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Born at the Crest of the Empire

Friday, January 18, 2008

Republicans get away with calling this a "tax rebate?"

Imagine if a Democratic president proposed writing checks to citizens. This would make FDR blush.
Taxpayers could receive rebates of up to $800 for individuals and $1,600 for married couples under a White House plan.

Watch the specifics. "Up to $800" says that those higher up the income ladder get more than those further down. The Dems are pushing for a lower check amount, an income ceiling, $85,000 individual, $110,000 couple, and special assistance for those on food stamps (who don't get tax rebates.)

10 Comments:

  • When Dems do it the Rebubs refer to it as "welfare."

    By Blogger -epm, at 8:02 AM  

  • Yeah. It blows my mind that they get away with this linguistically.

    By Blogger mikevotes, at 8:08 AM  

  • They should call it neo-socialism.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 9:18 AM  

  • The problem is you're going to be hit with that liability for 2008 when you go to file in 2009.

    Bush the Elder did this back in '92. You still had to pay it back in the following year. It's a gotcha. They know it and they don't care.

    I'm glad the Dems are trying to put an income cap on it.

    By Blogger matt, at 9:25 AM  

  • Anon, sort of, except this is giving people the fish rather than teaching them to fish.

    .....

    Matt, At best, it's a short term liquidity boost, and you gotta wonder how much of it will really be spent, and how much will go straight to the debt holders.

    By Blogger mikevotes, at 1:33 PM  

  • I see it as a band-aid at best. The only way out is through real pain.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 1:36 PM  

  • To some degree I agree with you, but broadly I don't have a real problem with a short term intervention, even of this type,

    BUT, is indiscriminately giving cash to everyone really the most focused application we can come up with?

    By Blogger mikevotes, at 1:39 PM  

  • Give people good jobs at good wages and *poof* ... no more economic crisis.

    By Blogger -epm, at 1:54 PM  

  • Sure -epm but what about all the debt? You can't live on credit forever. The US consumer has been lulled into complacency. I have no idea what it will take to turn it round.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 2:11 PM  

  • Anon, I don't know about the individuals, but it is the basic precept of this blog that this empire has already crossed its its point of no return.

    By Blogger mikevotes, at 3:23 PM  

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