and political changes around them.  While I would always encourage citizens to be engaged in communities, whether locally, statewide, or even nationally, and to not simply take an afternoon nap under the closest shade tree while the world passes you by (and government grows ever bigger), I have to admit that what I'm hearing out of Washington D.C. these days makes one feel a bit like Rip being henpecked by his wife.  Perhaps, just perhaps, ole Rip wasn't too far off in catching some shut eye. 
          Unless you have been under a rock over the past few weeks or catching a long overdue extended power nap, you have heard plenty of speculation about the Economic Stimulus Package as proposed and championed by the President and being debated by Congress.  The drive-by liberal media has, of course, taken up the mantle from the President and is doing all they possibly can to diminish any critical review of this package which by all indications could very well total over $1 trillion (yes, trillion with a "T").  So to give you a realistic overview of what is actually contained in the current draft proposal of this spending bill (you'll soon see why it's not a stimulus package), I thought I would share some insight into what actually comprises this liberal, porked up legislation.
          As it is currently being proposed, $544 billion will be new spending.  We've all been told this spending should create jobs, help those Americans who are most in need, and stimulate spending by the consumers to help enliven the economy.  For the sake of time and so as to not insult your intelligence, I am listing a few of the many areas included in the bill for your self deliberation.  I invite you to ask yourself this - "How does this create jobs and stimulate the economy?"  Are you ready?  Go...
          *  $20 billion for food stamps (granted this is a needed, short term program, but the key words are "short term")
          *  $4 billion for community activist programs such as the esteemed ACORN (of course, I jest at the esteemed portion given their recently well publicized woes concerning election registration irregularities)
          *  $600 million for automobiles for government agencies (really? Didn't Congress just bail out the auto industry for pete's sake)
          *  $650 million for coupons for the digital TV conversion (yes, you read that right)
          *  $400 million for global warming research (as the old commercial says, "Calgon, take me away."  Again, really?)
          *  $335 million for STD prevention (Wow! I don't even know what to say about) that.
          *  $50 million for the National Endowment for the Arts (I'm all for art and music education and support, but come on)
          The reality is that only 12% of the spending plan could be considered a growth stimulus; this from the Wall Street Journal.  This means that only approximately $65 billion of the $544 billion could result in some sort of job creation and economy stimulate.  What's more amazing is that a vast majority of these measures will not even be realized for an estimated two to four years from now.  
          One of the few portions of the bill that makes sense from an economic stimulus perspective is the proposed $300 billion in tax cuts which includes homeowner tax credits, child tax credits, college incentives, small business incentives and the like.  Giving a stimulus to the people who pay the taxes, who can in turn pay down their debt, make future purchases, and secure their family's livelihood is the only tried and true method of affecting sudden and lasting positive economic impact nationwide.  Additionally, what Congress should consider is a significant reduction in the capital gains tax, possibly even suspending it for a period of time, and reduce the corporate tax rate. 
          I could continue to bore you with facts, figures, and details of this liberal spending plan, the effects of which will most likely be felt as far down as my grandchildren should I be blessed to have such fortune, but I will refrain at the risk of losing your attention.  I would, however, be remiss if I did not pass this one final statistic on to you, my fellow Mississippians.  Our great state stands to gain somewhere in the neighborhood of $1 billion, portions of which will be distributed between healthcare, education, infrastructure, and unemployment programs.  In addition, there are 552 projects that cities, counties, and state agencies from throughout Mississippi have submitted.  At a conference I attended last week in Jackson it was revealed that none of these 552 projects are slated for funding to date if the stimulus bill passes due to the fact that the federal government doesn't want to distribute earmarked funds; they will review the projects and fund as possible at a later date.  This strikes me as hilarious since there are so many earmarks already in the federal bill (some which are listed above).
          I am afraid that we are heading down the proverbial slippery slope fellow citizens.  - Government buy-in on banks and other potential businesses, steadily nationalizing these private ventures (once the government is involved, they don't leave very easily).  - Printing more money that is not backed as it should be.  - Backing away from our "buy American" principles to keep our trade partners happy.  - Throwing money at our economic and education problems while not expecting local, state, and national leaders to tighten their belts, trim their budgets, and live within their means.  - Working outside of the normal state Legislature and federal Congressional budget processes to handle this stimulus plan when a vast majority of the items listed in the bill are not vital nor will they stimulate jobs and consumer confidence.  And on and on I could go.
          I must be dreaming.  Someone please wake me up when this nightmare is over.  Government is growing quickly.  The hand ups are becoming hand outs.  Free market principles and the way of capitalism is being replaced by nationalization.  Soon government will be henpecking you and I, nagging us everywhere we turn.  Mr. Van Winkle doesn't look so crazy now does he, easing his mind under that shade tree?  The only problem is, I'm afraid to take a nap, because when I wake up I may not recognize what I see either in our great country.

Frank Corder,
Pascagoula City Councilman - Ward 4