YOUR COMMENTS

Still on the tired, misguided and wrong claim about the last administration gutting civil liberties???

Its completely understandable that the lie keeps getting repeated since it makes a great sound bite and is effective in rallying the 17 years olds and the adults that think like 17 year olds, but the truth is that your civil liberties remain intact.
- John II, Manchester

Jeff from Dover unkowingly makes a clear argument against this bill. He believes socialized medicine and more funding for ACORN will be good for society. I may disagree with him on that, but it's completely irrelevant because this is supposed to be a STIMULUS bill to create jobs and loosen up credit, not a bill that covers a grab-bag of feel-good liberal spending ideas.
- Rick, Portsmouth

You do realize that countries with socialized medicine have much healthier populations, longer life spans, lower infant mortality rates, lower rates of obesity, lower rates of cancer and on and on.- Jeff, Dover, NH

-Sounds good. Maybe you should move there and put your feet behind what you believe, fictitious though it is. Jeff, there will be no national health care in the U.S. It is in violation of the U.S. Constitution. It will be brought to the Supreme Court and it will be found unconstitutional and your socialistic foolishness will be exposed for what it is. Every day that goes by is exposing your agenda to the unknowing Americans that voted for hope and change. They are realizing just how wrong they were.
- Sam Hajj, Salem, NH

Let me see if I understand, UL. Our president is engaging in " fear to trick people into supporting controversial agendas".

Didn't our president do just that in the rush to war in Iraq? Did our president do just that when he gutted our civil liberties in the name of national security? Did our president do just that when we "needed" to spend $750B to save the credit system?

If so, why weren't you warning us then about the sinister actions of our commander in chief?
- Dan, Auburn

L.A, Derry

Do you know much about socialized medicine? You do realize that countries with socialized medicine have much healthier populations, longer life spans, lower infant mortality rates, lower rates of obesity, lower rates of cancer and on and on.

Every republican talks about socialized medicine like it is the devil. Gee a healthier population! OH MY! We would not that would we!?!

ACORN!?! Oh no! We DO NOT want minorities and younger people voting! We need to make it harder and more exclusive to vote to ensure democrats are not elected! Voting should only be a right for the upper and upper middle class and not for minorities and the lower class!

Once the roads and bridges are built where will they work? Humm maybe on the new construction that will result as a result?

Part of NH's piece of the pie will be the connected between the Turnpike and Manchester Airport. That is going to make room for a new industrial development in Londonderry. That will keep the same crews busy, and then maybe we will pay attention to maintaining infrastructure, a concept foreign to Republicans since they like to save money while in power by not doing then, then blaming the Democrats when complete bridges need to be replaced. Humm spend a million doing maintenance or 100 million replacing? Much better to wait and then blame the Democrats!

It was like that with the leaky roof at the State House when the Democrats took over in 2006!

On weekends the staff had to place traps on their desks to protect their computers due to the leaks in the roof. Don't you think the Republicans would have had that repaired while they were in power? No, better to blame the Dems for spending when they take power and do the right thing and fix the roof!

Our mess right now is just like the State House Roof!
- Jeff, Dover, NH

Has anyone heard any politicians speak of when the recovery will occur due to the stimulus bill?

I'm excited about the bull run that will be taking place and am wondering when it will happen???

When did they say is the economy going to rebound?
- John II, Manchester

Smells like Kool-Aid
- Mike, Auburn

"Gee, which should we do? I am sure that China is hoping we do the Republican model, but I think those of us with common sense are hoping we use our President's model!"

Hmm...considering China is probably giving us money either way, I don't see how this statement makes much sense. You seem to forget that this pork bill beefs up welfare even MORE.. These "jobs" aren't going to make a dang difference on the economy especially when infrastructure seems to be the popular word. Once these roads are built and bridges in place, where will those people work then? And the same for everyone else!

I'd like for a liberal to explain to me how giving millions to ACORN, abortion err I mean "Family planning" services, as well as pushing Nationalized healthcare and centarlized medical record keeping is going to "stimulate" the economy...? Oh but you didn't hear any of that when he was pushing his ideas on everyone. Let me know how you feel when some fatso in Washington tells your doctor that "To our standards, we don't agree with your recommendation" and you don't get the kind of service you deserve as an American. Or you cry about us and tax cuts...how about illegal immigrants LIVING off of the government?

Cut the pork out of this ridiculous bill and maybe, just MAYBE Republicans would have a bit more "hope" that it would work. By the way, I guess we should just have no feelings that what is it now, 5 of Obama's administration is back on paying taxes?? Sounds like a group of trustworthy people I'd like running around making changes. It makes me highly doubt Obama's character to the fact he turns a blind eye to it all.

The fact of the matter is that there is absolutely no justification to spend this much money. More than half of the money is to feed the fat egos of these self absorbed politicians and their personal goals regardless of what the people of this country want.

And by the time Obama even gets any of this going, we'll have hit rock bottom anyway.

DO YOU REALLY think that he'll spend any of this money now...? No, he'll wait till right before the next election.

This isn't about being anti Obama. This is about be pro freedom. I personally do NOT want my government telling me how to do every little thing in my life. Why would you?!
- L.A, Derry

Ah, Ross of Derry, the old "real Republican" argument. We have had "real Republican compassionate conservatives for eight years just recently and they increased the size of government by 60% and doubled the deficit. Now, I know that whoever makes any misteaks can't possibly be a Republican conservative in your mind but that has to do with the echoes of Faux Noise. Let them die down and you will see what damage your cohorts have wrought. It turns out that some fears are real. I fear the greed, debt, huge government, cronyism, lack of science, religious fanaticsm and just plain stupidity of the last regime. Evidently you would like more of the same. I don't think we can afford it or you.
- Bob, Deerfield

But then Bob I don't use threee versions of my name so I look like a different poster do I?

Also anyone who knows me also knows I did not support the spending taking place under Bush. But then he gave the democrats many f things they put in those spending bills right? As for the rest of you rant communists also had this thing about not liking religion. I'm guessing having faith in God takes away from a government who needs people to believe in it and competition can get in the way of power.
- Ross, Derry

This rhetoric and prejudice is unbelievable. Have we not learned anything? Here are some undisputable facts:

-By definition, Bush did not govern as a Conservative.
-By definition, the impending bill is a full assault on Capitalism and free markets.
-The United States Constitution adopted in 1787 with its ensuing 27 amendments has been the law of the land since it’s inception.

No rational person would argue that the combination of free markets (Capitalism), our Constitution and its people, have made this the country what it is. Do we really want to move further away from that?

I would just warn that a vacation in Moscow isn’t a true representation of how life would be. You can’t have it both ways. Capitalism and Socialism or Communism is like oil and water. They conflict and can’t work together. Regardless, it’s your choice, for now.
- Wally, Manchester, NH

Just remember, manure helps things grow :)
- tom, candia

The notion that billions of dollars for ACORN, billions to bail out irresponsible state spending, billions for "neighborhood stabilization," hundreds of millions for climate modeling, etc., etc. are vitally necessary to avoid a catastrophe is absolutely preposterous. The stimulus bill is stuffed to the gills with dusty old liberal spending schemes that do nothing but pay off the Democrats' left-wing base. Obama got rolled by Pelosi and Reid, and the fact that he happily goes along with it is deeply, deeply disturbing.
- Rick, Portsmouth

Bill in Deerfield said that the Republicans increased the size of government by 60% over 8 years.

0bama and the Democrats are increasing it by 30% in THREE WEEKS, with another 30% (at least) to come. Sounds like a tie, and that leaves 0bama another 3-1/2 years to screw things up (I'm guessing the public will finally figure out what a fraud he is - it's already happening - and send him packing after one term).

And don't believe for a second that these programs in the stimulus bill are going to be temporary. They will be there forever in the life of the federal government, like any other government program.

But Bill will be happy about it.
- Nick in Virginia, Alexandria, Va.

Mike Lane,
There ARE other newspapers that lean more towards your views. You might do some research. Some days I think I can almost hear your head exploding.
Just a thought.
- Patricia, Raymond

Hey Mike Lane,

Here's some proof for you that FDR's Policies prolonged the Great Depression. How about the UCLA study that proved it?
http://newsroom.ucla.edu/portal/ucla/FDR-s-Policies-Prolonged-Depression-5409.aspx?RelNum=5409
- Jason, Manchester

Bob (aka, William, Robert, Bill) of Deerfield

"Lack of science," as in empirical evidence? Are you implying that 911 was a fabrication--a myth intended to fill us with unfounded fear? Turn off See-N-None and that silver-spoon-feeding moron, Anderson Cooper, and maybe you'll see the light. The 911 fear was real and palpable; Obama's fears are exaggerated so he can ram through a flawed "stimulus" bill that's only going to stimulate the self-perpetuating bureaucracy that is Washington. Obama's terse reply when questioned about this: "I won." Yup, and we, the taxpayers, lose.
- Susie Nickerson, Horseshoe Bay, TX (NH native)

The thing that we need to fear is not the initial 850 billion that Obama and the corrupt congress are using to buy votes and pay for past ones. What we need to fear is what will happen down the road when this "stimulus package" fails to stimulate anything other than more misery for the taxpayers.
- Joseph Baum, Garrettsville, Ohio

Almost as if on cue Susie from Horseshoe Bay appears to repeat the myth that FDR's polices exacerbated the Great Depression, of course she never cites any proof. The monthly data for industrial production during that time period shows a near three-year collapse under President Hoover, ending when FDR came to office in March 1933. Production rocketed by 44 percent in the first three months of the New Deal and, by December 1936, had completely recovered to surpass its 1929 peak.

The Stock Market Crash of 1929 came during Hoover's first year in office, so he had a full three years in power to fix the economy before the next election. To say he didn't do very well is putting it mildly, and when Republicans today start talking like Hoover, it's time to crank up the ridicule. It's worth noting that Hoover followed two other Republicans Presidents into office.

The New Deal started in 1933, which is where everything bottomed out. Within three years, the GDP was over the level that it was in 1929. By the time we did eventually get involved in World War II, the GDP has been up every year except 1937. What happened in 1937? Oh, yeah, FDR put the brakes on the New Deal and did what the Republicans want Obama to do now - he cut spending. The only time FDR wasn‘t helping get us out of the depression was when he was doing what today‘s Republicans say should be done. Nice try Susie, but no matter how many times you revisionists repeat the lie, history tells a different story.
- Mike Lane, Manchester

No doubt that it was non-conservative Republicans and most Democrats who were behind the increased big government and unchecked spending policy during the past eight years. That said, how in the world will even bigger government and more outrageous spending fix our ills? The fact is it won't, but it will bring us terrible inflation. You can take that to the bank. Try all you want, but prosperity will not trickle up. It has been proven time and time again.
- Joanne600, Charleston, SC

Ah, Ross of Derry, the old "real Republican" argument. We have had "real Republican compassionate conservatives for eight years just recently and they increased the size of government by 60% and doubled the deficit. Now, I know that whoever makes any misteaks can't possibly be a Republican conservative in your mind but that has to do with the echoes of Faux Noise. Let them die down and you will see what damage your cohorts have wrought. It turns out that some fears are real. I fear the greed, debt, huge government, cronyism, lack of science, religious fanaticsm and just plain stupidity of the last regime. Evidently you would like more of the same. I don't think we can afford it or you.
- Bob, Deerfield

I don't necessarily agree that demagogue Obama is pushing this bill with fear because he knows he can't sell it to the American people on its merits.

I consider it entirely possible that Obama has no idea what is in the bill, no idea how it would effect the economy, no idea even of how the US economy works, and thus can't possibly begin to argue for it.

This is what happens when you put an unaccomplished, inexperienced community organizer in the White House - you get a parrot mindlessly repeating tired talking points. Obama is rehearsed, not reflective; inane, not intellectual.
- Tom, Campton

'Some "change"! It is the same ol' politics of fear.' - Nicholl

Actually, it's not. When Bush, Cheney and company warned us about impending doom and the 'mushroom cloud' that would be our fate if we didn't do something about Saddam's WMD, it was a bold-faced lie. And they knew it.

When Obama says that we must do something drastic and immediate to try to avert an economic catastrophe, he is echoing the sentiments of the country's best and smartest economists. In other words, he's telling you the truth, as best as he can determine it.

There is an enormous difference.

When politicians stop taking advice from people who have spent their lives studying a particular subject - be it the economy or the climate - we are in big trouble.
- Dave, Sandwich

Once again Mike Lane has nothing to offer but scorn for the UL, Bush-bashing, and lies about who supports what. The American people DO NOT support this bailout.

Go to http://www.rasmussenreports.com/ to find out about how 62% want more tax cuts and less spending and 50% believe this package will make things worse, not better. This 50%, me included, know that this is indeed the case. This bill is nothing more than a big fat giveaway to liberal special interest groups. It will do next to nothing to create private sector jobs while destroying the value of the dollar. Where do you think all this money is coming from? Get ready to pay a massive inflation tax. This bill is a disaster in the making and it will be the fault of Obama and the Democrats, not Bush, not Republicans, not the Union Leader.
- Mark, Amherst

Jan 20, 2009 The beginning of a NEW error!
- Dave Richards, Manchester

Keep reminding yourselves this is why you lost. - Mike Lane, Manchester

Mike Lane, The majority DOES NOT have the constitutional right to change our Republic form of government to a direct Democratic-Socialism based government. Your advocating to overturn our Constitution. If you revolutionaries, majority or not, continue down this path, I pray to God that our military will step in to protect the Constitution before it's too late.
- David Parent, Manchester

Between the years 1887-1929, the average length for recessions was 10.3 months. This, WITHOUT the massive Keynesian spending schemes and "tax rebates" to non-taxpayers that are being imposed on us by Obama and his mindless henchmen in Congress. Compare this brief duration with the mind-boggling length of the Great Depression, made "great" by Hoover's protectionist tariffs and by FDR's Keynesian-based New Deal. In more recent times, the recessions of 1975 and 1981 were relatively brief and were followed by economic booms--this without "radical action" and massive government spending. I echo John II's words: we're doomed.
- Susie Nickerson, Horseshoe Bay, TX (NH native)

I think in this kind of crisis economic or what have you, people are quick to blame the other side either way. Democrats/liberals blame Bush for "Getting us into this mess" and Republicans are apt to say "see America I told you so.." I don't think anyone is really going to "win" either argument.

I hope these bills do some good, better then the first "bank bail out" did (I'm not blaming, it's just fact it didn't work for whatever reason.) I do resent he is using fear tactics, but every politician does it.

One thing I wish people would realize, the "aura" that surrounded Obama when he first became elected was simply unreasonable and unrealistic he was looked to as "American's Savior" by some and "The Anti-Christ" by others (excuse the religious usage but that's what it seemed like). When Obama is just another politician, and I think we can all agree that for the past 20 something years or longer, there has always been something to gripe about with politicians... he will be no different.

I just hope it works, I'd like to feel optimistic about something for once, instead of so pessimistic, it's too draining to assume the worst all of the time. Maybe that's naive but at this point, I give up. They are going to do what they want anyway, right? I don't see us having the ability to vote for this bill.
- Meaghan Johns, Manchester NH

The $700 billion TARP bill, passed last year was also billed as an emergency measure, and was rammed through.
But, half of it remains unspent, months later. Now, we have another, larger bill that will spend even more on a bunch of projects, many of which are obviously not centered on job creation.

Meet the new boss, Obama. Same as the old boss. But now -- suddenly --all the Democrats favor dramatically increasing the budget deficit. Last year, budget deficits were bad, and Democrats told us that they proved that Bush was inept. But now, doubling or tripling the deficit is good, and its urgent we do so immediately. I don't think that's the kind of "change" Obama was peddling just a few weeks ago.
- Ditmar, Hollis

"Does Obama really want this bill to pass? Doesn't he become responsible for what happens to the economy after he signs this, after all the fist-pounding he's done on the stimulus bill? Wouldn't it be better that it not pass and he can continue to blame George W. Bush for the economic mess?
- Glen, Manchester"

Tremendous insight Glen! From a political perspective you're right, he may be better off watching us go right down the chute then blaming it on Bush/Repubs. That's kind of the Republican approach in Congress right now in fact. Personally I would prefer to see someone willing to go out on a limb, willing to at least take a shot at setting us straight, without first worrying about the political fallout, and I think that's what Obama's doing. Increasing numbers of jobless people will eventually impact us all. There probably are people here rich enough to not have to worry, but they are in the minority. I prefer to see the President trying to take some kind of proactive approach. It may not be a 100% fix, but we know that tax cuts did nothing to prevent us from getting here and they won't do anything to get us out so I say take your best shot Prez!
- JC, Newfields

It sounds like Obama has taken a page out of George Bushes book of fear scenarios. If we don't do this and that the sky will fall. Well the news is that the sky has already fallen!
- Bill Whalen, Sanbornton

To William, Robert, and now Bill in Deerfield.

Rather than posting your view of insulting remarks about others for their views maybe you could comment on the points made?

I seem to recall Democrats claiming Bush used fear to rally people to fight the war on terrorism and how many times did Obama himself say others used fear as he campaigned? He said it hundreds of times. Now it is Obama using fear to get us to allow his government to spend us into oblivion and in his own words on something he does not even know will work. But even worse than the spending is the control that government will get over private institutions. That in itself is communist thinking and if we fall for this by having government give us token handouts that we the people are actually going to be paying for then we will get exactly what we deserve in the end.

If any party creates crises then uses the fear word to sell the cure which usually amounts to more government and taxes it is the democrat party. But to be fair many of us are waiting for real Republicans to step up and be counted, not the ones from Maine who just voted for the massive pork spending bill. I can only imagine what they were promised for their state to do so and wonder why the people of Maine who vote Republican do not realize that they are not getting anything but dept with this spending and it will be paid for by them once it is spent on them. They are not getting anything but a mortgage on their children’s futures so I hope they take a few minutes to think before they cheer their leaders decisions.

Using a credit card is fun and the toys you get seem great until the time comes you actually have to pay it back and pay back on this spending is going to hurt down the road. For our children’s sake maybe we should take the hurt now by not going into trillions of dollars of dept and doing it the old fashioned way by working and saving and for that we need the private sector not government.
- Ross, Derry

Does Obama really want this bill to pass? Doesn't he become responsible for what happens to the economy after he signs this, after all the fist-pounding he's done on the stimulus bill? Wouldn't it be better that it not pass and he can continue to blame George W. Bush for the economic mess?
- Glen, Manchester

Obama, Pelosi and Reid are realizing their wildest dreams. Thanks to Frank and Dodd, who started this mess with their Community Redevelopment Act, abetted by greedy Wall Street types and an inept Bush administration, Obama is getting everything he wished for over the next eight years in the next thirty days. It is entirely possible our children and grandchildren will never recover from this debacle.

It's socialism on a grand scale and God help us if China shuts off the money spigot. Obama will have to keep the money printers running day and night and inflation will skyrocket.
- Paul, Hampton, NH

Yes, clearly the Republicans have it all right!

Tax Cuts for everyone! I mean it will do wonders for people who don't have a job and therefore don't pay taxes anyway!

Take me for example. For 2008 I paid about $11k in Federal Taxes. If you give me half of it back think of the good it will do for those without jobs! I mean with my $5.5k I would put about $4k in the bank so I know if something happens to my job I have a little extra put away, and I would spend about $1500 on a TV and entertainment system! Think what that would do for all the people without jobs! (In China since that is where most of my $1500 would end up)

Now another option would be to take half of my taxes and save teaching jobs and create new jobs. Now the people who didn't have jobs would also be paying federal taxes and would be putting more into the coffers.

Gee, which should we do? I am sure that China is hoping we do the Republican model, but I think those of us with common sense are hoping we use our President's model!
- Jeff, Dover, NH

Some "change"! It is the same ol' politics of fear.

No on can change how federal politicians do business. That is simply a lesson of social science which politicians hope that gullible voters have not figured out.
- Nicholl, Manchester

Another day, another editorial of partisan hatred from the buffoons who stood by and watched George W. Bush destroy our economy and our standing in the world. They bray about the politics of fear. It's laughable considering what their poster child did to us with his visions of mushroom clouds as he lied us into Iraq. The author of this piece is a partisan hack and a flaming hypocrite. Not to mention it was George Bush and Henry Paulson who gave birth to this whole "the world will end if we don't bail out the bankers" meme.

Republicans have no one to blame but themselves for the position they are in. They marched in lockstep with the worst President in the history of our country instead of representing their constituents competently. Now they find themselves out in the cold and can do nothing but stamp their feet and whine incessantly.

The GOP obstructionists will find the going very tough in the 2010 cycle. The public supports this President and the stimulus package overwhelmingly. Meanwhile all the GOP can do is obstruct and cry out for more tax cuts. "Let the people keep more of what they earn" they whine. Well, when people have no jobs letting them keep more of nothing is still nothing. Keep reminding yourselves this is why you lost. The American people have seen through your smoke and mirrors. Too bad you had to bring us to the edge of Hooverville before they saw it.
- Mike Lane, Manchester

Isn't it fun to try and guess which editorials and columns will be sheltered from the criticism of those who write here? It seems that the ludicrous ideologues are being hidden. No one bothers to read William and Sowell and Goldberg because they have neither had a correct idea or even any idea since the steam roller of the last election. No on wants to hear how we can't or mustn't or shouldn't from someone who has trashed our economy and then sucked billions more from it on the way out the door. Spend and borrow has done us in again. You'd think that no one would fall for it a third time but these buffoons will be back with their trickle down your leg economics. And then there is Hussein Obama trying to actually fix things. Doesn't look good for the look back party.
- Bill, Deerfield

Act in Haste, repent in liesure. How many others pieces of legislation have passed in a rush, only to be regretted later. Yes, our economy is in the tank, and every time this bill is mentioned it gets worse. There may be good and vital pieces of spending in this bill, but there appears to be a lot of garbage too. Slow down, if it is so important that we actually pass this bill, it is vital that we do it right the first time. Sadly, so many, mostly President Obama voters, seem to be unable to grasp the simple concept that he is a politicain, and although far more articulate than President Bush, he has an agenda and it is, in his eyes, vital that it pass.
- Jeff, Goffstown

Longer than, say...25 days?
- Dorothy, Concord

Wow, great editorial! Who wrote it? Is Richard Lessner back? Bernadette Malone-Connolly? Nackey's ghost? It's too soft to be from Jack Kenny, but I am glad the third generation UL editorialists' gloves are finally coming off! Hit him again because the honeymoon has abruptly ended and the fleecing of the American taxpayer has begun!
- Ed Holdgate, Sandown, NH