Regardless of how much and when, do you need a stimulus? I know I don't. I'm blessed in that regard. But I know LOTS of Americans DO need help right now. Desperately.
So, why is the government giving me (my) money I don't need when they could be giving it to someone who does?
Yes, I know the actual politics of the bill are terrible, with billions going to waste, BUT if you could wave a magic wand and make sure the money went to people who actually needed it more than you....
Would you give up yours for them?
I only see three answer categories:
A] YES someone who needs it can have mine
B] NOT SURE, things are bad around here, and I'm not sure if it'll get worse before it gets better.
C] NO, I'm the guy who desperately needs it. I'm hurting big time. {I hope nobody needs to choose "C"}
I am retired with SS and a pension, so my economic situation has not changed. I know that Covid is real, but I think the shutdowns made the situation much worse for some people.
I wouldn't give up a penny to anyone. Today's society will ALL say they need help but in reality, most are lazy, entitled bums who take every handout they can. My job status has not changed through all of this Covid crap and I am making a ton of money so any stimulus freebies go right into the bank for my kids, not for me or my wife to spend.
[This message has been edited by IMSA GT (edited 12-24-2020).]
I'm actually better off than I was. Since COVID became a thing, my entire group has telecommuted. We have been given notice that management is particularly happy with the job we are doing, so we should consider it a permanent situation. This saves me a 75 mile, one-way commute. And then another 75 miles home. Each. Day. That's 750 miles per week.
Our first "stimulus" check went to a friend of ours, so that she could keep her business going, and still pay the bills. I suspect that the second one will be treated in a similar manner. (Whatever Tam wants to do. I'm okay with whatever.)
Yea, I did not get that choice, we did not get the first one either. Then again, we did not miss a day of work. And, none of our renters have missed a payment. I am a pretty good landlord so, I can not imagine many of them wanting to sour the relationship.
The poor becomes poorer with inflation caused by the making money from nothing. "The rich", anybody that owns stuff, becomes richer just because it would take more dollars to be at the same place. The price of food goes up, the food already in your cupboard has more value/ takes more dollars to get to the same place.
You need to get to a position in life that you own something. My properties and stocks have magically gone up in value, noting really changed except there is more money supply.
So, why is the government giving me (my) money I don't need when they could be giving it to someone who does?
Since you obviously realize that the gooberment is simply "giving" you your own money back, and unless you somehow believe in that same gooberment's sudden magic ability to determine who needs your money more than you, (surprise! they can't), I'd say the best course of action is for you to accept your "refund" and then YOU DECIDE who you believe needs it most.
One way or another, it's being "given away" by congress critters in hopes that folks will feel grateful to the same gooberment that made so many of them need it so badly.......Hooray Marxism / Socialism......
As for me, I will do what I did last time with the $1, 200
I'm going to add it to my annual property tax payment. That way it both benefits me personally and I give it back to the (local) gooberment.....Win-Win
(The wife blew her stimulus on "stimulating" her feet....she bought shoes....)
By the way, one of the nicest things I have heard this Christmas season was how a man here in Florida anonymously paid the overdue electric bills for a few families and also paid them all one month ahead.
[This message has been edited by randye (edited 12-25-2020).]
What is it that made that long drive every working day worthwhile? Nothing suitable price-wise in the housing market closer to the job site?
We actually used to live closer. MUCH closer. My commute was 28 miles, each way. Last March, we sold our house and moved out to the sticks, to my wife's old "home place". We decided that the commute would be worth it, since we would have a bunch of land, and a bunch of privacy. And I was going to retire in two years. (Now less than 16 months.) Figured that I could deal with the commute, for two years.
Strange how it worked out. Our actual "moving days" were on (I believe) the last Thursday and Friday of March. I scheduled vacation for those days. The last Wednesday before my vacation, they told us, "Due to the virus, going forward, we will be working remotely. This, until further notice." A few months in, we were (obviously) still working remotely, and management was pleased with how we were doing our jobs, so they told us that we could consider it a "permanent situation". (They are also going to save a sh!t ton on floor space rental, but I'm certain that that has nothing to do with it. ) Since March, I have only ever made the trip downtown maybe 2-3 times (due to potential network issues.) So, I am actually saving a small fortune, sort of at the expense of those who.... are not. (Well, not really. But you understand where I'm coming from.)
If we (wife and I) can help someone else to stay afloat, then we will.
[This message has been edited by Raydar (edited 12-25-2020).]
Last March, we sold our house and moved out to the sticks, to my wife's old "home place". We decided that the commute would be worth it, since we would have a bunch of land, and a bunch of privacy. And I was going to retire in two years. (Now less than 16 months.) Figured that I could deal with the commute, for two years.
Okay, that does make it a lot more understandable.
quote
Originally posted by Raydar:
Since March, I have only ever made the trip downtown maybe 2-3 times (due to potential network issues.) So, I am actually saving a small fortune...
We didn’t get the first, and won’t get the second, but I have to think all that **** they threw in the bill is worth more than a $600 buy off.
If we did get one, I’d probably increase my budget on my new projector for my media room by half the amount then donate the rest. At least I’d get to choose where it went.
Choice A for me but I would want to decide for myself where/who the money went to. Nancy and I try to do a significant amount of charitable work and the stimulus check could help out (if we did not have the issue of adding to the federal debt) in this effort. Paying me a few dollars now and having my children/grandchildren pay off the initial debit plus interest does not personally make sense to me wrt personal need.
Now I personally want/need another Mera, but I do not think it is worth going into debt as a country to purchase it using taxpayer's money. Setting aside a specific sum of money to be issued on a true "need" basis would work but then the government would eat up a significant portion of that with administrative/program expenses. Giving the money to a charitable group with a demonstrated history of effectively utilizing the resources to help needful people might be a better solution that a blind check to people who may or may not really need it.
Practical and judicious is contrary to the intended outcome. fedgov is rotting out the core of the middle class power structure so they can forever change America to make it more like Canada then Europe.
Originally posted by theBDub: ...but I have to think all that **** they threw in the bill is worth more than a $600 buy off.
Call me jaded, but IMO the $600 "stimulus" payment is just a distraction. The bill is over 5500 pages long! How many of those pages does the "stimulus" payment take up? And what's on the rest of those pages?
I'm not sure how accurate this is, but I was told the tax burden of the "stimulus" bill will be around $2700 per person. And they're giving us back $600 per person. So where is the other $2100 going?
quote
Originally posted by Jake_Dragon: Who gets to decide? Stimulus, its a funny word, seems like they are stimulating the wrong thing.
Apparently, gender studies in Pakistan needs to be stimulated.
You're describing the Soviet system, it sounds. During their meltdown it was frequently described by participants as, We pretend to work and the govt pretends to pay us. Then they went to stand in bread lines.
Need? No, but I wouldn't mind a small tax refund for the tens of thousands they steal from me every year. But I probably made too much money last year to qualify, like the last one.
I don't need it but if the government is going to give away my past, present and future tax dollars I want it back in my account. I do think that those who cheated the system (like the governor of California) and other politicians, should be compelled to return ever red cent they stole and then be locked up.
I don’t think that I would be automatically eligible for this one to just be sent with no action from me, as I haven’t filed income taxes since 2018 when I retired. I was one of the many victims of the state of Brick-And-Mortar retail where some make it and some don’t. When my Sears shuttered in January of 2018, I just retired. It’s everybody’s dream to retire at 50, anyway. I loved that part of the dream, just not by choice. I loved my job.
I suppose that I would be eligible for this one, but would have to go and do the form for non-filers, and if that is the case and the payout stays at $600.00, I’m not going to waste my time filling out a form for that paltry amount. It’s not worth my time. They can keep it.
Now for the $2,000, I would. But I don’t see that coming to fruition.
Since you obviously realize that the gooberment is simply "giving" you your own money back, and unless you somehow believe in that same gooberment's sudden magic ability to determine who needs your money more than you, (surprise! they can't), I'd say the best course of action is for you to accept your "refund" and then YOU DECIDE who you believe needs it most.
This I agree with.
Would I like more money or like to pay less in taxes, who wouldn't. Reference this money, I've got a friend who is financially suffering due to the current "situation". Since I'm going to receive a Stimulus Check, I'm using that to Stimulate a project that he can work on. I need this project done and he has the skills to get it done. So, while he's off from his "normal" occupation, he'll be working on something for me. Seems like a Win/Win to me. Would I just give it to someone, doubtful (although, I have bought a few hungry folks a meal from time to time). Would I donate to some cause I thought highly of, that's always a possibility. I have a couple of charities I regularly donate to.
But, the point is, this money is to stimulate the economy, so put someone to work with it. I know too many folks that could be working but, would rather live off the government teat.
Rams
[This message has been edited by blackrams (edited 12-29-2020).]
I've got a friend who is financially suffering due to the current "situation". Since I'm going to receive a Stimulus Check, I'm using that to Stimulate a project that he can work on. I need this project done and he has the skills to get it done. So, while he's off from his "normal" occupation, he'll be working on something for me. Seems like a Win/Win to me.
Rams
YUP.
That's way you do it. That's a Win-Win
The gooberment could never arrive at that kind of equitable arrangement because, no matter what they do, they never know how to manage your money better than you do.
Economist Milton Friedman once explained the example that there is a very definite hierarchy of how you manage money depending on your personal economic involvement.
The gooberment is always spending other people's money on other people and consequently responsibility with that money never enters into the equation.
[This message has been edited by randye (edited 12-29-2020).]
Makes more sense with each passing day. As the realties that actually emerge seem to make less sense with each passing day.
Relativity.
I started to agree (at least for Canada) about 2 years ago when numbers started getting crunched and published, it turns out a UBI is actually cheaper (saves me tax dollars) than the current royal screw-up hodge-podge of social programs.
Will it change anyting long-term ? No, socialism always fails. It will simply cause inflation and drive the prices for everything higher simply because the money supply is larger. Short-term (10-20 years) it might buy enough time to fix some serious problems.
A/B I lost my job of twenty-four years in September. I and 108 people got the axe this day. COVID was the final nail as the company had financial issues for the last several years. The company had just been purchased by a foreign company. We were classified as an essential business as a lot of our customer base is considered essential. Unfortunately, a large part of our customer base was not essential so business and thereby receivables were half of what was needed to break even monthly.
We do not need it as my wife continues to work from home and I am carried on her health insurance. Our home is paid for and we have no debt other than monthly bills. I am close to retirement but not ready to pull the trigger. My weekly un-employment, which I paid into for forty-eight years, is about equal to what my working take home pay was. (I was deducting large amounts into my 401K.) I will use the extra money to fund retirement options that I have not been doing since termination or fund ongoing home improvement / repair projects going before retirement. (Money will be put back into the economy.) At least we get to decide where the money goes and maybe get a good meal from a restaurant in the process.
So, we are not hurting but will put the extra money to good use including charitable causes. Are you guys aware the first COVID bill allows you to make up to $300.00 in charitable donations without having to itemize? It comes right off your gross income. My son is taking advantage of this on his taxes.
A side note to those who said they did not get the first stimulus check. I serve as guardian to my older brother who is in a nursing due to dementia. He has not filed income tax in at least ten years. His only income is Social Security and a very small monthly pension check. He got the first stimulus check which created a lot issues by the state he lives in as it put his total assets over the allowable limit.
Well send your payments my way if you don't really need them, lol.
My family got hit very hard. My brother lost his job, has not been able to find a new one. Then my mom got sick, had a stay in the hospital, (not covid related) and my dad had to max out his credit cards paying her bills, he's retired so only gets his monthly check..
So basically since April I've been supporting both my parents and my brother, which has left me broke, and behind on most of my bills.
My paycheck every week is not nearly enough to cover 4 people, so im basically living day to day, scrounging up what i can to keep food in the cupboards, and the utilities on..
So that $600 is gonna be a help.
*edit*
Lol I'm the one person that qualifies as a "C" i guess.. Shut the topic down quick didn't it.. lol.
[This message has been edited by Jonesy (edited 01-02-2021).]
I had a deposit of $600 last friday, funds were not available until today.
Evidently that is when most were electronically posted. I didn't see any activity last Thursday and didn't look over the weekend but did today when I saw Jonesy's question. (I only get automatically notified if it's a debit)
Evidently that is when most were electronically posted. I didn't see any activity last Thursday and didn't look over the weekend but did today when I saw Jonesy's question. (I only get automatically notified if it's a debit)
I only saw it because I was paying bills last week and then looked this morning when I saw this tread. Its already been moved to savings.
Just curious.. My parents got theres last Friday.. Still waiting on mine.
We haven't received our stimulus checks yet but, I called my friend that's working on my project (who will eventually get my own stimulus money) and he has received his. I already gave him all the money needed for materials and a little extra just in case. Between the actual stimulus check and the money he'll earn from my project, he's good (this month).
My check was deposited into my account sometime in the wee hours last night.
Turns out the IRS apparently made a big boo boo and sent about 15 million checks to the wrong accounts, and it took some time to get things sorted out, hence the delay.
From what i read only people who file their taxes online were affected. People who use turbo tax, H&R Block, Hennessy, ect..
I understand, (think) that the direct deposit 'checks' are going pretty good. I have no idea about paper checks that arrive via usps. It took several weeks last year for those paper checks to be issued, mailed and arrive in people's mailboxes.
My check was deposited into my account sometime in the wee hours last night.
Turns out the IRS apparently made a big boo boo and sent about 15 million checks to the wrong accounts, and it took some time to get things sorted out, hence the delay.
From what i read only people who file their taxes online were affected. People who use turbo tax, H&R Block, Hennessy, ect..
Yep, ours came last night. The wife was paying some bills electronically and noticed the debit. She likes turbo tax and I simply don’t care.
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