Collins having say on stimulus

The last thing any GOP wants is a bipartisan economic stimulus bill.

If the economy tanks, its good for GOP election hopes in 2010. If they sign onto a bipartisan bill, they'll lose that advantage in two years.

The Dems need to realize the GOP has no interest in attempting to govern. It's all about cutting taxes for the wealthy. That's their solution to everything.

I seem to recall an election recently where one old guy kept repeating "tax cuts" every other sentence. I also recall that dude got his butt kicked.

As George Bush said, elections have consequences. Its time to STFU and pass a stimulus bill.

Do you want a Nancy Pelosi SPENDING bill that is a payoff to special interests or do you want a STIMULUS bill. IF Obama wants to be bipartisan, he needs to reign in the wack jobs on the left and not cater to the special interests.

The Repbulicans have more than tax cuts in their bill. They just don't want 40% pork and minimal impact to the economy for 18 months. Why hasn't the main stream media jumped on the CBO report that documented the lack of stimulus and immediacy in the Pelosi bill?

Having faith and hope in Obama does not mean I have the same warm feeling for democrats in general. The stimulus plan needs to be bi-partisan otherwise it wil fail. That means both sides need to give up more, not add more to make things work. Save the pork barrel projects for better days, and don't give the money away with out asking for validation of the need.
We are truly at a time where it is united we stand, divided we FAIL!

When anyone is in financial trouble, the last thing they need to be doing is getting deeper in debt. Cutting taxes for businesses and corporations that are directly responsible for hiring people makes much more sense. If we as a country can afford to borrow that much money, ( amd we all know how it will be paid back and by whom). Then it would make more sense to bite the bullet, cut the pork out of Washington and their grand illusions and suffer a little bit short term by reducing Washington's revenue instead of ours. I don't believe this is what the people had in mind when they wanted change. This will hurt everyone for a very long time.

Please, Please, Please, do not vote for this bill.
There is too much pork in it.
We can not afford it.
All we are doing is weighing down our grand children with debt that will keep them from succeeding.
If the Dems want to pass it they can do it on their own.
Then they will own it!!

I am pleading with YOU, Susan Collins, not to vote for this spending package labeled as a stimulus bill. Let the determination and will power of the American people stimulate the economy after their taxes are lowered.

The "stimulus" bill will take us to SOCIALISM that will destroy the United States. Do you want that on your consciensous? Think about going down in history as the one vote that Ended the United States. Are you so blind that you can not see where the Democrats and Obama are trying to take us?

I am disappointed that you feel the need to vote for the stimulus plan. What's in it for you? I respected the congress when they maintained a unified position which is what the Republican Party should have done long ago. This bill will serve to eliminate the Republican Party with your help. This bill will impact my children and their children. It's not too late to vote no. Americans need for government to do better. President Obama has an underlying agenda ~ open your eyes.

I can't believe that she is doing this. We the US citizens have said NO!!!! So when did no mean go ahead and do whatever you want.
If they would wipe out every bit of pork maybe we the people could look at this matter. But why should MY money go to animal housing, federal vehicles, a MOB museum in Vegas, Harley Davidson motorcycles for a police force in Louisana, more welfare programs (when you are already allowing double and triple dipping of the systems in place now), and list goes on for another 600+
pages. Can't we think this through. Are the Washington elite really so pre-occupied stroking each other that they can't see the light of day? I guess so. What a disgrace we have become - thanks to this reigning government!
I am glad that she is trying to keep her family in business, since they monpolize the Norther maine buidling supplie industry now. To bad she would not think about the rest of us. What are we going to do now that the liberal socialist have control???

Don't do it--it is too much spending and stick with the other GOP and have more tax cutting. Do not, please, cross over and abandon the GOP principles.

Thank you

Please vote NO. Thank you.

A voter

Obama is wrong to borrow money from the Communist Chinese to save America. I know you won't stand up to the corporations which have moved American jobs to China, but I thought I would send you this since it is "catching on." It will be a sad day in American history when our legislators vote to increase the debt of this nation further on temporary government funded projects.

ECONOMIC STIMULUS? HOW ABOUT GIVING AMERICAN CORPORATIONS 5 YEARS TO BRING THEIR FACTORIES BACK TO THE USA?

The experiment of "global economy" as it is practiced today has failed and just could be the cause of the worldwide economic despair.
I am not opposed to trade with other countries and regions when that trade involves something that a country cannot manufacture within it economic and geographical borders. Manufacturing products utilizing a nation's "economic and natural" resources, from fabrication to consumption, appears to me, to be an essential successful business cycle.
There are some finished products, of course, which have to be made outside of nations ability. If a nation, any nation requires a component for its product, which cannot be obtained within the confines of its own borders, then I think it is correct to import that component. But if an economy can produce a product from raw materials found within the borders of that nation, the product should not be imported just because raw materials and labor are cheaper in another place.
Example: Shoes, let's say, are made mainly from leather and rubber. The USA has the raw material, leather, produced as a by-product of the meat industry. However, rubber, as far as I know, does not occur in the United States, and has to be imported. I know we have synthetic rubber, but for the sake of the example, lets say we must use natural rubber. The rubber should be imported and the shoe manufactured, with local leather, in a factory in the United States.
Today entire items are being manufactured by American owned corporations, (who formerly made the products in the U.S. using local materials and local labor) which have moved their entire operation to another country for less expensive raw materials and labor.
The USA has become a nation of consumers rather than producers and we have come to rely on income from service industry trades. We also export more raw materials than export finished products, which is an established hallmark of a "third world" nation.
The vast majority of the items you find at "big box" retailers are made in other countries at lower costs. But if the consumers are only service industry employees, and there are not enough jobs to go around, they have no manufacturing to fall back on.
I have not heard one politician, let alone the new President, talk of compelling those manufacturing jobs, to return to America. We only hear talk of creating "new" government jobs to repair infrastructure and some non fossil fuel energy generating methods. No mention of returning consumer electronics, TV, toy, shoe, clothing and on and on, manufacturing to the United States.
Today Communist China, due to the failed present "global economic model," is more productive as U.S. corporations move their operations to China in search of lower overall costs. China has economic problems as well because it is missing the "consumption" leg of the chair, since it manufactures products the Chinese workers cannot afford.
The argument "products made by American workers would be too expensive" is a poor argument in that if workers are paid more to manufacture a product, they can pay more for the item. Wages will reflect the cost of goods and vice versa. The manufacturing/consumption "circle" will level the cost to produce and the cost to consume.
I am not an economist, just an ordinary citizen that cares about the country and is concerned it just might go bankrupt. Does borrowing money from the Chinese and other foreigners, so we can purchase items made in China, etc., at the local big box retailer make any sense? We are now borrowing money to pay interest on money we borrowed. Does that make any sense? The USA has become the largest debtor nation in the history of the world and that can't be a good thing.
The manufacturing and the jobs that go along with it must return to this nation if we are to survive. What if China stopped exporting finished products to this nation? Could we retool overnight? Probably not! This makes us essentially "hostage" to other nations. We complain about our "addiction" to foreign oil and how important it is to change this model. Why then is it off limits to demand getting off our "addiction" to foreign made commodities?
The best answer to our present economic earthquake, politicians can come up with is to borrow more money and create some new industrial army to repair the nations "crumbling infrastructure" and create "green jobs" to get us off foreign oil. Remember when Independent Presidential candidate Ross Perot talked of the "giant sucking sound?" The jobs have been "sucked" and now our economy "sucks." How about "sucking" those jobs back?
I think 5 years would be a reasonable length of time for American corporations to reopen factories, retool, and hire American workers to manufacture products from start to finish in the USA.
I have sent this missive to our Congressional Representative and am awaiting an answer.

Dear Senator Collins,
A CHALLENGE FOR YOU: TRY TO WRITE AN EXPLANATION OF YOUR VOTE FOR YOUR GRANDCHILDREN AND GREATGRANDCHILDREN TO OPEN ON THEIR 18TH BIRTHDAYS. YOU HAVE DONE A GRAVE INJUSTICE TO YOUR CHILDREN AND MINE.

I am concerned that these representatives want to pass this thing now, right now, can't wait even a few days. The last time I observed this was Tarp 1 in which 350 Billion Tax Dollars of yours and mine have vaporized. Cut this bill in half and cut out all unneccesary spends from it and maybe I could agree. I am tired of my tax dollars going for others irresponsibility..........damned tired!

Please Please do not vote for this so call Stimulas plan.We are a small business owner in Oklahoma and we plead with you do not do this. Larry & Beth Bernhardt

Senator Collins please vote NO to the stimulus package. There seems to be many additions that do not stimulate the economy. Also some of the issues in package will not be instigated for a number of years. Would it not be possible to vote on these in the future? This package should be studied very carefully and not passed too quickly
It is time for all Americans to act more responsibly.

please do not vote for this package. the sky is not falling!!! rushing a bad stimulis is not the answer havn't we leaned anything from the last stimulus and from history. throwing money at a problem is not what i do at home and it shouln't be how my senator does things. bigger government is NEVER THE SOLUTION--YOU SHOULD KNOW BETTER.you will lose my vote if you go thru with this.

the stimulus bill is a joke...only 800 billion will not fix the economy, especially since most of that is going to the affluent anyway. Most of the real stimulus provisions in the bill, like the school construction project that would have immediately created new jobs, have been taken out. Read Paul Krugman's editiorial in the New York Times and you will see that Obama caved in-- his nice guy bipartisanship has hijacked this country's future.

Dear Susan Collins,
I am deeply concerned with your "No" vote for the stimulus package. The American people elected President Obama because we need change from the Republican rule that got us into this economic mess in the first place. Let the president do his job! You and other Republicans, who think they have all the answers, are leading our country into a deeper depression. Let the stimulus package pass, and give the American people a chance to get back on their feet.