Was the stimulus check a good idea? Do you think the U.S. government should issue 40% of the people who file a tax return a check without going through the Welfare program we already have in place?

Here is an article that spells it out. In a nutshell, Obama's tax cuts for 95% of America will equate to a welfare check for 40% of people who file taxes. From the article:

- A $500 tax credit ($1,000 a couple) to "make work pay" that phases out at income of $75,000 for individuals and $150,000 per couple.
- A $4,000 tax credit for college tuition.
- A 10% mortgage interest tax credit (on top of the existing mortgage interest deduction and other housing subsidies).
- A "savings" tax credit of 50% up to $1,000.
- An expansion of the earned-income tax credit that would allow single workers to receive as much as $555 a year, up from $175 now, and give these workers up to $1,110 if they are paying child support.
- A child care credit of 50% up to $6,000 of expenses a year.
- A "clean car" tax credit of up to $7,000 on the purchase of certain vehicles.
Here's the political catch. All but the clean car credit would be "refundable," which is Washington-speak for the fact that you can receive these checks even if you have no income-tax liability. In other words, they are an income transfer -- a federal check -- from taxpayers to nontaxpayers. Once upon a time we called this "welfare," or in George McGovern's 1972 campaign a "Demogrant." Mr. Obama's genius is to call it a tax cut.

The real humor of it is that the middle class (Families and small businesses making 75k to 250k per year) receive no tax cut at all. Small businesses and families making more than 250k per year will receive one of the largest tax hikes in history. All of this so that 40% of our population can receive a government check for doing nothing. I have to say, I'm tempted to quit my day job.


In that spirit, I've put up yet another poll. Do you think these tax payer funded freebee paydays are a good idea?

The spin on the no new taxes on the middle class is that they simply won't be "renewing" the current tax breaks when they expire in 2 years.. It's not a "new tax", it's just an old one you didn't have to pay for a while..

And if you don't pay taxes you shouldn't get a check.. You didn't pay anything.. That means you didn't make anything..

Sour grapes bloom quickly, it looks like.

No sour grapes here.. But did I say anything that wasn't true??

Its just dawned upon me that with some minor tweeks to my schedule, I will qualify for the 75% of the time out of the country status needed to file as a US Citizen living abroad which qualifies me as tax exempt on the first $85k I earn. Under Obama, I'll be able to earn another 40k$ on top of that, pay no taxes, and get a check for almost $5k from the Federal government for being "Poor"!!! God d*mn, what was I thinking... VOTE OBAMA!!!!