Blue Mass Group

Reality-based commentary on politics.

Give back Bush and Pelosi’s Bribe

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Does the idea of accepting the $600 refund currently being promised to many of us by the feds make anybody else very uncomfortable, given that the Iraq war is still raging, the Chinese own about half our country, there are thousands of physically injured and/or psychologically impaired American vets who may or may not be receiving adequate treatment (not to mention thousands of injured Iraqi and Afghani civilians who are similarly in need of care), domestic programs are suffering as a result of all this expensive murder and mayhem, and so forth? Personally, I feel like sending this check back to the feds, with a message along the lines of “Shove this blood money up your flippin bums”, but this might not be the most productive way to protest. However, if there was some sort of fund, where we could all send our checks, that would help our own soldiers as well as the people on the other side of the world whom we have harmed (without the money passing through the dirty hands of KBR or some other Cheney-infected enterprise), and if a bunch of other left-leaning folks decided to do the same, it could be a very effective protest, in my opinion. I see the check as Bush and Pelosi trying to rather directly buy us all off, as well as make sure that we pay our credit card bills on time so that Bank of America doesn’t suffer any more inconvenience (a noble goal, certainly, but perhaps there are goals still nobler that we could pursue with $600 apiece). Any thoughts on this?

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    • but thanks for paying attention-maybe I’ll do that next year. Believe me, I like money as much as the next guy. I would have preferred that none of my money go to blackwater, halliburton, or even raytheon or mccluster bombs Inc., but that clipper ship has sailed. I’m not sure that giving the commonwealth more money sends the same message, though I appreciate that it would probably help to hire more DSS people or beef up the attorney general’s office or do other things that might be worthwhile. Your point is taken. However, your shrewd conflation of the issue has only strengthened my own resolve to either send the check back to the IRS with my “compliments” or donate it to the Red Cross.  

  2. The point of the $600 is not a bribe but rather a (bad) attempt to stimulate economic activity. Economic indicators had been indicating recession for a while.

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    p>I’m not sure where you wandered off into a paranoid idea that Pelosi and Bush could ever be in cahoots enough to plot a means of bribing Farnkoffs into cowed silence.

    • How can we afford this all of a sudden, anyway? Here I have been suffering the delusion that we in the U.S. were already behind the proverbial eight-ball in terms of government spending. Isn’t this kind of like flooding the economy with currency, firing up the old printing presses like you read about with the subsequent devaluation of the dollar? Of course I know what the “official” purpose of the refund check is- it just seems to run counter to most economic theories I’ve heard (most of which are very conservative but which are generally bandied about by both the left and right as representing mere economic “common sense”) For instance, do we improve our economy by spending money, or do we do it by inventing things, manufacturing goods, and providing services?
      In terms of Pelosi, I haven’t trusted her since she let us all know that impeachment was “off the table”. Does it seem to you like Congress has accomplished anything of note since then (except, of course, this whole “refund check” canard)? IMO this “Democratic Congress” has been all sound and fury, little doing and nothing signifying.  

  3. …just a song and dance show (to pretend something is being done) except that the price of admission is sent to us.  The work of the Fed to tweak interest rates has more direct meaning. But for people struggling to keep their heads above water (as in Foreclosures, Gas, High Health care bills) however paltry the amount it has meaning.

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    p>If you are in a position to donate to a worthy cause then I say do it. Understand if not every one can.

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    p>According to the notice I got at the threshold of $75,000 per year it starts to phase out completely as to whether you get any thing., Good to now that  former UMASS chancellor, state senator ( and brother of notorious mobster) Bolger, with his $400,000 per year state pension won’t be getting one.

  4. is the millions of dollars that implementing this rebate will cost the treasury.  Talk about throwing money down a hole.  We are so close to tax day that they could have just worked the whole rebate into the annual income tax rebate system.  But nooo, let’s just waste taxpayer dollars so that we can get the checks to people a few weeks before their regular tax rebates.

  5. Noble idea, but shouldn’t you be saving your money?  Perhaps we should start a Farnkoff fund so you can find yourself a high priced employment sharpie.

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    p>Best regards.

  6. until they’re clucking in your mailbox.  I understand that actually the checks won’t be coming for quite a few months.

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    p>FARNKOFF, SAVE YOUR MONEY! It gets rainy in April!

  7. Financial planner not returning phone calls.
    Global company I work for reniging on planned upgrades scheduled for the location I work at.
    Not enough cash to pay off current mortgage.
    Value of house/house not sellable plus age prevents “retirement” in non-US country.
    Use $600 on gas to rototil front lawn and plant “victory” garden.

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