Borrowing from Reginald to Pay Bubba

Dear Congress:

I note with interest your plan to temporarily dump some cash into the economy.

I note this has been done before.

I am not particularly impressed.

So a family will get a return between $300 and $1200, but only if you single making less than $75,000 a year or a family with children making less than $150,000. You are also planning on delivering tax rebate checks to people who make too little to file taxes.

I take offense at this tactic. Not only is it EXTREMELY short sighted, but I don't believe I qualify for a check. In fact, I believe that my check will probably go to someone who makes too little to file. Why am I exempt? Why does my money go to someone else? Is this a socialist country, and I was just lied to in all my years of civics and American history classes?

You get back an amount proportional to what you put in. If you don't pay taxes, you don't get a rebate.

Now. You are assuming that by in essence granting rebates to people who are "poor" or "poorer" or "lower middle class", people are going to run out and buy things thus stimulating the economy. That is certainly true, and for about a month or however long it takes you to mail out checks, the economy will have some teeny tiny bounce in it's step. A Thumbelina type bounce. Since most of the products we consume are made outside this country, the only real boost we will get comes from the actual exchange of money for a good. The profits, if you will, wind up in China or India. I am pretty certain no one is going to invest their money; and some folks will save it. Most people will use it to pay outstanding bills - and unless someone is in bankruptcy, their outstanding bill is gathered into a companies receivables, and rolled up into their asset list...so...unless someone really spends on silly consumer items (purses, cars, etc)....this is not a boost to the economy.

A boost to the economy would entail a silly idea like a 2% reduction in Federal Income Tax, across the board. More money in EVERY paycheck, not just a one time check. A boost to the economy would be incenting U.S. companies to stay here, and to not offshore their work (tax companies that offshore). A boost to the economy would be a NATIONAL no sales tax WEEK (the states would have to agree, of course). A boost to the economy would be adjusting the poverty level, or increasing the per child deduction, or increasing the FSA or Childcare caps.

These things make sense.

Handing out money that belongs to someone else does not.