Stimulus Package

WASHINGTON -The $789.5 billion economic stimulus package that President Barack Obama is expected to sign next week will contain a slimmed-down version of a new- car tax break proposed by Democratic Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski of Maryland. Under the stimulus deal that Congress is likely to approve over the next few days, buyers of new cars, light trucks, recreational vehicles and motorcycles will be able to deduct the state sales and excise taxes from the purchase on their federal returns next year.

The Democrats are using the crisis in the economy to steamroll their long-term agenda through Congress under the guise of a stimulus package. It is unconscionable for the majority party to do this at a time when we, the people, are at their mercy ("Stimulus package will touch nearly everyone," Feb. 1). Not a single Republican member of the House supported the stimulus bill, and for good reason. They know when they are being steamrolled. If Mr. Obama is truly committed to bipartisan politics and solving the economic crisis at hand, he needs to tell his fellow Democrats to back off. Dudley Thompson, Waynesboro The fact that the entire Republican delegation voted against the bailout bill in the House is clear evidence nothing has changed in Washington.

Japan's Prime Minister Morihiro Hosokawa has been sufficiently weakened by political battles he barely survived to make his Friday meeting with President Clinton a probable waste of time. His political and economic reforms riddled by compromise, he hardly seems strong enough to make Japan's interest groups accept numerical goals to measure progress in opening markets to foreign competition.That is the key remaining U.S. demand on Japanese economic restructuring. Mr. Hosokawa's economic stimulus package, just enacted, goes about as far as American firms can expect in boosting Japanese demand for their products and services.

PRESIDENT Clinton's gradual retreat on his economic stimulus package reflects one part political miscalculation and one part policy confusion.On the campaign trail Mr. Clinton took pains not to be merely the candidate of deficit-reduction. But in office Mr. Clinton has given just enough credence to that misplaced national obsession that it has continued to be the litmus test of his performance. It would be better for Mr. Clinton to play the teacher role that he performs so well, and to explain to the American people why the deficit is not the economy's main problem.

WASHINGTON -- The Clinton administration, seeking to balance its campaign pledges to create jobs and to curb the deficit, plans to propose a modest, short-term economic stimulus package as part of a larger, long-term deficit reduction program, according to administration officials.The administration's key economic advisers are urging a one-time package of between $15 billion and $20 billion that is likely to be dominated by new federal spending on such programs as public works and education.

WASHINGTON -- Unable to dent a solid wall of Republican resistance that threatened their plans to recess by the weekend, Senate Democratic leaders started talking seriously yesterday about a compromise that could shrink President Clinton's $16.3 billion economic stimulus package.Majority Leader George J. Mitchell, trying to deal with Republican resolve on the issue, said after a late afternoon caucus of Senate Democrats that the White House is determined to hold out for the full spending package, a key element of Mr. Clinton's economic plan.

WASHINGTON -- Maryland stands to lose more than $100 million in federal funds if President Clinton's economic stimulus package is killed by the Republican filibuster in the Senate.As Senate debate on the stimulus package was beginning late last month, Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski, D-Md., said the House-passed $16.3 billion package included $182.3 million for the state.Trying to salvage his package, Mr. Clinton proposed a 25 percent cut only to have the offer spurned by Senate Republicans.There is little hope the Democratic leadership will be able to win enough Republican defectors to gain the 60 votes needed to break the filibuster today.

Washington -- The solid phalanx of Republican senators who filibustered President Clinton's $16.3 billion economic stimulus package into oblivion had a field day finding little specks of possible pork in the proposal and then declaring the whole exercise a boondoggle.The suggested one-time injection of $2.5 billion into the community development block grant (CDBG) program was the whipping boy of choice.The editorial staff of The Wall Street Journal combed through a 4,000-item ''ready-to-go'' public works list compiled by the U.S. Conference of Mayors,projects that might or might not have been selected for CDBG funding.

Howard Baker called it a riverboat gamble. We wanted to believe we could have higher government spending and lower taxes, and that economic growth would make it all come out right. But it didn't work.We have been living on borrowed money for over a decade. The national debt is growing faster than the economy. If that trend continues, it ultimately will take 100 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (our total economic output) just to pay interest on the national debt.That is obviously an absurdity.

WASHINGTON -- President Clinton may be caught in a tight squeeze between competing constituencies as he tries to find the precise mix of spending cuts, taxes and new spending that can be passed quickly by Congress.The problem, essentially one of Clinton's own making, centers on how much of his so-called stimulus package -- principally new spending on the infrastructure -- can be salvaged in light of the continuing indications that the economy may be improving more rapidly than forecast. Unsurprisingly, the recent figures are being read by the Republicans and some of the more conservative Democrats in Congress as a signal that the stimulus isn't needed, after all.In fact, the economic figures are not that consistently strong.

Governors like Maryland's Martin O'Malley and Pennsylvania's Edward G. Rendell may be open to a second stimulus bill - as governors are seldom opposed to accepting federal largesse of most any kind - but that doesn't make it sound economic policy. To even be discussing such a plan when perhaps 10 percent of the $787 billion stimulus package approved in February has actually been spent is extraordinary even by the standards of Washington and the drunken-sailor crowd on Capitol Hill. But talk of another round of aid has intensified as economists ponder the latest unemployment figures.

Unemployed Marylanders have yet to see the extra $25 per week promised as part of the federal stimulus package signed in February, but the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation said that money should be disbursed by the end of the month. The delay came about because state officials focused first on reprogramming department software to extend benefits another 13 weeks - also part of the federal stimulus package, said Julie Squire, director of the division of unemployment insurance.

'Buy American' boosts economy The Baltimore Sun's editorial "Trade to recover" (March 13) was littered with misconceptions about the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and especially the "Buy American" clause it contains. The $787 billion economic stimulus package that was signed into law a few weeks ago by President Barack Obama is a project made possible by our tax dollars. The money spent under this bill is intended to put an end to the economic crisis facing the American people.

Maryland appears likely to compete for a large pot of federal dollars that could require the winner, or a consortium of winning states, to adopt wide-ranging changes to what is taught in the classroom and measured by tests. The economic stimulus package includes $5 billion for states that want to raise academic standards, create databases and adopt new assessments. U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan said in a recent teleconference with news media that he wants to "invest in a small number of states that are willing to challenge the status quo."

Washington -Rep. Chris Van Hollen figured his mission was complete after Democrats bulked up their majority in Congress last fall. Letting someone else lead the House campaign committee would free him to advance on the leadership ladder. And he'd avoid blame if the party lost ground in the next election. It's been more than a century since a party added seats in the situation Democrats find themselves in now. "We have our work cut out for us," says the Maryland congressman in an interview.

Addressing keen taxpayer interest in how federal stimulus dollars will be spent, Gov. Martin O'Malley launched a Web site yesterday that uses high-tech mapping systems to show where the money will go in Maryland. The state expects $3.7 billion from the stimulus package signed last week by President Barack Obama, including $1.6 billion for health and human services, $1.1 billion for education and $610 million for transportation projects. The Web site, www.recovery.maryland.gov, uses geographic information system technology and allows users to enter a home address to see how their communities benefit.

The Howard County school board has approved a $663.9 million operating budget for the coming academic year, designating $4.9 million for salaries while contract negotiations with the teachers union continue. In addition to unanimously voting in favor of the operating budget yesterday, the eight-member board approved a $95 million capital budget. School officials said they were able to approve the record amount of funding in the operating budget with passage of the federal stimulus package last week, which resulted in $10 million in additional funding for Howard County.

Arrests violate immigrants' rights Evidence that senior staff at Immigrations and Customs Enforcement pressured Baltimore agents to meet arbitrary quotas by arresting Latino immigrants adds a disturbing twist to an already shameful incident ("Immigration official told deputy to 'make more arrests,' ICE report says," Feb. 19). It is encouraging that the Department of Homeland Security has referred this issue for further investigation. DHS consistently asserts that its role is to ensure the rule of law. But this position is not credible if DHS officers are being pushed by senior staff to arrest individuals in violation of their civil and human rights.

The Howard County school system and the union that represents most of its employees resumed contract negotiations last week on the heels of congressional approval of a federal stimulus package that is expected to influence the proposals of both sides. Though the economy is in recession and state and county budgets are being squeezed, many members say the union that represents Howard teachers and school staff members should press for a pay increase. "We're all suffering," said Karen Covington, a teacher at Long Reach High School.

ANNAPOLIS -The audience at a "green jobs" forum here the other night left little doubt about its liberal leanings. There was spontaneous applause - twice - when speakers praised the local Democratic congressman, Frank Kratovil, for his vote in favor of the $787 billion stimulus package. About 100 people in the Broadneck High School cafeteria listened earnestly to lectures about climate change and about the hoped-for benefits, in new jobs and a less polluted environment, that would flow as a result of the new economic recovery law. That made the private comments of audience members about what Washington is up to all the more striking.