Obama's stimulus plan won't benefit people on Main Street

Editor,

After numerous months of attempted interpretation, I finally realized what President Obama meant by his campaign slogans "hope" and "change." I heard a professor on TV on Tuesday talking about how the recent stimulus package is exactly what America needs and that, as a result, change is on the way. She was not kidding. Let's examine the types of change she may have been referring to.

Among the $787 billion included in this package, $650 million was for digital TV coupons, $90 million was to help educate "vulnerable populations," $150 million was for Smithsonian upgrades, $87 million was for a polar-ice-breaking ship and hundreds of millions more were to be used for the building and renovation of U.S. departments' headquarters.

Sadly, these are just a few of the so-called stimulus programs. If I ever become one of the "vulnerable populous" and decide to sail my own polar-ice-breaking ship, I concede that this stimulus will help. If I decide to dedicate my life to learning about the Smithsonian on my digital TV, I will personally write a letter thanking this administration for having the foresight to make such extravagant cash outlays for my benefit.

The simple fact is that people on Main Street will not benefit from a ship that can break polar ice or from upholstery in the Homeland Security office building. I have considerable difficulty envisioning how these multi-million-dollar projects are intended to stimulate the economy and lead the American people down a road of prosperity. The hope of this administration is that these stimulus measures, despite causing short-term deficit increases, will create a flourishing economy in the long term. The fact remains, however, that this massive government debt will crowd out private investment, lead to a smaller gross domestic product and shrink the economy. Who knew at the time that Obama's campaign slogan of "change" referred to all we would have in our pockets at the end of his administration. It is my genuine "hope" that our generation can overcome the obstacles this administration is haphazardly creating for us.

Sean Sullivan

UNM student