Americans For Prosperity: "No Stimulus" Petition Circulated

A conservative group called "Americans For Prosperity" has started a petition against the stimulus package that became so popular, it crashed their website in recent days. (The site has since gone back up.)

Addressed to Senators, the petition reads:

On behalf of the members of Americans for Prosperity, I am writing to urge you to vote against the so-called American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Congress should not enact an expensive spending bill under the pretense of stimulus or recovery. No matter which amendments pass, the fundamental approach of dramatically increasing federal debt and spending is a mistake. We therefore urge you to vote NO and will rate a vote against the so-called stimulus as a Key Vote for Prosperity in our Congressional ratings.

As I write this letter, more than 200,000 Americans have signed a petition on our web site, NoStimulus.com, and thousands more will likely sign it before you read this letter. They represent a growing majority of the American public who agree with the petition text:

"Congress should not enact an expensive spending bill under the pretense of stimulus or recovery. We cannot spend our way to prosperity, and such an expansion of the federal government will put a crushing burden on taxpayers in the long-term."

Central planning and bigger government cannot solve our problems. Excessive borrowing to fund consumption was a major cause of our current economic crisis. The first rule of holes is to stop digging, and more than $1 trillion of additional borrow-and-spend big government will only throw more good money after bad. Instead of trying to pick winners and losers from Washington, Congress should cut spending, strip down burdensome regulations and allow individuals and free enterprise to flourish.

We therefore urge you to vote no on the stimulus, regardless of which amendments pass and regardless of any individual provisions that may look attractive.

Sincerely,

Tim Phillips
President
Americans for Prosperity

Prior to his work for AFP, Phillips founded Century Strategies with Ralph Reed, a Christian leader known for his role in jailed lobbyist Jack Abramoff's Indian casino scheme. In the summer of 2008, Americans for Prosperity launched a "Hot Air Tour" to protest "climate alarmism" in Congress.

Comments

[economicsstudent]

They need to take their time and get it right haste make waste there is too much money on the table to rush things. clean it up before passing remove all the waste first and spend our money wisely

[spacedepartment]

What I want to know is how long until I get my stimulus check. Do I have to file taxes first?
I think I should be entitled to get 5 stimulus checks. One for me and 1 for each kid.
I currently don't pay any taxes because I don't work. I have 4 kids and no job since I have to take care of the kids. And no future spouse wants me with 4 kids so it's just me.
I mostly rely on my tax refund from the kids EIC credits and the goverment for food stamps to live on. Can you blame me, if the goverment is handing out free money, do you blame me for getting my cut?

[lvdragonlady]

These clowns just do not get it. This is NOT 1929. It is not 1982 or any other of the years that had some kind of recession. This is the real thing and if we do nothing, everyone of them would be boo hooing and oh woe as me..........they need to take their heads out and get some air and stop believe talk radio neocons and the talking heads on cable tv .

[VJ2008]

Wake up right wingnuts. If no stimulus, your taxes will go up and it will all go to help the poor people, who will be the entire middle class as well. Remember, this group might include your children who will then not be able to care for you. Then, when another republican steals all your stored up money, you will be out on the street yourself. Besides, who is going to buy stuff from all the companies you are invested in? Clue--no one. I'm just sayin...get over yourselves already.

[RightWingMarine]

We can ignore history and economics for as you like but they will not ignore us. As we should have learned during the Great Depression we cannot spend our way to proseperity. The stimulus was a bad idea under Bush and going double down under Obama is still a bad idea.

[novowel4me]

No, what eventually reversed the Great Depression was the massive deficit spending during WWII coupled with the benefit of being the last economy standing in the wars aftermath. To which history are you referring that relates to our current situation and what is the example you would provide that shows no action reverses an economic meltdown?

[delliotdc]

http://www.WhileRomeBurns.org

[jnah]

i love how right wingers are currently rewriting history to reflect that fdr did the wrong thing to solve the great depression, when the worst thing he did was listen to half wit fiscal conservatives

[MajorKong]

"Americans For Prosperity"

Because, of course, the rest of us are against prosperity.

[citizensrus]

"We tried nothing and it didn't work." Simpsons

[edwarvir]

Idiots.

[Swatantra]

What prosperity?

[uglicoyote]

Perhaps this group would more fittingly name themselves "Americans for the Already Prosperous."

[Grannysue]

Yea that whole burying your head in the sand thing has worked out well hasn't it?

[MajorKong]

It's like a religion to these people. They just KNOW this stuff has to work.

[Beka13]

Um maybe its popular amongst the Brainwashed wing nut set, but the 67% approval for Barack Obama tells me that this article is moot.

[Vige]

I would think that the current 3.6 million who have lost their jobs, plus the under employed and those who are not employed but no longer receive benefits and therefore not counted would TRUMP 200,000 signatures.

[swift goat pet for truth]

From Source watch link:

The first president of Americans for Prosperity was Nancy Pfotenhauer, who left and in 2007 joined the John McCain campaign. Pfotenhauer was simultaneously the president of the Independent Women’s Forum. From 1996 to 2001, Pfotenhauer was the director of the Washington office of Koch Industries.

OK. Nancy Pfotenhauer. I read enough.

[OldLeatherNeck]

I so miss dear Nancy FartingFlower. Her childish, mindless interviews on behalf of McCain provided many laughs.

[protagonia]

There is a special place set aside for lobbyists.

They should all convene there - forever.