Comments on: Shovel Ready? http://cafehayek.com/2009/10/shovel-ready.html where orders emerge Mon, 16 Jan 2012 02:06:33 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: Anonymous http://cafehayek.com/2009/10/shovel-ready.html/comment-page-1#comment-185984 Anonymous Thu, 15 Oct 2009 17:31:00 +0000 http://cafehayek.com/?p=6848#comment-185984 There's a lot you don't know. 1. Of the $787 billion, there are big pieces for AMT relief and tax cuts, not tracked by Recovery.gov. Roberts' implied denominator is fallacious. 2. The spending reported on the web site is for reimbursement of spending that has already occurred by the recipient. There is a lag between the two. 3. The aid to state governments is spread over their fiscal year, which usually runs from July to June. In fact there are ways the money could have been spent before receipt, or in some future fiscal year (state govs have foresight and can borrow and lend). 4. Most important, especially to an economist, unless you postulate what a recipient would have done with no recovery act, YOU DON'T KNOW THE IMPACT OF THE ASSISTANCE ON TOTAL NET SPENDING. There are reasonable critiques of the whole package, from either a left or right standpoint, but the remarks from BC and RR do not include any. There’s a lot you don’t know.

1. Of the $787 billion, there are big pieces for AMT relief and tax cuts, not tracked by Recovery.gov. Roberts’ implied denominator is fallacious.

2. The spending reported on the web site is for reimbursement of spending that has already occurred by the recipient. There is a lag between the two.

3. The aid to state governments is spread over their fiscal year, which usually runs from July to June. In fact there are ways the money could have been spent before receipt, or in some future fiscal year (state govs have foresight and can borrow and lend).

4. Most important, especially to an economist, unless you postulate what a recipient would have done with no recovery act, YOU DON’T KNOW THE IMPACT OF THE ASSISTANCE ON TOTAL NET SPENDING.

There are reasonable critiques of the whole package, from either a left or right standpoint, but the remarks from BC and RR do not include any.

]]> By: Frank http://cafehayek.com/2009/10/shovel-ready.html/comment-page-1#comment-185678 Frank Tue, 13 Oct 2009 21:52:00 +0000 http://cafehayek.com/?p=6848#comment-185678 Sorry, just found this link - http://www.recovery.gov/News/featured/Pages/Estimated$625BinTaxReliefFromtheRecoveryAct.aspx. that shows that $62.5bn of the tax relief had been spent through the end of August. So, they still haven't spent a lot but they have spent more than $111bn. Sorry, just found this link – http://www.recovery.gov/News/featured/Pages/Estimated$625BinTaxReliefFromtheRecoveryAct.aspx. that shows that $62.5bn of the tax relief had been spent through the end of August. So, they still haven’t spent a lot but they have spent more than $111bn.

]]> By: Frank http://cafehayek.com/2009/10/shovel-ready.html/comment-page-1#comment-185676 Frank Tue, 13 Oct 2009 21:45:00 +0000 http://cafehayek.com/?p=6848#comment-185676 Is your first sentence quite accurate? The table at the top of the web page that you appear to refer to says that it is the "US Total for contracts, grants loans and entitlements" and does not appear to include the $288bn of tax relief (See the Did You Know box lower down on the page.) Has that $288bn of tax relief not been "spent"? breaks the What about the $288bn of tax relief? That doesn't seem to be included in the totals on the website. Is your first sentence quite accurate? The table at the top of the web page that you appear to refer to says that it is the “US Total for contracts, grants loans and entitlements” and does not appear to include the $288bn of tax relief (See the Did You Know box lower down on the page.) Has that $288bn of tax relief not been “spent”?

breaks the What about the $288bn of tax relief? That doesn’t seem to be included in the totals on the website.

]]> By: Name http://cafehayek.com/2009/10/shovel-ready.html/comment-page-1#comment-185595 Name Tue, 13 Oct 2009 14:17:00 +0000 http://cafehayek.com/?p=6848#comment-185595 dealers got their money from the taxpayer, but september car sales were awful. Cash for clunkers was a total failure. dealers got their money from the taxpayer, but september car sales were awful. Cash for clunkers was a total failure.

]]> By: Anonymous http://cafehayek.com/2009/10/shovel-ready.html/comment-page-1#comment-185575 Anonymous Tue, 13 Oct 2009 12:08:00 +0000 http://cafehayek.com/?p=6848#comment-185575 I know that my Representative and two Senators here in Virginia don't have time to read Cafe Hayek (because they are too busy reading the health care proposed language) so I sent them a copy of this blog this morning. Thanks for the information I know that my Representative and two Senators here in Virginia don’t have time to read Cafe Hayek (because they are too busy reading the health care proposed language) so I sent them a copy of this blog this morning. Thanks for the information

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