Nothing better epitomizes what a craptastic thing the "stimulus" bill is than the hundred grand it includes for doorbells in Laurel, Mississippi. I found that item at StimulusWatch.org, where provisions of the bill are rated, ranked, and commented on by locals who know about a project. It's a good resource, along with ReadTheStimulus.org (which I linked to last week), for understanding just how much pork, special interest payoffs, and expansion of government (and how little real stimulus) this bill contains.
Also, check out the NRO piece by Stephen Spruiell & Kevin Williamson cataloging what they think are the 50 most outrageous things in the stimulus bill.
Once you're sufficiently motivated, contact your senators. Do it now and do it by every means you can manage. This thing is coming to a head quickly. There's no deal yet, but some of the RINOs are pretty wobbly, and those senators in particular need to hear from their constituents.
If you haven't already, take a minute to sign this petition. Then, go here and have Citizens Against Government Waste send a letter to each of your senators (take a few minutes to personalize the text they provide) — there's no charge, although they'd appreciate a donation. For a minimum $25 donation, you can send a fax message to the President and all the Republican senators.
But personal contact beats petitions and blast emails or faxes. Call your senators' Washington and/or local offices — it only takes a minute to tell the staffer who answers that you oppose this irresponsible bill. If you're a Coloradan, call Senator Michael Bennet at (202) 224-5852 and Senator Mark Udall at (202) 224-5941. For other Senate office phone numbers and for email addresses of senators and staffers, go here.
You can get phone numbers for your senators' local offices on their web sites, which you can get to from here.
Do it now. Do it all. This bill will, all by itself, cost you and your family ten grand. And, far from stimulating the economy, it will cripple it for years to come.
