Marathon Pundit: Unhappy stimulus anniversary in Illinois

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Unhappy stimulus anniversary in Illinois

One year ago tomorrow, the Democrats' $862 billion dollar stimulus bill became law. In the frantic rush to pass the bill--Before it's too late!--the Dems promised unemployment would not exceed 8 percent, late last year it topped 10 percent. In Illinois, the unemployment rate is currently 11.1 percent, and since last February, Illinois has lost 143,000 jobs--which equals the population of Naperville, my state's fifth-largest city.

The Republican National Committee focuses on two Illinois members of Congress who voted for the boondoggle, including Bill Foster, who represents Yorkville, where that Obama stimulus "campaign sign" was placed last summer.

Where are the jobs? From the Republican National Committee:

Zero Jobs Created?

Democrat Sen. Evan Bayh concedes that Congress has failed to create jobs: "[I]f I could create one job in the private sector by helping to grow a business, that would be one more than Congress has created in the last six months.” (Sen. Evan Bayh, The Early Show, CBS, 2/16/10)

Since The Stimulus Was Passed Last February, Over 143,000 Jobs Have Been Lost In Illinois. (U.S. Bureau Of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov, Accessed 2/12/10) AND Unemployment Rate Has Jumped From 8.6 Percent To 11.1 Percent. (U.S. Bureau Of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov, Accessed 2/12/10)

But Democrats Promised Jobs…

Rep. Bill Foster

Rep. Bill Foster (D-IL) Said Stimulus Would "Provide Necessary Job Creation Right Now." And that's not all: "Due to the inclusion of both short-term and long-term investment, the bill will provide necessary job creation right now, but also invests in things like education and science – two areas that will keep our country growing and economically competitive." (Rep. Bill Foster, "Foster Votes To Create Jobs And Cut Taxes," Press Release, 2/13/09)

Rep. Debbie Halvorson

Rep. Debbie Halvorson (D-IL) Said Stimulus Would Create New Jobs In America. ―It's clear to me we needed to act right now. We must create new jobs and grow our economy. This package will do exactly that by saving and creating over three million jobs across America. (Rep. Debbie Halvorson--Halvorson Votes "YES" to Save And Create Jobs, Begin Long-Term Economic Recovery--Press Release, 2/13/09)