“Bailout Bucks”–College Students Oppose the Economic Stimulus
On Tuesday, members of the chapter gathered in the Tate Student Center to distribute “bailout bucks”(pictured on the left) to students, staff and faculuty. The members also gathered signatures for a petition opposing the economic stimulus package that the United States Senate is currently debating.
We decided to pass out these “bailout bucks” becuase we felt it was paramount that we inform our fellow College Students about the tremendous size–$1 Trillion (1,000,000,000,000)–of the stimulus package. Outside of the sheer cost of this plan it is also includes too much wasteful spending and projects that won’t have a direct effect on the economy.
The Athens Banner Herald covered the event and talked to both the organizers and college students. You can view the story here or read it below
Students join stimulus debate
UGA Republicans’ ‘bailout bucks’ criticize potential cost to future generations
By BLAKE AUED | blake.aued@onlineathens.com | Story updated at 10:41 pm on 2/3/2009
Originally published in the Athens Banner-Herald on Wednesday, February 04, 2009
Jason Evans, treasurer of the Univeristy of Georgia College Republicans, passes out “bailout bucks” in protest of the more than $800 billion federal stimulus package Tuesday afternoon at the Tate Student Center Plaza on campus.
UGA freshman Savanna Reese, a member of the university’s College Republicans, holds a poster that reads, “We can’t afford the stimulus,” Tuesday afternoon at the Tate Center.
Young Republicans passed out “bailout bucks” to University of Georgia students Tuesday to remind them that, when it comes to a 12-figure economic stimulus package, Congress isn’t playing with Monopoly money.
Greg Wilson, chairman of the UGA College Republicans, said he wanted to remind his fellow teenagers and 20-somethings that it may take decades to pay off the nearly $1 trillion Democrats want to spend to shore up the worst economy since the 1930s.
“The biggest concern for college students is we’re going to be paying for this for the rest of our lives,” Wilson said.
A small group of College Republicans handed out fake trillion-dollar bills to passers-by outside the Tate Student Center. They also gathered about 120 signatures on an anti-stimulus petition, which will be sent to U.S. Sens. Johnny Isakson and Saxby Chambliss, both R-Ga., Wilson said.
The Senate is debating an $885 billion version of the package. The House of Representatives passed an $819 billion version last week with no Republican votes.
Many students who passed by Tuesday said they had only a vague notion of the size of the stimulus package or what’s in it - a mix of tax cuts and spending intended to spur the economy out of its recession.
College Republicans told students the package includes projects they consider wasteful, including $600 million to buy cars for the government and $1 billion for Amtrak, the unprofitable federal railroad.
“We have to do something for the economy, but all this spending isn’t going to help us,” Wilson said. “Lower taxes so people have more money to take home.”
Some students, though, weren’t buying the Republican line.
“I feel like, by the time it goes on the president’s desk, it’ll be washed clean of (pork),” said Thomas Carroll, who identified himself as a Democrat. “We have to do something, and the sooner the better.”
The UGA College Republicans chapter, one of the largest in the country, was not as active as usual in 2008. But Wilson said he wants to plan more public events to draw new members and get the GOP message out.
“Today, we’re reaching more people than we do in a meeting,” he said.