Did you get your $1400.00 stimulus check yet?

[Court Jester]

Congratulations on your self-sufficiency. Not serious here, but if you were to tell me what you do for a living or where you live, I bet I could point out what the government does that benefits you. Live in a flood plain -- FEMA; farmer with a lot of land -- dams and subsidized water, Ag schools that develop new techniques and pesticides, labor with fewer benefits, other farm subsidies; contract with the government -- Trump's rule that your safety record doesn't matter (hopefully will end under Biden); head of a business -- the right to incorporate to shield you from some liability; employer in many conservative states -- right to work laws.
I am not saying any of the above are bad things, (except right to work laws) but neither are benefits given to poorer people.

So, why do you compare infrastructure and other policies designed to encourage expanding an economy, to mailing out checks to people sitting at home watching Oprah and Family Fued? Farming creates jobs, food supply chain, and a TAX BASE which further aids in paying for government services. Who benefits from mailing out EBT cards than the person going to buy junk food because they are too lazy or stupid to cook their own food? Maybe that helps fast food places; do we really need more of those?

Think of the government as a big sow, with each of us sucking at a teat. There is a natural tendency to assume that we get nothing, unlike the other lazy so-and-so.

Government is a big sow, and that is why we need less of it. Better for people to stand on their own two feet. "Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. "Teach a man to fish, feed him for the rest of his life"---as the saying goes.

As to the stigma of welfare, years ago I worked for the United Farmworkers Union. The growers whose union contracts I administered nice guys with one exception,felt that it was them alone against the land, the weather, and acts of God. But they had subsidized labor under different rules than other workers for two decades after the "temporary" wartime bracero program, subsidized water, soil analysis and pesticide development from Ag colleges available to them, and they spoke as if unaware of all that. At one meeting of union staff, Cesar Chavez mused that "we don't need all these welfare programs, just the right to organize."

I don't like subsidize either, but most of those were hold overs from a time when they figured agriculture was of strategic national interest. But again, a big difference I think it supporting an economy than an individual. Individuals aren't economies, they only drain society of resources. But I'm not totally hard hearted. I just don't agree with mailing out checks where people are not subject to any conditions on that money. With farm subsidize there were at least some conditions to be met where their not? But give most welfare people a check, and they can spend it on junk food and lottery tickets. If people are hungry, then have them go to food banks and get sack of rice and flour, not give them a means to make more poor decisions.

If that farmer doesn't use a subsidy correctly he goes out of business.

And don't get me started on unions. This isn't 1890 coal mining country. Unions are not much different than criminal protection rackets i.e., the mafia.

Problem with parts of conservative ideology is that it opposes welfare benefits on the one hand, and on the other, opposes rules that allow workers to freely organize and contract with employers.

People are free to organize, but who benefits the most from that other than the rich union bosses who know how to butter their own pockets well. I always negotiated my own salary in every job. Why settle for chicken feed union scale when you can shoot for the stars? And for unskilled workers, they are just basically attempting to extort pay far beyond what the market would dictate for uneducated unskilled people. Fruit pickers aren't aerospace engineers, they are a dime a dozen. All union farm labor does is force farmers to find cheaper labor, usually illegal labor.

 

[Hari Seldon]

The wife says we got ours deposited today. (March 17th)

I got mine including for my still dependent children.

 

[BahamaBob]

They did it wrong. We will do it right. If you try to run and give up your citizenship we will confiscate 40% of you net.

Dream on NAZI boy.

 

[gooseneck]

Odd are you are on the dole one way or another. We all are, it’s the way of the modern world. But you are free not to believe it.

I know. Double government retirees are self reliant self made heroes who pulled themselves up by their boot straps. lol

People who deny their own dependence on the government ( just for the luxury of attacking someone who receives 1/50th of the amount of government money that they do) crack me up.

 

[iguanaman]

Dream on NAZI boy.

Nazi's gave corporations slave labor to increase their profits. That is what is happening here with the oligarchs controlling the Govt.. We are going to stop the theft of capital and the destruction of our middle class one way or another. Pay up or pay up and leave. lt will be your choice. It's coming so get used to it.


The Ultra-Millionaire Tax includes robust anti-evasion and avoidance measures, including:

• A $100 billion investment to rebuild and strengthen the IRS, ensuring the agency has the resources to hire and train additional personnel, modernize IT systems, and implement the new asset valuation, reporting, and enforcement requirements for the Ultra-Millionaire Tax
• A 30% minimum audit rate for taxpayers subject to the Ultra-Millionaire Tax
• A 40% "exit tax" on the net worth above $50 million of any U.S. citizen who renounces their citizenship in order to escape paying their fair share in taxes
• New tools to determine the value of hard-to-value assets, enabling the IRS to tighten and expand upon existing valuation rules
• Systematic third-party reporting that builds on existing tax information exchange agreements adopted after the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, and penalties for underpayment

https://www.warren.senate.gov/newsr...a-millionaire-tax-on-fortunes-over-50-million

 

[cpwill]

Do you realize how difficult it would be to try and differenent among 325 million people whether they need it or not?

.....I think we have a pretty good idea who has lost their jobs and businesses and who hasn't.

 

[SkyFox76]

Just checked the website and mine will be mailed this week.

 

[AFrench2]

The wife says we got ours deposited today. (March 17th)

Yes, same (Wednesday the 17th)

 

[notquiteright]

You got $157 more bucks than either of my kids did. Hubby and I are retired and we never missed a Social Security check but we have received the full amount on all stimuluses which is insane because we do not need it.

Did you send it back??? I mean if you don't need it and want to make a fuss about it... ✌

 

[Helix]

my wife says that we got ours.

 

[notquiteright]

I visit retail stores for a vendor, I noticed today that the local Target was packed like it was the first of the month.

Packed worse than the 1st. The 'Walmarters' are upgrading with their checks- buying some of the dumbest crap, but hey I'm sure Big Box Retail needed the money more than the bills.... ✌

 

[notquiteright]

I got zilch. Same as the last two distributions. But go ahead and thank people like me for providing you takers with your little checks. Just don't spend it all on smart phones, cable tv, and dope.

Ummm you didn't give anything- you didn't write a check for the stimulus checks now did you... fact is no one is paying for any of it, just more red ink. None of the self identified 'givers' are paying squat. Tax breaks and tax cuts don't make anyone a 'giver'... ✌

 

[Threegoofs]

Don’t need it, dont want it, glad lots of people who do need it got it.

But if you didnt need it, dont drop it into savings. Donate it or spend it. That’s what its for. Saving it makes it part of the problem.

 

[Court Jester]

Ummm you didn't give anything- you didn't write a check for the stimulus checks now did you... fact is no one is paying for any of it, just more red ink. None of the self identified 'givers' are paying squat. Tax breaks and tax cuts don't make anyone a 'giver'... ✌

32% Federal tax is a lot of "giving" in my book. But you wouldn't understand, obviously.

 

[vesper]

Did you send it back??? I mean if you don't need it and want to make a fuss about it... ✌

Heck no we are not sending it back. We are currently checking out opening brokerage accounts for our three youngest grandchildren using this money as part of the sum in the accounts. After all, these young ones for the rest of their lives will live with the burden to pay this boondoggle back. The hope is to teach the kids some valuable lessons about money and the power of investment growth. They are going to need these skills to survive. Our three oldest grandkids will be receiving a stimulus check. It is up to them how they use it. Democrats this year expanded the payouts to include adult dependent children, and green card holders including their family members. It also includes payouts to people in prison.

The bill itself was suppose to be for COVID relief. When you break the bill down only 10% of almost 2 trillion dollars goes to anything related to COVID. So where is the rest of the money going? Well much of it went to pay outs to states. The top 20 states to receive the most money are

1. California: $42.3 billion
2. Texas: $27.3 billion
3. New York: $23.5 billion
4. Tribal Governments: $20 billion
5. Florida: $17.3 billion
6. Illinois: $13.5 billion
7. Pennsylvania: $13.5 billion
8. Ohio: $11 billion
9. Michigan: $10.1 billionEv
10. New Jersey: $10 billion
11. North Carolina: $8.7 billion
12. Georgia: $8.17 billion
13. Massachusetts: $7.96 billion
14. Arizona: $7.48 billion
15. Washington: $6.94 billion
16. Virginia: $6.68 billion
17. Maryland: $6.21 billion
18. Tennessee: $6.12 billion
19. Colorado: $5.9 billion
20. Indiana: $5.7 billion

Looking at first glance one can see that 13 of those states voted for Biden and 6 of those states went for Trump. But it is not in order by population or otherwise Florida would be above New York and Georgia would be above New Jersey. So, how did they divvy up the money? California got the most amount but they have a budget in the red. So what did they use as a marker in determining who got what? It the six states that voted for Trump it was, in many cases, Republican governors who opted for lighter restrictions and abandoned harsh lockdowns. In states like Florida, this has averted the unemployment and social destruction other states experienced.

So what is behind it? The only thing left is political favoritism. Every Democratic state listed in the top 20 had the most harshest lockdowns and lost major state revenue. Even though California is currently running in the red at current time, but the total loss due the draconian lockdowns and the exodus of people leaving that state due to them will not be known for months. The red states listed are the ones that the Democrats desire to gain favor to ensure better results in the next election. That is why Texas is number 2 on the list because if the Democrats take Texas, they will insure a win for elections in the future.

Unfortunately all of us especially the youngest among us have been burden with excessive debt for political favoritism.

Are you sorry you gigged me making a fuss over all this? I sure as hell hope so. And I hope something in my post gives you something to think about.

 

[PIPEWRENCH]

I got zilch. Same as the last two distributions.

But go ahead and thank people like me for providing you takers with your little checks. Just don't spend it all on smart phones, cable tv, and dope.

Thank you.
I put the money towards a new Grand Cherokee. So I am stimulating the economy with the money.

Now my democrat neighbors clearly just got their checks. I am afraid it bought a keg of beer, cigarettes, and plenty of dope. I miss those days when I was a young liberal. Unfortunately you didn't provide any stimulus checks for me back 40 years ago. I had to work overtime to have money to piss away.

 

[vesper]

Thank you.
I put the money towards a new Grand Cherokee. So I am stimulating the economy with the money.

Now my democrat neighbors clearly just got their checks. I am afraid it bought a keg of beer, cigarettes, and plenty of dope. I miss those days when I was a young liberal. Unfortunately you didn't provide any stimulus checks for me back 40 years ago. I had to work overtime to have money to piss away.

Do you have any kids or grandkids? If so you should be thanking them because they will have the burden to pay down this debt. As far as stimulating the economy it appears to be doing just fine on its own where people are allowed to get back to work.

 

[Court Jester]

Thank you.
I put the money towards a new Grand Cherokee. So I am stimulating the economy with the money.

Now my democrat neighbors clearly just got their checks. I am afraid it bought a keg of beer, cigarettes, and plenty of dope. I miss those days when I was a young liberal. Unfortunately you didn't provide any stimulus checks for me back 40 years ago. I had to work overtime to have money to piss away.

If I was entitled to a stimulus check I would spend in on something necessary too---- like more guns and ammo.

 

[PIPEWRENCH]

Do you have any kids or grandkids? If so you should be thanking them because they will have the burden to pay down this debt. As far as stimulating the economy it appears to be doing just fine on its own where people are allowed to get back to work.

I say we kick the can down the road and blame whoever is in office at the time. Hey if you are rich it doesn't matter. If you are poor you never pay any way. Middle class is on there way out. That is the new American dream.

 

[vesper]

I say we kick the can down the road and blame whoever is in office at the time. Hey if you are rich it doesn't matter. If you are poor you never pay any way. Middle class is on there way out. That is the new American dream.

If you want to keep the American Dream alive you best adjust your thinking.

 

[PIPEWRENCH]

If you want to keep the American Dream alive you best adjust your thinking.

The American dream is now dependence on government. No different than the peasants dependent on the nobles of the past. The American dream by legal immigrants has been replaced with border jumping criminals with no respect for our laws. I have lived my life and have reaped what I have sown. So will these people. The democrats I support were the ones that ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country. The words “We do these things not because they are easy but because they are hard” are but a distant memory. That party and those people are gone as well. Now it is the party with their hand out expecting big government to take care of them. The game is over.

 

[PIPEWRENCH]

I know how this works a lot better than you do. My business got a $2 million loan under the Payroll Protection Act that I don't have to repay. I now have a much nicer boat that the taxpayers paid for. By the way, my business was not affected at all by CORONA. My employees have been working all the overtime they want, yet they are still getting their little bonus check from the government too.

Your posting is an example of how stupid this bill is. Why would you pay revenue losses? Most restaurants run on a profit of 6% to 8% of revenue. Why are the taxpayers paying for food stuffs, utility bills, labor costs and other expenses the restaurants didn't incur during this period?

This is a typical government give away. Instead of focusing on those in need they use the shotgun approach and throw money at everyone.

Only a fool would say none of the national debt has been paid back since WW2. Only a moron doesn't realize that this country is paying hundreds of billions annually just on interest on the national debt. Anyone with a working brain knows that is hundreds of billions that can't be spent on something else.

It is not a stimulus bill? If you were that smart you would already know this. I know when most of the poor get their check. The party is usually the next day with plenty of drugs and beer. They are parting until the middle of the night or until the police come and haul a few of them to jail. I actually put my money towards a new vehicle. It was either that or the stock market.

 

[The Mark]

The wife says we got ours deposited today. (March 17th)

Apparently you have to file 2020 taxes to get it.
And I haven't yet.

 

[BahamaBob]

Nazi's gave corporations slave labor to increase their profits. That is what is happening here with the oligarchs controlling the Govt.. We are going to stop the theft of capital and the destruction of our middle class one way or another. Pay up or pay up and leave. lt will be your choice. It's coming so get used to it.


The Ultra-Millionaire Tax includes robust anti-evasion and avoidance measures, including:

• A $100 billion investment to rebuild and strengthen the IRS, ensuring the agency has the resources to hire and train additional personnel, modernize IT systems, and implement the new asset valuation, reporting, and enforcement requirements for the Ultra-Millionaire Tax
• A 30% minimum audit rate for taxpayers subject to the Ultra-Millionaire Tax
• A 40% "exit tax" on the net worth above $50 million of any U.S. citizen who renounces their citizenship in order to escape paying their fair share in taxes
• New tools to determine the value of hard-to-value assets, enabling the IRS to tighten and expand upon existing valuation rules
• Systematic third-party reporting that builds on existing tax information exchange agreements adopted after the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, and penalties for underpayment

https://www.warren.senate.gov/newsr...a-millionaire-tax-on-fortunes-over-50-million

Nazis tore down statues. Does that sound familiar?
Nazis banned books. Does that sound familiar?
Nazis passed strict gun control laws. Does that sound familiar?
Nazis demonized a class of people and cultivated hate toward them among the lemmings. Does that sound familiar?

 

[BahamaBob]

It is not a stimulus bill? If you were that smart you would already know this. I know when most of the poor get their check. The party is usually the next day with plenty of drugs and beer. They are parting until the middle of the night or until the police come and haul a few of them to jail. I actually put my money towards a new vehicle. It was either that or the stock market.

If you were smart you would know far more is going for pork than is going for stimulus.

US Pork-Laden Stimulus Bill - Stephen Lendman