Politics divides local reaction to stimulus deal

SPRINGFIELD - How suburban lawmakers feel about the federal stimulus plan awaiting approval in Washington, D.C., depends on which side of the partisan aisle they reside.

Suburban Republicans who plan to continue their opposition said they don't think it'll help the economy and report their local offices have been swamped with comments and callers against the stimulus deal.

"My constituents don't want to pay for all this spending," said U.S. Rep. Judy Biggert, a Hinsdale Republican, who said the plan's priorities are misplaced. "What this economy needs now is a shot of adrenaline, not a bunch of long-term projects."

Not surprisingly, suburban Democrats who support the deal said they believe it will indeed spark an economic recovery.

"It puts the money where it really does matter and that's what you're looking for in a stimulus bill," said U.S. Rep. Melissa Bean, a Barrington Democrat in touting the combination of tax breaks for many Americans and significant investment in construction that should spur jobs. "You need to be broad and bold and swift, and this does that."

Bean did acknowledge that local comments coming into her suburban office have been mixed, often varying pro or con depending on the news coverage of the day.

The split views of Biggert and Bean reflect those throughout the suburban delegation in Congress if not across the country on the stimulus plan. The initial House plan passed without a single Republican vote of support. Only three Republicans supported the Senate's version. Now the two chambers and the White House have ironed out differences, clearing the way for final votes.

U.S. Rep. Don Manzullo, a Rockford-area Republican, was disappointed by the final deal, saying it doesn't do enough to create jobs now.

"Unfortunately they cut all of the benefits that would have helped everyday Americans," said Manzullo spokesman Rich Carter. "They've actually made a bad bill worse."

Carter said local calls to Manzullo's office were "overwhelmingly negative."

"He would have loved to have supported a stimulus bill that creates jobs. Unfortunately, this one does not," said Carter.

U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam, a Wheaton Republican, was also critical of the deal.

"It could have been so much better," Roskam said during a teleconference with reporters. "You just can't borrow and spend your way into prosperity."

Roskam's aides also said local residents opposed the deal.

"Our constituents are weary of spending their tax dollars on stuff that's not coming home to them," said Roskam spokesman Matt Vriesema. "Spending on the backs of our children and going into long-term debt is not sustainable."

But U.S. Rep. Bill Foster, a Geneva Democrat, said the deal offers tax cuts to get the economy going now while also restoring long-term economic confidence with spending on education and technology. He said there's local support for the plan.

"They are anxious to see the details and anxious to feel the relief that should come from this," Foster said.

However, he cautioned that there may be no clear-cut measure of success.

"Well, you'll not know that it's successful for many years. And you'll in fact never know that it's successful," Foster said. "One of the difficulties of actually being responsible for government is that you're never given credit for disasters that are averted."

As an example, he said the first round of financial bailouts last year "very possibly averted a banking disaster" that might have produced 20 percent unemployment.

"We'll never know if it was true or not, and we'll never be given credit for stopping that disaster," he said.

Daily Herald staff writers Nicole Milstead and Dan Carden contributed to this report.