What exactly is this economic "stimulus" giveaway supposed to stimulate?

[Hugabear]

First of all, I doubt that very many of us will ever see this money. It's going to primarily go towards those who don't really even need it. But even for those of us who do manage to receive this extra cash, how exactly is this going to help stimulate anything? A one-time cash giveaway isn't really going to do a damned thing, it will just be a small blip on the radar.

IMHO, this cash giveaway isn't meant to stimulate anything. It's a "feel-good" measure in an election year - nothing more than that.

[BeHereNow]

1. A distraction, a band aid on the festering shark bite.

Nothing more, nothing less.
BHN

[frankenforpres]

2. it's a joke

reckless spending is supposed to be saved by reckless spending???

[Bluestar]

3. Apparently, like other Bush policies, it stimulated the markets to fall n/t

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

4. It's a stimulus to the asses the politicians are trying to cover it with.

In a vain attempt to pretend they're doing something other than CYA.

[BeHereNow]

6. Exactly... "cya" is exactly where they are heading.

BHN

[fascisthunter]

5. They are Covering their own Political Asses

on our dime. Yet they did shit to prevent this from happening.

[Breeze54]

7. At least Senators Schumer and Rangel get it !

Schumer Is `Optimistic' Stimulus Plan Can Be Completed by March

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=aQfEQ2_S85H0&refer=us

By Christopher Stern

Jan. 20 (Bloomberg) --

New York Senator Charles Schumer said negotiations on an economic stimulus package will begin
Jan. 22 and that he's ``optimistic'' it can be ``done, signed and ready to go by March 1.''

``Both parties realize our economy is headed south in a significant way and we need relief,''
Schumer said today on the ``Fox News Sunday'' television program. ``Partisan fights and dithering
could only make whatever recession we're going to have worse.''

Last week Republican President George W. Bush proposed a $150 billion plan that is focused on
personal tax rebates and investment incentives for businesses that equal about 1 percent of gross
domestic product.

Democrats including Schumer and House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel said
they want to ensure that low and middle-income families directly benefit from any stimulus package.

Extending unemployment benefits is one way to ``mainline money into the economy,'' Schumer said.
``There are many Democrats, frankly, who would rather not have business tax cuts,'' he said,
adding, ``no one's drawing a line in the sand.''

Rangel, also from New York, said that rebates to low-income families, including those that don't
pay income tax, would be spent quickly and thus give a boost to the economy.

``Reaching out to the poor, the near-poor, the unemployed is really not a question of compassion.
They're doing this for economic reasons,'' Rangel said on ABC's ``This Week.''

Bipartisan Support

Rangel also said a stimulus plan designed to help an economy undermined by a declining housing
market and rising oil prices will have strong bipartisan support.

The unemployment rate in December climbed to 5 percent, the highest in two years, from 4.7 percent
the previous month. Employment growth in the U.S. was 1.33 million last year, down from 2.26 million
jobs a year earlier.

The weakening economy has become a top issue in the 2008 presidential campaign....

more....

But I won't hold my breath! * will veto it and then nothing will happen or it'll be delayed.

[Hugabear]

9. Exactly - the rethugs will fight against any aid to those who really need it

It's been the refrain on fascist hate-radio over the past few days - "no tax rebates for poor people, they don't pay taxes anyways".

They would rather fall on their swords and see to it that NOBODY gets any money than see those who really could benefit receive anything.

[Breeze54]

14. Why do they hate America?

:grr:

Thanks for listening to Rethug Hate Radio... so I don't have to. ;)

Welcome to DU, Paint It Black! :hi:

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

8. Belief in yet another lie, I reckon.

The neocons only need a bit more time to drown the baby in the bath water.

[malaise]

10. Lame ducks

or dicks. Take your pick. :D

[TroglodyteScholar]

11. It's supposed to encourage spending...

...which is funny to me, because our obsession with spending is a bit part of why our economy is where it is. How much do you think the average American has in savings? I don't have any figures, but I hardly know anyone who has savings to amount to anything.

[NYC]

17. No $ amounts, but the rate is down.

From Associated Press:

updated 12:10 p.m. ET, Mon., Jan. 30, 2006

WASHINGTON - Americans’ personal savings rate dipped into negative territory in 2005, something that hasn’t happened since the Great Depression. Consumers depleted their savings to finance the purchases of cars and other big-ticket items.

The Commerce Department reported Monday that the savings rate fell into negative territory at minus 0.5 percent, meaning that Americans not only spent all of their after-tax income last year but had to dip into previous savings or increase borrowing.

The savings rate has been negative for an entire year only twice before — in 1932 and 1933 — two years when the country was struggling to cope with the Great Depression, a time of massive business failures and job layoffs...

...A negative savings rate means that Americans spent all their disposable income, the amount left over after paying taxes, and dipped into their past savings to finance their purchases...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11098797/

I'm still looking for $ amounts of savings.

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

22. PERFECT!!! Bush did what he sought to accomplish,...spend the American people!

His neocon-corporacrats must be devouring expensive finger-foods, eyeing luxurious properties and patting themselves on their backs.

"WE DID IT!!! WE RID OURSELVES OF THOSE LEECHES!!! NOW, WE CAN REALLY, REALLY LIVE,...FREE AT LAST OF ANY OBLIGATION TO SUPPORT THOSE LAZY, PITIFUL, WEAK HUMAN BEINGS WHO DESERVE WHAT THEY GET AND HAVE BEEN AN OBSTACLE TO OUR PROGRESS!!!"

Yeah.

When those fuckers are "born equal", having nothing and being forced to stand on their own two feet, without ANY advantage,...then, they can celebrate. In the meanwhile, they already had all the advantages that have placed them in a position to demean. I propose taking just SOME of those advantages AWAY and FORCE them to be in a more challenging position: not one that is AS CHALLENGING as the common person but one challenging them to incorporate the common person.

I am typing off the top of head and ask forgiveness for all errors.

[NYC]

18. Government website: Bureau of Economic Analysis.

[TroglodyteScholar]

26. What an alarming chart...

I'm not only bothered by how it's so much lower in the past two years, but also by the fact that it peaks at a measly 3.5%. I'm not one of the alarmists who says "the economy's falling apart! stock up on chef boyardee!" But really, Americans literally cannot afford to lose much more.

[Ganja Ninja]

12. It's suppose to keep things going just long enough so it doesn't

all turn to shit before November.

[bdamomma]

13. they are just throwing scraps to those who are going to get it.

[Johonny]

15. Unless they leave Iraq

they simply can't do anything to help the economy.

[RC]

16. Our war machine is what is keeping the economy going.

They still have to pay for all that stuff we use to blow shit up with, even if all the other money in that war is going into a black hole.

[carly denise pt deux]

19. sooooo, I haven't seen a dollar amount yet on these so called rebate checks, any guesses?

Carly

[Hugabear]

21. I've seen $800 for singles, $1600 for married couples

That's the numbers that * is tossing around.

[MissB]

24. Less if you make under $40k. Full amount if you make $100k.

[radfringe]

20. the politicians approval numbers... n/t

[TahitiNut]

23. Think of it as ice-water in a hollow dildo.

All theory and no satisfaction.

[Evoman]

25. Easy.

Goverment money ---> Some Americans---->Buy stuff---->Rich Americans---->offshore banks.

Unless your taxing the rich americans extra to get the money for the giveaway (or increasing taxes in general), then your not really doing anything.
In the end:

Government money--->Rich Americans.

Like always.

[Breeze54]

27. Kicking

:)