If I remember right, weren't the first Bush "rebates" just an advance....

[HardWorkingDem]

on the future tax refund?

That's how I seem to recall it and if so, won't these just be the same?

[MADem]

1. You remember right. You might also remember that there was a little note with the

check, that said "This is a gift from George." Well, it didn't QUITE say that, but that was the suggestion.

When you went to file, you had to deduct your three hundred buck gift. It was just an 'early payment' even if you didn't want one. And the Treasury spent MILLIONS preparing the checks and mailing them out. Stupid fuck!

If this is the same deal, thanks but no thanks. I think he's trying to do what they did in some pathetic former Soviet satellite, where they gave people money to prevent revolt...

[HardWorkingDem]

5. Yep, if I remember this, it was...

something like, "Tax Relief from Austin, TX."

[11 Bravo]

9. Mine said "Tax Relief for Working Americans".

I donated it to Democratic Party of Virginia.

[MADem]

20. Jim Webb no doubt benefitted! NT

[The_Casual_Observer]

13. "they gave people money to prevent revolt"

That's exactly what I am thinking.

[napi21]

2. Yes, and I'm SURE these would be the same. Of course they won't

SAY that now!

[Kahuna]

11. Americans won't find out they got fooled until 2009. AFTER the election. nt

[Yael]

3. Yes -- prebates, not rebates

It is check kiting against your 2008 taxes.

[annabanana]

4. Talk aboutcher "bait & switch" tactics...

It was bullshit then, and it's bullshit again.

[Cleita]

6. If it's being sponsored by the same people, it would seem so. n/t

[lonestarnot]

7. Down payments on torture.

[TahitiNut]

8. There's something ironic about dealing with a credit crisis with LOANS against next year's refunds.

It's compounded by the fact that a tax REFUND is merely payback of a loan made to the government in the form of tax overpayments.

Flim-flam. Fucking ridiculous.

"Dear Taxpayer: We're willing to give you $800 this year if we can tax you $800 more next year. Deal? Signed, George."

[Kahuna]

10. True. And the American sheeple (aka "suckers") once again will

be fooled into thinking they actually got a freebie.

[scarletwoman]

12. Thank you so much for pointing that out! Yes, I remember it well -- it didn't affect me then,

because I had so little income the previous year, I had no tax payments to be "refunded", much less "prebated". But it certainly blew my mind to witness the depth of the bushies' cynicism in manipulating the public perception to the point that almost no one understood that getting a "rebate" now just meant that much less money coming in later.

Now I'm doing well enough to pay income taxes, so I suppose that I might be eligible for this new round of "rebates". If I get a check, I will immediately put it into my savings account and not touch it.

I don't need to go out and buy "stuff", I need to build up an economic cushion against a possible future loss of employment.

sw

[scarletwoman]

14. I can't believe I'm only the 1st rec for this thread! Geeze! This is important stuff!

There's GOT to be a point where people stop being bamboozled!

The Plutocrats are worried as hell -- they have so fucked up the System in order to leech as much profit out of as possible, that the System is disintegrating before their very eyes! The host body is DYING! PANIC!

What to do? One more round of fooling the proles will hopefully stave off the collapse just a little longer, while they scramble to save their skins.

Don't cooperate with your oppressors! Stop buying shit and start socking as much money away as possible. You can't change things when you're completely broke.

sw

[Maccagirl]

15. You remember correctly

My 300.00 was 1/2 of what I received later in my refund. Paid on a credit card-did absolutely nothing to help.

[allalone]

16. I'll cash it and hide it somewhere.

not buy anything

[scarletwoman]

17. Kick. Hey people, give this thread more recs! (nt)

[juajen]

18. K & R

N/T

[L. Coyote]

19. "of an election" is what I expected. These things should be tracked to major elections!

Give them crumbs at the moment you want them to quiet down.