And Everyone Will Get a Unicorn, Too

18 Comments

by: Colorado Pols

Republican Presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty released his economic recovery plan today, and while it sounds nice, apparently nobody bothered to check and see if it was actually possible. As The Associated Press reports:

The former Minnesota governor’s plan aims for a bullish 5 percent annual growth that would balance the federal budget while forgoing trillions of dollars in tax revenue. Pawlenty’s pitch assumes the benefits of his plan would kick in and eventually make up for its initial costs.

His own team acknowledged the assumptions were aggressive. One critic called it “patently ridiculous.”

“Growing at 5 percent a year rather than the current level of 1.8 percent would net us millions of new jobs, trillions of dollars in new wealth, put us on a path to saving our entitlement programs,” Pawlenty said in his first detailed speech on economic policy since he formally declared his White House ambitions a little over two weeks ago.

The economy averaged 4.9 percent growth between 1983 and 1987, and grew at a 4.7 percent rate between 1996 and 1999. A sustained annual growth of 5 percent for a decade would be unprecedented in modern times. [Pols emphasis]

Yes, T-Paw, growing the economy at 5% a year would be fantastic. You know what would be even better? Growing the economy at 90% a year. Since 90% annual growth is no more realistic than 5% annual growth, why not shoot for the stars?

18 thoughts on “And Everyone Will Get a Unicorn, Too”

Phoenix Rising says:

June 8, 2011 at 2:57 am

By the way…

I was able to Google Tim Pawlenty – does that mean the government doesn’t need him?

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jaytee says:

June 8, 2011 at 5:10 am

He’ll also never ever sign a bill that’s more than three pages long, because that’s what Democrats do, they pass long bills that the American people can’t read.

Also in addition to the 5 percent job-making growth and the short bills, there will be no new taxes; a one-of-a-kind in the whole world free-market solution to expensive health care and gouging insurance companies; an end to the deficit; victory in Afghanistan and in the wars on drugs and terrorism; a successful retreat to pre-gay times; an end to abortion by way of abstinence; and a shuttering of all institutions responsible for phony research related to supposed “anthropomorphic global warming.”

Vote GOP for victory and a christian nation and short bills and no more government and lots of money and jobs and everything like that and poor people getting off their butts and working!

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1. ajb says:
  
  June 8, 2011 at 6:33 am
  
  Did he really say that?
  
  This is great. Google the phrase “anthropomorphic global warming.” 99% of the links go to skeptic websites or blogs.
  
  If you don’t already know what it means, go look up anthropomorphic. These guys are ALL just cutting and pasting talking points, but somebody screwed up.
  
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  1. Tom says:
    
    June 8, 2011 at 7:10 am
    
    let “anthropomorphic global warming” be the next stuffed animal/cartoon craze. I picture global warming being kind of grumpy with a stormy temperament. Perhaps global warming could be part of a madcap team of comedic superheroes with each member having his or her own world-destroying power.
    
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  2. DaftPunk says:
    
    June 8, 2011 at 8:00 am
    
    …use words with more syllables than their bills?
    
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  3. jaytee says:
    
    June 9, 2011 at 5:38 pm
    
    if TPaw said it, ajb, but I was just riffing on a not-reality-based right-crazy platform. Now that you’re tuned to it, tho, you might start hearing and reading people referring to “anthropomorphic” global warming so much you’ll wish you could get untuned!
    
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2. Ralphie says:
  
  June 8, 2011 at 5:07 pm
  
  it means assigning human characteristics to an inanimate object.
  
  Did TPaw really used that word?
  
  The right word is anthropogenic, which means caused by humans.
  
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3. Ralphie says:
  
  June 8, 2011 at 5:07 pm
  
  it means assigning human characteristics to an inanimate object.
  
  Did TPaw really used that word?
  
  The right word is anthropogenic, which means caused by humans.
  
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  1. Ralphie says:
    
    June 8, 2011 at 5:08 pm
    
    this one seems to have some bounce in the left button.
    
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  2. BlueCat says:
    
    June 8, 2011 at 5:38 pm
    
    Anthropomorphic would be more like imaging my unicorn to be just like a person except for the four legs and single horn, wouldn’t it?
    
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    1. ClubTwitty says:
      
      June 8, 2011 at 5:47 pm
      
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      1. BlueCat says:
        
        June 8, 2011 at 5:57 pm
        
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      2. ajb says:
        
        June 8, 2011 at 7:15 pm
        
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        BlueCat says:
        
        June 8, 2011 at 9:26 pm
        
        is what he meant. Goes wiht God as an old guy with long beard, devil with tail and horns, etc.
        
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Mark G. says:

June 8, 2011 at 3:55 pm

Growing your way out of a spending addiction is a Neocon mantra, not a Libertarian ideal!

True free markets go up and down slightly, yearly. The consumer drives, not the grand planners who insist on exponential growth to protect and grow their wealth or inversely, negative growth to protect climate.

Leave it alone.

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1. Phoenix Rising says:
  
  June 9, 2011 at 12:10 am
  
  we get the Great Depression on a somewhat regular basis.
  
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Mark G. says:

June 8, 2011 at 3:59 pm

Enough already.

Match spending to revenue.

Yes this means unions,bureaucrats,dolers and trough lickers will experience natural market fluctuations rather than tenure and guaranteed retirement.

Get real you commies.

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1. Phoenix Rising says:
  
  June 9, 2011 at 12:11 am
  
  You’re okay with increasing revenue (aka taxes and fees) to match spending?
  
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