Stimulus unaffordable

Maine taxpayers should be wary of the proposed economic stimulus package in Washington. It doesn’t make any sense for the federal government to borrow $150 billion, in part from China, in order to finance this Keynesian Band-Aid approach to economics. It all amounts to nothing more than bribery of the electorate.

We must realize that it is the American taxpayer who will have to repay this plus interest down the road, in addition to the more than $9 trillion we already owe. Of course spending $150 billion will add to the federal budget deficit in the long term. Nor should one believe this package won’t cause inflation to take off. Deficit spending and low interest rates make currency traders bearish.

This borrowing will make it increasingly difficult for the government to pay for Social Security at a time when a tsunami wave of retirees is looming on the horizon and makes future tax cuts a laughable proposal. We must ask our delegation to Washington: How can we afford this?

Daniel Timm

Orono