For Thursday March 26, 2009

Today's Zinger:

Ready...Fire..........Aim
                                                              

                           


Morning Briefing:

1. Congress and the President need to focus on the economy and jobs.
2. Congress has too many other initiatives on their plate distracting from the real need at hand.
3. If we don't fix the financial situation then all of the other programs that Congress is working on will not be funded because our economy will be crippled.
4. The housing problem is only the first act of a four act play.

The Facts:

Here are today's filings

• H.R. 1253, Health Insurance Restrictions and Limitations Clarification Act of 2009
  http://www.cbo.gov/doc.cfm?index=10036
• H.R. 1256, Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act
  http://www.cbo.gov/doc.cfm?index=10037
• H.R. 20, Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act
  http://www.cbo.gov/doc.cfm?index=10041
• H.R. 307, Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Act
  http://www.cbo.gov/doc.cfm?index=10043
• H.R. 577, Vision Care for Kids Act of 2009
  http://www.cbo.gov/doc.cfm?index=10044
• H.R. 756, National Pain Care Policy Act of 2009
  http://www.cbo.gov/doc.cfm?index=10045
• H.R. 479, Wakefield Act
  http://www.cbo.gov/doc.cfm?index=10047
• H.R. 1246, Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Act of 2009
  http://www.cbo.gov/doc.cfm?index=10048

Discussion: The Congressional budget office released today's legislation for public review.  You can subscribe to receive this periodic update at the following link:www.cbo.gov.  Or you can download individual Legislation as shown in The Facts, above.  But, before you press that button, let me warn you about what you that you might be frightened away when you realize what you will receive.  Being a glutton for punishment, and refusing to rely on the media to actually read something and report accurately,  I do receive these updates and most, not all, are read.

At a time of skyrocketing budget deficits, and the prospect for more bailouts for companies and the Postal Service, et. al.,  Congress should be required to fix the financial mess before taking on additional programs and initiatives.  Additionally, we will probably be looking at act II, III and IV of the Financial Tragedy in the very near future.  Act II is commercial real-estate loans, Act III is credit card debt and ACT iV is student loans.

No one would deny that many of the programs being considered (Early hearing detection and intervention, vision care for kids, family smoking initiatives, paralysis research, etc. are good initiatives.  Each day brings more Legislation and more government intervention into our lives.  Each will have their share of benefits and will have additional costs built into the system.  These costs become recurring.  There will be no money to pay for any of these programs in the future if we don't get ahead of the financial infrastructure problems.