I've got an easy economics lesson for you. Let's put this into a life lesson so people can understand it. Obama keeps saying that he wants to stimulate the economy by injecting the economy with stimulus money and is amazed when it doesn't work. He gives out money from his magical stash (which is our tax money, by the way, folks, but we won't get into that part about taking from one pocket to pay us our own money).
I'm going to use as an example my sister in law who just got married. She's a great person, her and her new husband. They're really happy. But they have nothing. He has a small job, working part time as a pen setter in a bowling alley. He's extremely grateful to even have a job. They've lived together for 6 years and the only reason they haven't gotten married until now is he wanted to be able to do it right. He wanted a wedding and a reception. He wanted to do his bride right. He also wanted to be able to give her a place of their own, not staying with other people. They finally are renting their own place, with no roommates. My other sister-in-law, her sister, paid for most every thing, with their mother. That's the only way they were able to do this now. They still don't have hot water, because they can't afford to fill the propane tank, but they have their own place. Andy (not his real name) is used to poor and is really happy.
Now, let's suppose the government gives him a $2,000 stimulus check. What do you suppose he's gonna do with it? I can tell you exactly what he's gonna do with it. He's gonna fill his propane tank first so they have hot water. He's gonna make sure he's not behind on his rent. He's gonna make sure his electric bills are paid so they don't get their electric turned off. He's gonna put minutes on his go-phone. IF there's anything left over he may run down to a thrift store and see if there's any furniture he can get or household items they need to furnish their place. Or they may splurge and eat out. But paying the bills is not gonna stimulate the economy. It puts the money right back in the government coffers. And thrift stores don't stimulate like buying new. They don't have any credit cards, but a lot of people would choose to do that, pay off credit cards. They may put the money in the gas tank and drive the hour and a half to come visit me. And before you start criticizing, they don't have cable or satellite, and they don't have 2 TVs. I can't imagine not having anything but network TV. I have to keep her informed about what's really going on in the world. She doesn't have Internet service, either. She just got given a computer, but can't afford a connection. Before that, she had to go to the library to get on-line.
It is my belief that family should help out people like this. They are not deadbeats. Andy has a job. Dana (also not her real name) has some disability issues. It may be enough to get her disability, but I told her not to depend on it. They are going to apply for food stamps, another thing I told her not to depend on, but it would help. I would love to be able to help, but I'm paying 2 mortgages. If my MIL, her mother, who is living there and who owns the other half would just get a reverse mortgage and buy us out, we would be able to help her out. I do what I can. When I see something in a thrift store that I know she needs, I pick it up if I can afford it. I went through my cabinets and if I could spare it (do I really need 2 2-cup measuring cups?) I gave her one. I had started collecting Fire King on better days. So I gave her some of my Pyrex. The next time I can stewed tomatoes, I'll put some up for her. That's what family does.
This economy is not going to get better until we feel like we CAN spend money. The only way we will feel safe spending our own money is when we feel like we know we will have more. That's why cutting taxes works. We know that there will be more in each paycheck. When you get $15 an hour, but when 1% goes to federal withholding, 6% goes to Social Security, and 1.5% goes to Medicare (those are off my husband's check)...it adds up. I could do a lot with that nearly 9% of our income. I feel like, maybe we'll let you keep part of your check. I heard someone on talk radio (I'm sorry, I listen to so many different hosts, I can't remember which one it was, and I think it was a suggestion from a caller) suggest that they should cut all with holdings for one year from our checks as well as stopping all federal income tax. Then, when it starts back up, it should be at the rate that it was originally, if it starts back up at all, and it should be a flat tax, across the board the same for everyone. None of this progressive stuff that is adjusted to hurt the rich man. All that does in penalize success, and reward laziness and spread the wealth. And we need to get rid of the loopholes so the uber-rich can't kick the ladder out from success and the rest of us can get up there. And there shouldn't be with holding for this, and that. Just Federal. Everyone will yell, what about social security? I've got news for you. We, the working force, didn't put in for us anyway. We put in for those who are retired now. We are currently paying for our parents to live. We are right now supporting our retired parents anyway. Give me my money so I can send the check directly to my parents to help them. According to my husband's check, I'd be able to send each of our parents $90 a month. I know that's not much, but if his parents bought out that house from us, we could raise that even more. We wouldn't have 2 mortgages.
But, then the Progressives wouldn't have our money to play with and they wouldn't be able to skim from the till. So it will never happen.
Lori Ann Smith
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