What Do I Get Out of This Stimulus?
I looked at some of the handouts to Americans that the stimulus bill contains.
What do I get? The bill.
Unfortunately for me, I have a job and make a modest income, so I don’t qualify for anything. For those of you who do qualify, you’re welcome. Actually, don’t thank me. Thank my kids.
This is nothing more than the tired, old Democrats’ “bubble up” theory of economics. They truly believe that people who live off the government teet are the backbone of the economy.
But if you don’t have a job, a home, a car, or the ability to create wealth on your own, a few extra bucks in your pocket will do nothing to stimulate the economy. Further, all it will do is keep those individual reliant on government entitlement programs. And, of course, generate more votes for the Democrats, they hope.
Their attempt to keep more people out of poverty or at least just barely above the poverty line will not get us out of this mess.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on February 13, 2009 at 0954 hrs
You would be eligible for the for $400 wouldn’t you? Thank my kids as well.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on February 13, 2009 at 0956 hrs
We can guess, then, that you have a combined household income of greater than $200k and that the ability to dodge the AMT doesn’t affect you either. So I guess all you get, Owen, is an economic recovery kicked off by the stimulus bill.
Posted by scott on February 13, 2009 at 0959 hrs
Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) predicted on Thursday that none of his Senate colleagues would “have the chance” to read the entire final version of the $790-billion stimulus bill before the bill comes up for a final vote in Congress.
“No, I don’t think anyone will have the chance to [read the entire bill],” Lautenberg told CNSNews.com.
Wonderful.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on February 13, 2009 at 1045 hrs
Scott you are a joke.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on February 13, 2009 at 1107 hrs
Most of us who read Owen’s blog don’t want a dime of this stimulus money as we are against the whole concept of this bad bill. The idea we can spend to keep the economy bubbling is bogus. Excessive spending, lending and no savings brought us to this point, yet the Democrats think more debt and spending will avoid a recession.
A recession is a correcting point and while not to be enjoyed, is part of the normal business cycle. Most of us over 40 have lived through more than one and survived. There are sufficient existing programs (unemployment benefits, etc.) to soften the effect on most, so don’t be afraid. This bad bill will turn out to be worse than a severe recession on our American values and form of republican (form, not party) government.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on February 13, 2009 at 1111 hrs
I’m a joke now? What’d I say that was funny?
Posted by scott on February 13, 2009 at 1120 hrs
Here’s something for you Owen - if you buy a car (or motorcycle), you get to deduct the state sales tax from your income tax. This was an amendment made to the Senate version.
Stimulus bill includes tax credit for motorcycle purchases:
http://www.jsonline.com/business/39555632.htmlWhat a deal! The stimulus bill allows you to pay less income tax by paying more sales tax (and spending bucks on a Harley or car besides).
Is this what they mean when they say “Addition by Subtraction”?
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on February 13, 2009 at 1133 hrs
an economic recovery kicked off by the stimulus bill.
Comedy gold.
I’m not laughing.
Posted by HeatherRadish on February 13, 2009 at 1140 hrs
How much have you received (probably actually lost) when you factor in your dollar depreciation?
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on February 13, 2009 at 1142 hrs
There’s no stimulus in this bill - it’s just a bunch of old programs that the Dems have been waiting for years to get in. This bill will hurt us way more than it will help us. Call your congressperson and urge them to vote against it.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on February 13, 2009 at 1212 hrs
I would, but my Congressperson is Tammy Baldwin…and, well…you know….nevermind.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on February 13, 2009 at 1413 hrs
PP - my condolences on your district’s poor choice for a congressional representative - but you can still call Feingold and Kohl. And it doesn’t hurt to call Tammy, but I’m sure its wasted breath.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on February 13, 2009 at 1512 hrs
MPP—I totally understand ... I have Steve Kagen as my Congressman, and ... well, you know the rest. Sen. Feingold will simply tell you why you’re wrong.
:zzdeadhorse:
Posted by hsgbdmama on February 13, 2009 at 1657 hrs
The ray of hope I have is Paul Ryan is my congressman. One of the few voices of sanity left in this state. Stimulus, hardly (what ignorance to even pretend it is), ask the Congressional Budget Office. Debt got us into this, but turns out that it’s the Democrats solution(!) Watch the coming inflation, Jimmy Carter anyone?
“A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have.” – Thomas Jefferson
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on February 13, 2009 at 1753 hrs
I would respectfully suggest that if your family doesn’t qualify for the “make work pay” tax credit, many people would consider your income a bit more than modest, considering the credit phases out at $190K for joint filers.
Posted by Recess Supervisor on February 13, 2009 at 2247 hrs
scott, show how this bill will be a stimulus. Show me how, when the majority of the bill doesn’t kick in for at least over a year from now, is a stimulus. How is it stimulus when the vast majority has nothing to do with infrastructure? That I might be able to get an extra $13 a week. Further, i hope you do not have any children or grandchildren because how are they going to pay for it when the bill comes due?
I hope you are right, but like on most things, you are wrong.Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on February 14, 2009 at 0131 hrs
I appreciate your frustration, Dan, but the money being spent is a stimulus whenever it’s spent or whoever it’s spent by. We can argue the efficacy of said spending. We can argue that the money isn’t being spent soon enough. But we can’t argue whether it is or is not stimulative. All of the money in that bill produces some kind of end result. Even that $13 is a stimulus, unless you stick it under your mattress. If you spend it, it’s stimulus. If you save it at a bank, the bank is spending it or using it to pay debt - stimulus.
Stimulus also doesn’t come solely in the form of infrastructure. In fact, if you were to look at the many public works projects that Japan funded through the 90’s, you’d see that short of paying people to build stuff, many of those projects had little to no long-term economic benefit. Japan has a number of unnecessary and extravagant bridges, for instance, that few people use. If you can speed up necessary projects, great. But as we all know, politicians have a way of making the unnecessary seem essential. If my choices are to provide additional funding for higher education or building a bridge that nobody will use, I’ll choose the former any day of the week. At least we as a society get some long-term value out of the education.
I’m not defending the bill. I think a lot of it is garbage and could be spent better. But even the garbage provides some degree of stimulus to varying parts of the economy.
Posted by Recess Supervisor on February 14, 2009 at 0143 hrs
Recess – The claim is that is being made is the stimulus will end the recession (the recession being the action). While you have accurately described the dictionary definition of stimulus, you failed to make the case this bill will have any positive action on the recession. Giving oneself $13.00 only to have to pay back $20.00 later leaves one with $7.00 less than they had before. Growth does not occur this way.
Japan is a perfect example of a country that did exactly what we are trying and fell deeper and deeper into recession. Sure, we all want the opportunity of education for Americans (last time I checked that opportunity is available). It won’t help if we educate everyone, but they have no jobs to apply for when they graduate.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on February 14, 2009 at 0958 hrs
” Even the garbage provides some degree of stimulus…”
No it doesn’t. You have not begun this exercise by spending, but by either taxing or borrowing. Taxation takes money directly out of the economy and when that money is spent in an economically unproductive manner the net effect is negative. Borrowing takes money out of the economy by destroying the value of the existing currency and existing wealth. When that borrowed money is spent in an economically unproductive manner the net result is once again negative.
Stimulus is merely a game in which you don’t count the negative effects of what you are doing.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on February 14, 2009 at 1140 hrs
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