Oh, boy, happy days are here again! THIRTEEN whole extra bucks every week!

[Redstone]

If, that is, you don't work for yourself or own a business.

But what the hell, if you're one of the people who receives that wonderful 13 dollars a week, please use that bountiful benefit to kickstart the economy, OK?

Redstone

[TK421]

1. Tee-hee....don't spend it all in one place, Redstone!

what a fucking slap in the face that is

[Name removed]

81. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

2. 2-for-1 rolls at Shiki Sushi, without a glass of plum wine. Yeehaw.

That'll send the kids to college. Well, that's if I had kids. ;-)

[gratuitous]

3. Anyone that doesn't want theirs, send it to me

About $600 for the year. I'll take it.

[KathieG]

23. Ditto.

[TheCowsCameHome]

27. It's not so paltry to those not getting it.

[Runcible Spoon]

4. half a bottle of decent vodka.

:evilfrown:

[Lady Effingbroke]

49. Or a whole bottle of half-decent vodka.

:evilgrin:

[Lost in CT]

62. Or a box of fine wine. nt

[RebelOne]

85. That won't even buy a box of cheap wine where I live.

Even the cheap Chablis is $17.00

[KansDem]

89. One could buy a bottle of multi-malt scotch!

Clan MacGregor...only $9! You'll have a few bucks left over for aspirin! :D

[rufus dog]

75. Does that mean you can get two bottles

of real shitty vodka?

[EraOfResponsibility]

71. You should buy peanut butter with yours....n/m

[leftofthedial]

5. tax cuts are a waste of time.

there is not enough money on the planet to "jump start" (whatever the hell that means) our economy with tax cuts.

jobs, jobs, jobs. jobs are all that matter.

[SharonAnn]

13. Wow, I can sure tell that you're a Democrat and living in the "reality based world".

I hear a GOPer last night say that what was needed was a reduction in the Capital Gains Rate to 0 percent.

I said, so they're saying that only people who work should be taxed. Wealthy should not be taxed.

Yes, I know that some workers make capital gains but let's face it. It's our wages that are our primary income.

But those who live off the labor of others should not be taxed at all.

Bullroar!

[bkkyosemite]

17. There is another thing that counts. People on disability or Social Security need their payments to

be adjusted higher just to keep up with the cost of living and have a little more purchasing power just to live on. They could then purchase what they need instead of going without. Also the poverty line is ridiculous. (Just had to say the last sentence know it probably doesn't belong.)

Edit:

Let me add if a Senior is lucky they will get only $250. for the year. Now why should they get less then those that work. Money needed is money needed. Those Banks and Wall Street have stole our money.

[salinen]

47. Yup

[KittyWampus]

6. Bags of: lentils, rice, onions, carrots, celery, chicken parts. IOW, dinner for 4-5 days

if you know how to cook from whole foods and are having trouble making ends meet.

This is how I ate when living from hand to mouth.

Although $13-15 probably could've been stretched to an entire week back in late 80's and mid-09's.

Edit- last time I had to count every penny in my shopping cart a bag of lentils was 89 cents.

I should go down my old shopping list and see how much it rings up to now.

[TK421]

12. Toss in a box or two of Triscuits, but that list doesn't come to much

I may have some spare change for a coffee in the morning

[yy4me]

48. Bought bag of lentils last week, $1.59. This $13.00 will not be

ignored but will really be of small help. This week included in my small order, I needed these things:

Gal milk 4.00
Bag Flour 2.59
Bag of Sugar2.09
1 lb rice 1.49
10 lbs potatoes 2.99

That is already 13.16 and it is not a meals worth of anything, just stuff you have to have around.

If we put together a real grocery list for the average family of four, making decent meals, I can't imagine what it would cost.

When my kids were young, I would complain and that was when milk was .49 a gallon, bread was .25 a loaf. That was in the 1960's. In my mind, it has been downhill since.

Granted, nothing is the same as that era and I certainly would not expect that prices would be anywhere near the same. We had jobs, rented or bought modest houses. Maybe had a credit card...it was a different world. It is a sad place we are in now.

[SharonAnn]

7. 13 times 52 equals $676. Not exactly something to sneeze at.

[femmocrat]

16. I agree.

It's better than that one-time $200 that bush gave us.

I plan to put mine in a jar, instead of spending it... and putting it into some kind of interest-gathering account at the end of the year.

It's like free money, IMO.

[Donnachaidh]

18. sure it is ---

considering the BILLIONS given to banks to cover their fraudulent business practices that have been at the bottom of many Americans losing their jobs. It not only deserves a sneeze -- it deserves a one-finger salute.

[SammyWinstonJack]

37. I wonder how much of a pay raise the congress critters VOTED THEMSELVES this year?

x(

[Donnachaidh]

65. I believe it was over 4 grand this year

Now THAT to every unemployed person in the country would be a REAL help. But we won't see it. :grr:

[SammyWinstonJack]

90. An annual pay raise, self voted, plus tax payer funded health care. What a scam.

Talk about socialism.

[Jakes Progress]

86. Agreed. It's more like rubbing your face in the dirt.

We got our millions; you can have what spills out of our pockets.

These guys better listen to Tracy Chapman. "Talking about a revolution."

[jmg257]

55. But of course next year when it IS 52 weeks it will be $7.70. This year was to be $13

starting in June. Since it is supposed to start in April, it will be less. ($400 a year)

[placton]

8. and so much better than:

spending on:
-infrastructure
-education
-health care
-state budget shortfalls
-to feed clothe and shelter the poor

[Numba6]

9. Since you don't need it, please send me yours, I could use it

pm me for address

[TK421]

20. I believe the OP was pointing out the piffling amount

$13, while an improvement is barely noticeable to some ( including myself ) and I don't even clear thirty thousand a year. Now, of course you could add up what that comes to in a year, but when it's in a paycheck it isn't always considered "extra cash".

[Redstone]

31. No, it's not that I don't NEED it; it's that I don't GET it. All of these "stimulese" manange

to conveninetly leave out any help for those who work for themselves.

Redstone

[Numba6]

39. Apologies, I took your dripping sarcasm to mean it was so small you didn't have any use for it

Because I certainly could, I've been out of work some time now. I'm not being ironic/sarcastic/whatever, I wish I could have a payroll reduction, just like (evidently) 4 million others who have just joined me in the ranks of the unemployed.

I don't know how I could have possibly misunderstood that your post meant you didn't need this tiny, insignificant amount of money that you wouldn't be caught dead bending over to pick up off the street.

But then, Republicans who voted against the stimulus bill are also touting it's spending in their personal newsletters, too.

[starroute]

56. Why do you keep saying you won't get it?

Everything I've seen says it's for wage-earners and the self-employed. You may not have a paycheck to see reduced withholding from, but I'm sure you'll be able to deduct an equivalent amount from your estimated taxes, stating with the April 15 installment.

On edit:

http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=204447,00.html

For 2009 and 2010, the Making Work Pay provision of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will provide a refundable tax credit of up to $400 for working individuals and $800 for married taxpayers filing joint returns.

This tax credit will be calculated at a rate of 6.2% of earned income and will phase out for taxpayers with adjusted gross income in excess of $75,000, or $150,000 for married couples filing jointly.

For people who receive a paycheck and are subject to withholding, the credit will typically be handled by their employers through automated withholding changes in early spring. These changes may result in an increase in take-home pay. The amount of the credit must be reported on the employee's 2009 income tax return filed in 2010. Taxpayers who do not have taxes withheld by an employer during the year can also claim the credit on their 2009 tax return.

[Numba6]

61. I can use his, too, if it's so little he doesn;t want it

[blogslut]

10. Beans, rice...

There was a time, not long ago, thirteen extra dollars would have one hell of a difference in my life.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

11. For some people $13 will make a difference. Maybe something better than

mac and cheese for their kids' lunches; maybe enough money to buy gas for the car. A lot of people are in bad enough shape that an extra $13 is a noticeable improvement. But what is really needed is jobs. Tax cuts, whatever the size, aren't good for much if you don't have a job.

[Runcible Spoon]

25. Wouldn't they be better off with some relief, like health coverage and housing aid?

Or get them a job? :shrug:

Ditch the tax cut bullshit and we could keep people housed and cared for far better. Just isn't as politically attractive I suppose.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

28. Absolutely.

But since this is a reduction in the payroll tax, you have to have a job in the first place. My ppoint is simply that $13 isn't pocket change to some people, but that a better solution would be more and better jobs.

[GinaMaria]

63. It's a drop in the bucket but every bit helps

Things that stimulate the economy in bad times are things like food stamps because they are spent right away. In times like these, the thing people will spend money on is food. This does create some jobs, but you are correct that bigger things are needed. That $13 will likely be spent and that gets things moving a little. We need so many different things for our recovery. $13 can seem insignificant but it is something to get things moving again.

Unemployment Insurance, Infrastructure work and aid to state governments will also stimulate the economy. In 5th place as far as bang for the stimulus buck are tax cuts. This is an interesting approach to tax cuts. It's not like the 'rebate' fake tax cut * sent out that was actually just an advance on your tax return. *'s tax 'cut' wasn't extra money. It was part of your tax return, you would get anyway, a couple months early. The real * tax cuts weren't felt by people like me. The type of tax cuts GOPiggies prefer are the ones that do the least to stimulate the economy. They are cuts that go to people who do not need it. What happens is they save or invest it but don't spend it because they don't really 'need' it.

Hopefully this bit of relief 13 x 52 = $676, will be significant enough this year. With * my fake rebate was an advance of $300 on my tax return. This is significantly more than the tiny bit of interest I could have hoped to recoup on $300 advance.

There are a lot of people who could use some help right now. Some more than others, but it seems like everyone will get a little relief in some form or another (I hope so any way). There is more to come, but my husband and I can buy Streetwise from our homeless vendor at the grocery store every week with this money. We can stock up a bit on canned foods and staples. We can spend this amount each week in our community. I hope to see more people employeed at the grocery stores and drug stores in my neighborhood.

I'm not at the top of the list of the most desperate right now, but I am in a position where I will spend that money each week. This is one spoke in a large wheel that will move our economy forward.

[Critters2]

14. I don't work for myself or own a business, but somehow the powers that be

consider me "self-employed". So, no $13 for me!

[Demobrat]

15. I live in CA so

maybe it will cover the new income and sales tax increases I'm about to be hit with. Easy come, easy go ....

[Mudoria]

19. 13 bucks in my pockets is better than 13 in the government's..

[GinaMaria]

21. It will go to the grocery bill

It will be spent every week. I promise. Cereal, milk, yogurt, beans etc... I could use the little bit extra. It will help.

[bluestateguy]

22. 13$ a week x 4 = 52$

That's a phone bill right there, or maybe a utility bill, or a cable bill, or an oil change for your car.

And if you don't want the money, then please let me know, and we can arrange to have you mail your taxcuts to me.

[geckosfeet]

24. woo fucking hoo - tax rebates - the biggest cannard out there

If I paid NO taxes - I would get and extra what - $5000 a year? Big frickin deal.

Tax the fucking rich and investment income.

[zagging]

26. I'll make yours productive if you don't want it.

PM me for an address.

[TheCowsCameHome]

29. Then take home $13 less, if that makes you happy.

[Redstone]

33. No, I don't GET that $13 less, which you would have known if you read my OP.

Redstone

[TheCowsCameHome]

40. $13 a week means something to a lot of people, as small as the amount may be

$50 a month sure helps in these trying times. Maybe someone will spend it at your place of business.

I wouldn't have expected a DUer to pooh-pooh it.

Of course I wish it was more, but don't marginalize it.

[FarLeftRage]

30. That's $13 more than I'm making now...

Which is nothing, since I was laid off last October and haven't found work since...

[jpak]

32. $52 a month pays my electric bill

Thank you Mr. President.

It would have been more were it not for "compromises" made with republican assholes...

[cherokeeprogressive]

34. Goodbye Corona, Hello Heineken!

[JI7]

35. what kind of business do you own ?

hopefully it will benefit you in that the people will use the extra money to spend at your business. but it's just hope so far.

they really do need to do more for small business owners though. especially with all the billions in welfare they give to the large corporations which caused all this mess.

[Lisa0825]

36. I heard a quote that economists say a small boost like that will more likely

actually be spent than squirreled away or put into a credit card bill, unlike the stimulus check from the last admin.

[Davis_X_Machina]

44. Precisely.

They're trying to avoid the paradox of thrift.

The disappointing stimulative effects of similar-sized, but lump-sup, payments in 2002 and 2008, argued against a repetition.

[Blue_In_AK]

38. I'm not complaining.

As a social security recipient, I'm looking forward to my one-time $250 "bonus." :) Maybe I can save it to apply to next year's tax bill.

[proud2BlibKansan]

41. Fills my gas tank

[earth mom]

42. Chump change is all it is. nt

[hfojvt]

43. Actually it's more like $15 every two weeks

Plus, it was Obama's idea and I heartily approve since it is refundable. It's also only a small part of the stimulus bill, the part that was supposed to win Republican votes.

[mopinko]

45. multiply that $13 times how many million people are getting it.

it may be a small sum, but for people on the edge, a few bucks in one hand will be sent out to circulate in the economy with the other hand.
i am quite disappointed by the number of people here who cannot distinguish between tax cuts for billionaires and tax cuts for the people who are getting this few bucks.

[TheCowsCameHome]

46. Absolutely right.

[lukasahero]

88. Yeah but if they weren't giving it to those who don't need it, how much more

could they give to those who do?

Honestly, $13 isn't going to affect me and it's not going to affect many people I know. If we weren't given the money, our share could truly affect those who really do need it. (And no, I'm not a billionaire but I'm not in the trouble some people are...)

At this point, I will pledge to donate the $13 to my local food bank.

[marybourg]

50. If you work for yourself you can pay $13 a week less

in your quarterly estimated taxes.

edit = spelling

[yellowdogintexas]

51. extra $26 per check, in our house, times 2 checks $52 extra in our hands

each pay period. I can do something with that.

[FrenchieCat]

52. Exactly........

and it was meant to spend, not to save......that's why there is no big check coming a la last stimuli.

52 X millions = Millions going into the economy.

[mopinko]

53. frenchie,

that baby is so beautiful. suck it up now. believe it or not, this is the best part.

[AZBlue]

54. I'm not making fun of any extra money.

Neither would a lot of people in our society.

[jmg257]

57. Its OK - it is actually less since it will start in April '09. Next year it will be $7.70 a week.

[cherish44]

58. Well I got a $600 stimulus check last year and you know where it went?

Yep in my gas tank. I was paying about $80 a week for gas last summer. You're welcome Exxon.

[SoCalDem]

59. $13 x 52 weeks = $676.00

The last stimulus was $600 and apparently most people did not spend it.. By having it $13 per week, people WILL spend it :)

[GeorgeGist]

60. Take the long view ...

if you don't spend it, the cost of the profits you buy will decrease from about $14765 to $14089/yr; if your single. Or course if you're a seller of profits ...

[BlooInBloo]

64. Teh stupid! It BURNS!!!

[Runcible Spoon]

69. Errr....I don't think it's teh stupid that burns. Please try antibiotics.

[BlooInBloo]

74. Nope - verified. It's teh stupid.

[GinaMaria]

66. Box of food $30

http://www.angelfoodministries.com/menu_0903en.asp

This was posted a while ago by another DUer. It is called Angel Food Ministries and for 30 dollars you get a box of food that can feed a family of 4 for a week. I have never used this service. Other posters said the food was high quality and very good. The box includes meat, veggies, fruit, grains etc. This might be a good resource to keep handy. That 13 dollars is almost half the box.

[BlooInBloo]

73. VERY cool. They don't seem to be in Seattle, though. :(

[GinaMaria]

79. There has to be a way to make that happen.

I'm not familiar with this organization at all, but I'm sure they have a method for contact. Do you have time to help them set this up for your area? That would make a huge difference in people's lives.

[Redstone]

84. We did actually buy some food from them. They're a wonderful organization, but

the quality of the food was dreadful. I give them every bit of credit for the work they do, and admire them greatly - don't get me wrong here - but we, ourselves, would rather eat rice and beans than "mechanically separated chicken."

If you don't mind eating that kind of food, though, they're a geat source and, as I said, a wonderful organization.

Redstone

[Rosa Luxemburg]

67. better than nothing

it will paay my internet bill

[backscatter712]

68. I'm looking forward more to the dozens of construction projects just in Colorado

and also in every other state, that will be paid for with stimulus money - that will actually propagate through the economy a few times - that will make a difference.

[Zavulon]

70. I won't retire off of it, but just think of it this way:

A lot of us are basically paying $13 a week less for the Obama Administration than we did for the Bush Occupation.

If that's not a fucking bargain, what is?

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

72. That will buy me an extra Davidoff cigar a week.

A months worth will also pay for the tax on 2 pounds of bulk pipe tobacco, after April 1st.

David

[cherish44]

76. $13 a week isn't very stimulative in my opinion

Most people here are saying they'll pay their electric bill, or maybe upgrade their groceries with it. That's stuff we have to buy anyway. Stimulative is suppose to create new spending in other areas. Like buying that new car or the new fridge or taking that vacation this year. Any little bit help these days I understand. But I think there are probably ways that a more significant amount could have found its way into the pockets of the people who have been living with very little expendable income and WILL spend it on something other than basic necessities.

[GinaMaria]

80. Actually, it may be more effective than people think

http://www.economy.com/mark-zandi/documents/assissing-the-impact-of-the-fiscal-stimulus.pdf

This is a Macro Economic paper written during the * years to discuss his 'stimulus plan'

The table on page 4 lists the biggest bang for stimulus buck... number 1 is food stamps. This additional $13, I believe, is meant to act in the same way as food stamps. It is meant to have the most real change in GDP. It is an experiment, but we need to give it a little time to see if it will work.

Extending UI and expanding food
stamps are the most effective ways
to prime the economy’s pump. A $1
increase in UI benefits generates an
estimated $1.64 in near-term GDP;
increasing food stamp payments by $1
boosts GDP by $1.73 (see table). People
who receive these benefits are very hardpressed
and will spend any financial aid
they receive within a few weeks. These
programs are also already operating, and
a benefit increase can be quickly delivered
to recipients.

The effect of rising gas prices

That acts very much like a tax
increase; if households must spend more to
drive, they have less to spend on everything
else. The impact is even more pernicious
than a tax increase, since tax proceeds
typically finance government spending,
whereas much of what is spent on gasoline
goes to overseas energy producers.



On bush tax rebates:
The most significant part of the
proposed plan will be a tax rebate. The
president favors a “non-refundable” rebate
that would be based on the elimination of
the 10% income tax bracket for this year.
The maximum rebate would be $800 for
an individual filer and $1,600 for joint
filers. Those who do not earn enough
to pay income tax would get no rebate
(hence the “non-refundable” designation),
and many with lower incomes that pay
some taxes will get only a partial rebate.

Over half of all U.S. households would
thus get either no refund or only a partial
one. Taxpayers would likely receive
checks beginning in mid-June, as the IRS
processes 2007 tax returns. The checks
would be mailed over a period extending
into August.

The president’s favored tax rebate
plan would provide a measurable
quick boost to the economy. Based on
simulations of the Moody’s Economy.com
macroeconomic model, every dollar lost to
the Treasury from the rebate would generate
slightly more than one dollar in GDP within
one year (see Table 1). Given that the
president’s rebate would cost around $100
billion, it would add a bit more than $100
billion to GDP by mid-2009.
There is significant debate about the
economic efficacy of temporary tax cuts.
Survey-based studies of the 2001 tax
rebate concluded that only about a fourth
of the rebate was spent; the rest was
saved or used to pay down existing debt.

More recent data-based studies found
the 2001 rebate to be more potent, with
households spending two-thirds of their
rebate within six months of receiving a
check. Moody’s Economy.com’s estimate
of a tax rebate’s potential stimulus is
closer to these later estimates. A majority
of households save little, and have modest
if any net worth. They likely have very
short-term financial-planning horizons—
indeed, not much further than their next
paycheck. Any tax benefit they receive will
almost certainly be spent quickly.

[uppityperson]

77. I'm a sole prop business so get nothing. Maybe those who do will spend their $13 on me?

$13. woohoo.

[wavesofeuphoria]

78. See post #50

[Synicus Maximus]

82. an extra beer a day

well for at least 4 or 5 days

[GreenPartyVoter]

83. Hubby is self-employed, so how does that affect him?

[undeterred]

87. I will.

Have a nice day.