Dishonest Politics and Coronavirus Relief – By Veronique De Rugy (Reason) / Oct 29 2020
Why people continue to trust government officials is a mystery.
Why people continue to trust government officials is a mystery. Often disconnected from the problems at hand, their policies also often contradict their supporters’ frequently expressed beliefs. While suffering from cost overruns and increasing budget deficits, these policies handsomely reward their cronies, too.
A good example is the latest attempt to pass yet another COVID-19 relief bill. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called Republicans’ failure to agree to her $2.2 trillion bill “malfeasance.” Never mind that the White House’s $1.8 trillion proposal was right up there with hers.
It’s right to help those low-income Americans hurt by the pandemic-induced recession. But that relief bill shouldn’t cost anywhere near $2 trillion. Think about this: When the economy was more solidly locked down back in March, unemployment was above 14 percent; growth was collapsing; people were scared; and when politicians were throwing all the money they could grab at anything that crossed their minds, Congress passed the $2.2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act. Today, unemployment is down by half; the economy is growing again; pretty much everything is improving; but both the Democrats and the White House still want another $2 trillion.
Continue to article: https://reason.com/2020/10/29/dishonest-politics-and-coronavirus-relief/
