The proposed economic stimulus package before the senate is a joke, hands down. As it stands, it is composed of over $31 billion in "big government" program spending (see link for examples of questionable funding), $300 billion in tax cuts for corporations and individuals that we won't see until we file our taxes in 2010, and another several hundred billion dollars for educational program funding.

The purpose behind an economic stimulus package is simple -- stimulate the economy to get us out of this slump NOW. The talking heads claim that spending money in big government and giving money to corporations will cause a trickle-down effect... I say put it in the hands of consumers and cause a trickle up effect instead.

An economy at its core is built upon one thing -- the flow of money through its citizens. No matter how much money you give to big business to "keep the doors open", if the consumers don't have purchasing power then the corporations will slowly bleed to death just as before. Not to mention that providing large sums of capital to private companies only gives them more opportunity to abuse the funds as they did with the last "bailout".

There's a simple solution.

1. Make immediate tax credits effective for the 2008 fiscal year (similar to Bush's stimulus checks that were sent out in early 2008 to all tax payers), to get money in the hands of the consumer.

2. Present an immediate moratorium or heavy reduction on capital gains taxes to stimulate investor activity in housing.

3. Create a clearinghouse for risky and past due loans, giving the lenders a one-time, limited duration opportunity to clear their books of underperforming assets. This portion is money that will essentially be written off as a loss, but a large portion can be recovered through the liquidation of inventory after foreclosure to investors (who are active in the market due to the capital gains moratorium).

I may just be a dumb real estate appraiser from South Georgia, but even I know that you fix structural problems starting at the foundation -- not by tacking new shingles on the roof!

If Washington can't do this, then they need to LEAVE THE ECONOMY ALONE and let it correct itself. A free market is self correcting, and it seems every time we interfere with it we cause more harm than good. Passing of the proposed plan will only foster excessive inflation in 2009 and another giant step towards American socialism. Those of you here in Georgia, your senators are Johnny Isakson (http://isakson.senate.gov/contact.cfm) and Saxby Chambliss (http://chambliss.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=ContactUs.ContactForm&CFID=4610696&CFTOKEN=36667834).

For the rest of you, find your senators at http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/senators/f_two_sections_with_teasers/states.htm and get proactive! Tell them that we don't want to waste another trillion dollars on items that won't help the situation!