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--> --> No stimulus in a package trailing an economic tail We have been firmly behind the president's war on terrorism and the daunting task of hunting down Osama bin Laden and his hooligans in war-torn Afghanistan. But while the battle rages by dawn's early light, the smoke-filled rooms of Washington are growing darker with seedy deals passing among elected and appointed officials. And it smacks of more than politics-as-usual. It's the unabashed workings of a clear-cutting machine that would seize on the opportunity of crisis to further a political agenda. First of all, we don't need an economist to know which way the recession is blowing. It's a stiff breeze, and it's coming from the East. In October, the unemployment rate jumped by a half point. But for African Americans, it soared by a full point. As Julianne Malveaux, a Washington-based economist, said: "After 9-11, it's often been said that we're all in the same boat. If that's true, some are riding and some are rowing." The president's so-called economic stimulus package bears this out. What good does it do to distribute income upwards, the Institute for Public Accuracy points out. The tax breaks and bail-outs heaped on industry are not a stimulant. Mary Schweitzer, professor of economic history at Villanova University, said: "For at least a generation it has been understood by economic historians that the best way to stimulate economic growth is education ... For example, if we hire more teachers the public will be better off and we could create a larger middle class. Consumers then decide what they're going to spend their money on, and that will determine the corporate winners and losers. The administration wants to pick the winners and losers by giving select companies tax breaks." This same stimulus package has a tail. Dragging through the backroom is the opening up of oil drilling on the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Tagging this on to the stimulus package is a shameless attempt to brand sensible, dissenting lawmakers as unpatriotic. First of all, it is clear that it would take at least 13 years for ANWR to make a measurable contribution to the U.S. oil supply. Second, looking to the future of oil production is a thing of the past. Without even considering the ecological impact of devouring this pristine area, any energy discussion has to begin with making the transition to renewable energy sources such as solar cells, wind turbines, solar hot water heaters and the associated sustainable technologies, including hydrogen and fuel cells - not drilling for more oil. Then there's the attacks on civil liberties from Attorney General John Ashcroft's closet, military tribunals, the managing of information, and the list goes on. This is not what we bargained for. Patriotism does not rhyme with abdication. Email your... Technical questions & comments to: WebMaster Daily Tidings editorial comments & questions to: Editor Visit our other Oregon Newspapers... | Albany Democrat-Herald | Ashland Daily Tidings | Corvallis Gazette-Times | | Lebanon Express | Newport News-Times | Springfield News | Cottage Grove Sentinel | Ashland Daily Tidings 1661 Siskiyou Blvd. Ashland, OR 97520 Telephone 541-482-3456 © Copyright 2001 Lee Northwest Publishing