Obama Signs Bill Into Law in Northeast Denver

by Adeeba Folami

DENVER – President Barack Obama made history by signing the largest economic stimulus package in the country’s history into law Feb. 17 at a ceremony held at Denver’s Museum of Nature and Science. The invitation only event was attended by many Democratic politicians, area business leaders, and other select guests. A larger crowd, however, gathered miles away at the State Capitol to join the state Republican Party’s “Fiscal Responsibility Rally” against the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), the official title of Obama’s nearly $1 trillion plan.

Henri Stone (in sunglasses), 3rd VP of the Colorado Federation of Republican Women, went hog-wild carving up a smoked pig while nationally syndicated columnist and commentator Michelle Malkin (far right) was on hand to pass out sandwiches to protesters who were against the excesses, or “pork”, in Obama's economic package.

The protest, attended by hundreds, was in opposition to the president’s “fiscally irresponsible stimulus bill” which Republicans suggest is mortgaging away the country’s future. In addition, there has been much criticism of the amount of “pork” in the legislation, i.e., the unnecessary favors or funding given by a politician to supporters. The adding of these extras is, to some Obama critics, evidence of broken campaign promises.

Keegan Perkins came to protest the amount of “pork” in Obama's stimulus package. He held a sign showing Obama with lipstick on, apparently in reference to a comment the president made while campaigning. “You can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig.” Pig and pork were the words and images of the day at the afternoon protest.

“During the [presidential] debate, Obama said he would cut out any pork spending and I’m disappointed that he’s let us down,” Keegan Perkins said at the rally’s conclusion, adding that he attended to protest the amount of pork in the bill. The Denver resident attracted much attention with his sign showing an image of Obama with the word “Pork” printed underneath.

Dan Lawson of Platteville was one of several protesters carrying a sign made to look like a $30,000 check, the back of which read “Barack Obama – I have a debt for America.” The 45-year-old explained the check amount equaled what the stimulus package would end up costing each American in tax increases over the next four years. He said the package stimulated government more than it did the public sector.

Politicians didn’t read bill before approving

Having taken some time to review portions of ARRA, he was disturbed over reports that legislators had approved the 1071-page bill without having read it completely; an act he found to be irresponsible and deserving of a negligence charge against members of both houses of Congress. “How can they truthfully sign something they haven’t even read?” he asked. “It sounds like they were forced into signing.”

Dan Lawson called the ARRA a "phony stimulus bill."

Tourists Shelley Pryor (l) and Jennifer Anderson (r) were in town vacationing when they came upon the protest at the Capitol.

Jennifer Anderson, 36, also found the report to be disturbing. She was unaware and troubled that politicians approved the bill without knowing what was in it. “None of us wants to sign anything we haven’t read.” A resident of Ft. Myers, Florida, she was in the city on vacation with friend Shelley Pryor, 28. The two had no idea a protest was underway when they made plans to visit the Capitol. Pryor, after observing the rally from a distance, said she does not follow politics much but as a supervisor for a well known coffee chain, she often hears White customers voice their opinions that those who oppose Obama’s stimulus package are only doing so because he is Black.

Critics like Perkins however, say they are against the plan – not because of Obama’s skin color – but because they fail to see how the bill will achieve the stated goal of reviving the economy. He believes the plan’s tax cuts are misdirected and would better be aimed at small businesses which hire workers. The rally’s turnout, he added, was proof that a significant percentage of the public was against the stimulus package.

What’s in the ARRA?

Due to the size of the bill, it is broken down into two divisions containing several titles or sections. Division A contains Appropriations Provisions divided into 16 titles: Agriculture, Rural Development, FDA; Commerce, Justice, Science, Dept. of Defense; Energy & Water Development; Financial Services & General Government; Dept. of Homeland Security; Interior, Environment; Depts. Of Labor, Health & Human Services, Education; Legislative Branch; Military Construction, Veterans Affairs; State Foreign Operations; Transportation, HUD; Health Information Technology; State Fiscal Stabilization Fund; Accountability and Transparency; General Provisions.

Division B covers Tax, Unemployment, Health and State Fiscal Relief divided into seven titles: Tax Provisions; Assistance for Unemployed Workers & Struggling Families; Premium Assistance for COBRA Benefits; Medicare/Medicaid Health Information Technology; State Fiscal Relief; Broadband Technology Opportunities, and Limits on Executive Compensation.

Obama’s Plan = Bad News for Black Communities?

Portions of the new law may have negative consequences for Black and Latino communities according to the Justice Policy Institute (JPI) which is critical of funding earmarked for Office of Justice Programs and state and local law enforcement assistance. Two billion dollars has been set aside for Byrne Grants which a JPI spokesperson said are used to fund drug task force efforts; understood to have contributed to a disproportionate number of Blacks ending up behind bars on drug charges.

Also in the ARRA: $125 million to assist authorities in rural states with drug related crime; $1 billion for community oriented policing programs, including the hiring of thousands of police officers, and $40 million in grants to assist authorities in high drug trafficking areas along the country’s southern border.

There is much more in the ARRA and even though taxpayer dollars will be required to achieve the plan’s goals, few have taken the time to read the lengthy act, putting them in the same boat as the politicians who approved the legislation without a thorough reading and without allowing public input as some felt they were promised. “I think [Obama] promised he would give people time to read [the bill]; debate it, and include Republicans in the debate or take their ideas into consideration,” Perkins said. “That didn’t seem to happen.”

New RNC leader responds

The Republican National Committee, now headed by Michael Steele, its first Black Chairman, was quick to issue a statement concerning Obama’s signing the stimulus plan into law. He said disappointment is to follow passage of the law which was “written by Congressional Democrats,” was loaded with pork and lacked public review, transparency, and any meaningful Republican support. Looking to the future, Steele continued, “The Republican Party stands ready to work together with Democratic leaders and the President. Hopefully they will learn from the mistakes in this bill.” To read the ARRA, visit www.recovery.gov.

photos by Lens of Ansar

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