Comments on Dept. of Stimulation

I am shocked that they even came to some sort of compromise to be honest with you. But a "good" deal is usually one where everyone gets a little something and screwed out of something else.

It sucks but like sausage, you never want to see how a law is made.

Crap, it's too late to have a kid for this.

For fuck's sake. Which party is in the majority again? They can't bully a lame-duck president with horribly low approval into accepting more than that?

And are these so-called "tax rebates" going to work like the ones we got in 2001 - i.e. are they going to be in fact advance payments on our 2008 tax return, and NOT actually "free" money?

#4 has a point. That totally sucked. It better not be. I don't want it then!

Soooooooo, where's that money going to come from?

tsm @3:

You mean a Preznit who can barely understand approval ratings, let alone show any concern about what other people think about his job performance?

And the sad fact is, the Democrats can't do a bloody thing to budge him off his high-horse, not without being able to count on a sufficient number of GOP votes to override a veto.

@7 - If the Democrats were smart, they'd be able to make Bush look like a complete asshole for shooting down an economic stimulus package at a time like this to make. Even if he didn't feel inclined to budge, congressional Republicans would quietly push him to just to avoid the second-hand embarrassment. They have to face election, even if he doesn't.

But evidently Democrats can't be bothered with hardball.

@4, that is exactly how they will work (and how they have worked previously in 2001 and I think in 1975 Ford did the same thing) They ROYALY suck.

debt repayment is where my tax rebate cheque is going. that'll only slightly help citi, chase, wamu, capone, hsbc...

I wonder when the cut-off date for the whoe per-kid thing is. I know a bunch of people who are due in April. Maybe they should induce early...

Giving money to poor people is far more stimulating to the economy than giving the same amount to rich people, poor people spend a far greater percentage of their income directly into the consumer economy. Rich people are more likely to save the money because they don't need to use it right away to simply survive. Giving the money to the poor will help the economy the most, besides being the right thing to do generally.

So, the solution to the recession which arrives on the heels of years and years of corporate tax cuts and deficit spending is a package of corporate tax cuts paid for with deficit spending. Hot damn. Can't wait for the recovery, which is now inevitable.

Add in some banking deregulation and Operation Gasoline Fire Extinguisher will be complete.

On the plus side, that $300 rebate is gonna buy a lot of cans of beans.

I'm gonna use my rebate to stock up on guns, ammo, liquor, and canned food. This recession is going to rule so hard, just like Farnham's Freehold.

Considering that the recession is going to cause unemployment, it's really disgusting that extra unemployment insurance and food stamps aren't going to be included.

Soooooooo, where's that money going to come from?

From the Chinese, of course! In the interest of irony, I'm going to spend my $300 on cheap shit from China.

@11,

I bet you have to declare the kid as a dependent on your 2007 tax return, which means that it's too late for your friends. But, I'm sure the cost of delivering a preemie would vastly exceed a few hundred bucks.

It's bullshit. If they're going to offer it, they need to give it to EVERYBODY who pays taxes. Instead, they're giving it to individuals who make over $75,000 and couples who make over $150,000. What about the lower-class? They don't deserve a break?

$300 while bush wants to make his tax cuts for the rich permanent? What a buying off of the middle/working class.

I can just here the conservative pundits now... "The Democrats want to take your $300 and put it into big government entitlement programs."

Ugh.

This is like stimulating your own income by buying some more stuff on your credit card. It's going to make the recession worse, not better, because it's going to contribute to that wonderful old seventies nostalgic stagflation, where inflation goes up while the economy's in recession.

The fucked thing is that the storm is going to break over the head of the next Democratic president, who with thus enjoy a long Jimmy Carter-like postpresidency after getting bounced back out in four years.

Jeb Bush is already picking out his inaugural china for 2012.

Wow $300 six months from now! That solves all my problems.

Trust the capitalism-hating anti-American Red Bushies to scr.w it up ... I mean, they bring the word Incompetent to a new level ...

As to where the money will come from - why from borrowing from Social Security reserves for the people that don't pay income tax now - yup, students.

No, I'm not kidding.

And even the ultra-rich get it - which is the dumbest thing since ...

um, @16, you read it wrong. the rebates are for all who pay income taxes and will start to be phased OUT at those income levels.

@6 you're answer is that I will be paying. Since I make over the $75k threshold, I WON'T get a check (contrary to what @16 said).

Hell, they just should have sent a bill to everyone that makes over the $75k threshold and included a pre-addressed envelope for a citizen that does get a rebate. That way I could just send the check directly. Actually, it should be "rebate" since it's a crock anyway.

@8 tsm got it right.

The Democrats need to push and play hardball.

I'd like to see Clinton, Obama and Edwards give a joint press conference and demand that better unemployment benefits, food stamps, and heating cost relief be part of the deal to get the stimulus going sooner.

Howard Dean, where are you??

Something the GOP candidates like McCain will oppose.

Show the difference. Show they and any one of them are better at managing the economy.

"they and anyone of them" = C, O or E, not the GOP candidates, of course.

too many damn antecedents.

Y''all gotta remember that 'democrats' are just extensions of 'republican' assholes.

They put out the same shit 'cause they eat from the same table.

remember, when half the money goes to business, it's really going to the ultra-rich, to be spent overseas.

I can't believe Washington thinks $300 is enough to stimulate shit. Hell, Congressmen pay that for haircuts (if they choose to pay for haircuts).

You have to have made $3000 in paychecks to qualify, so long term out of work people and people on disability aren't part of the deal. And the government is once again rewarding progeny at $300 a pop up to $1200 as if those with 3 kids will spend the money on school clothes (uh-huh).

Also, the limit goes up to $140,000. Those with that kind of income can use the money to help pay off their Amex Centurion card.

This is such an unfair, misguided idea that this country can't really afford. Is anyone else pissed off that Washington thinks it can opiate us with a fucking $300?

We should fuck with the stimulus package by taking our $300, or $500 or whatever checks and making an extra tax payment on our 2008 taxes, which is where this is going to come from anyways, instead of spending it, where won't do a lot of good anyways given the serious fuckage that the economy is dealing with right now.

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