It’s pretty clear that the economy will get better, and Democrats will be more likely to win in 2022, if everyone gets a stimulus disaster relief check. I think that’s worth writing to or calling your elected representatives to encourage them to keep the eligibility levels high. If I were writing an email, I’d say something like “using 2019 taxes to determine eligibility doesn’t work when many of those people are out of jobs and trying to make ends meet.” Plus, as we all know, they can always tax it back!
Open thread.
Jerzy Russian
Also if T***p can put his signature on the checks, then Champ and Major should be allowed to put their paw prints any checks that are issued.
The Moar You Know
Means testing this would be the biggest mistake possible, which is why the GOP is pushing it so hard. As with any government program, if you want buy-in from the citizenry, you gotta give it to everyone whether they need it or not.
Edmund Dantes
Also as much as we want people to believe it, two people making 60K each and married are never going to believe they are rich and undeserving. So you are creating resentment in them and priming them for the “why do those undeserving poor get you middle class tax dollars and you get nothing?”
its a horrible fucking self own.
cain
BTW nobody seems to have addressed the trade war that Trump started with China – I wonder if Biden has a plan to get our farmers some new markets for them to sell their products too and also stop them from feeding from the trough. Certainly, I small farmers should get relief but I don’t think industrial farms should.
cain
@Jerzy Russian:
Yes.
BC in Illinois
Just checked in with the offices (DC and Missouri) of Rep. Ann Wagner (R – safe Republican vote). No human beings to talk to. Left a message at each place — and an email. Being retired, my actual income basically didn’t change last year. For three of the next generations of the BC family, working conditions and lifestyles changed dramatically, but (as far as I know) income didn’t take a hit. For the family of one of my kids, however, there was an extended period of unemployment. The difference between gauging their income on 2019 or 2020 would be significant. And, as I understand it, this is one area where even an otherwise worthless representative (whose goal in her congressional duties is to be “forgotten, but not gone”) might become engaged, if she thought there was no danger to her status among her Republican colleagues and her corporate sponsors.
MJS
I hope the message from the White House to Romney and other Rs is, thanks for your input, but we’ve successfully provided relief to Americans recently, and we’re going to keep the same parameters in place this time, so as not to delay this relief.
Edmund Dantes
https://twitter.com/demswatchdog/status/1356282041889861632?s=21
This mashup is why Dems are stupid here.
Georgia was explicitly about $2000 checks. And Dems are going to spend paragraphs explaining “well when we said that what we meant was 1400 + the 600 you already got. So promise kept!!!” Biden didn’t even push for 2000. He immediately made noise through leaks that sure we are happy to cut it down.
This is Dems doing it to themselves. Can’t blame the GOP for Biden not even requesting 2000. Can’t blame GOP for Dems means teasing the income thresholds lower themselves.
GJGE guys
Matt McIrvin
Politically, this is going to blow up in our faces no matter what we do, because the spending has to be some definite amount and there will be people blaming the Democrats for it not being larger, as well as the “bipartisanism” brigade upset that it wasn’t smaller.
Make it big, though, because it’s the right thing to do.
Chief Oshkosh
@cain: Earl Butz: Get big or get out!
Cain (and Chief O): Get small or be nationalized!
BC in Illinois
@Jerzy Russian:
Last summer, we received a check with T****’s name on the memo line. We drew a line through his name. The teller told us that we shouldn’t do that, that that could actually void the check, but that that — this time — they would go ahead and cash it. I had the impression that she was reading a prepared statement.
If Joe Biden or the Democratic Party put their name on this year’s check, I wonder if I could go over it with a neon yellow high-lighter.
The Moar You Know
@Edmund Dantes: where I live here in SoCal, that level of income would put them right at the borderline of being homeless.
MisterForkbeard
@The Moar You Know: I usually agree with this approach, but I think they could get away with something like “If you made more than $1 million in 2021, you’ll pay back the $1400 when you submit your taxes in 2022”.
Nice, simple, easy. And the “$1 million in income” amount is high enough that’s it’s good for messaging and not enough to impact anything else.
MisterForkbeard
@Edmund Dantes: I can’t believe people are STILL fucking around about a single $2,000 check. I really can’t.
The whole argument is stupid. Dems: “We want to give you $2000.” Reps: “Nope, only $600”. Dems: “If people want that $2000, then vote for us because that’s the only way you’re getting it”. Going out and finding a post-$600-check where Biden says “$2000 checks” isn’t proof, it’s obvious nitpicking.
And then to yell that Dems are lying or misleading because they want to give people $2000 total. Just batshit insane or people who WANT to be angry at Democrats and will take any excuse.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@Edmund Dantes: counterpoint: Nobody outside of the Squad’s twitter feeds thinks 1400 + 600 = BETRAAAAAYAL
even St Bernard acknowledged the reality of third grade math
evap
This post reminded me that both of my senators are Democrats, and both are progressive/liberal. Just so hard to believe, and so wonderful. My rep is Nikema Williams, so no phone calls from me are needed.
West of the Cascades
@Edmund Dantes: any twitter account with an avatar that includes chin-stroking (looking also at Michael Tracey) should be an immediate red flag that its arguments are being made in bad faith.
MisterForkbeard
@evap: I’ve been living with the “two Democratic Senators” for awhile, and it’s really nice! Though in my case it was Harris + Feinstein, and while Harris is great Feinstein has been trending down for awhile.
I have no idea how Alex Padilla is going to shape up. I get the feeling that no one in CA cares about him right now, one way or the other. He’s kind of a non-entity. And Feinstein should just leave so that Newsom can appoint someone who isn’t slowly losing her marbles.
cain
@evap: Actually making that call is good – sometimes you want to hear support not just complaints.
Gremcat
@BC in Illinois: We had one off increase in income for 2019 so we didn’t qualify for the 1200 or 600 stimulus checks. I was almost glad as I didn’t want the t* signed check and was going to donate it to the Dem party if I did receive it. Just did our taxes for 2020 and we will receive the stimulus checks as a tax credit instead. So the best of both worlds. Now I will find some charities to donate to with the extra money.
cain
I suspect once she is out – there will be a fast decline. Maybe we can put her in some other position so she can continue to exercise her brain muscle.
cain
@Gremcat:
Gonna give mine to a rabbit rescue.
evap
@cain: good point!
Nelle
@cain: I just called my Democratic Congresswoman’s office and said a hearty thank you to her staff. That I want them safe and that I’m proud of the work that they are doing. The woman began to cry on the phone and it reminded me of how important the loud and proud affirmations are when working in a tense environment. Call the Democrats and be sure to recognize what their staff is doing. Thanks for the reminder, Cain.
The Moar You Know
@MisterForkbeard: Feinstein is going to be carried out of the Russell building feet-first. I just hope we still have a Democratic governor at that point. It’s gonna be a few rough years here in a CA Senate delegation.
Another Scott
Agreed that they should keep everything simple and the same as with the previous check – $150k/75k – and send them out.
In other news…
Schiff is good. Dunno who else wants the slot, so I don’t know if he’s the best for it. But I hope Feinstein recognizes the importance of leaving before she’s unable. She doesn’t want to end up like Strom who had to have a staffer beside him telling him what to say (“[whisper] Without objection, it’s so ordered. [/whisper]” “Without objection, it’s so ordered!”).
Cheers,
Scott.
Gremcat
@cain: aah that’s nice. We have a couple of wild bunnies burrowing in our backyard. I worry about them as there is also a hawk that hangs around as well.
Some animal rescues are definitely on my charitable giving list as well.
rp
Is she the biggest idiot ever?
https://twitter.com/RashidaTlaib/status/1357121082927513620?s=20
StringOnAStick
Emails sent to Wyden and Merkley, and I’m about to send my weekly “sedition is treason against your oath of office” postcard to my RW idiot Representative. We had an excellent D Congressman in CO, but since we’re on the east side of the Cascades now we get lumped in with the nutjob who represents the Malhuer part of the state.
I want to go see the Sandhill Cranes at Malhuer in April, but driving through the town of Burns is like a close up of how crazy the crazies are (and how poor their towns are, which is obviously linked to their politics). A Subaru Outback is a Treason Car to those bastards, and our Prius is just plain asking for it in that area.
Amir Khalid
Have you allowed for the sort of voter who will think, “Ah, the Democrats have fixed it, now I can vote Republican again”?
The Moar You Know
@rp: Not even close. What does the United States pay defense contractors, the ultimate form of white welfare, every year? Even an entry level job at a contractor pays more than 2k/month.
Plus, well, you don’t ask, you don’t get. Glad someone is at least asking.
rp
@The Moar You Know: You think it’s helpful for her to attack the Dem leadership by floating an alternative that’s less realistic than the Lord of the Rings
ETA: The defense budget is ~$900b annually. $2000 monthly checks would blow past that very quickly.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@Amir Khalid: there’s that risk, but one of Obama’s campaign gurus said that according to the fundamentals, BO should have lost OH and MI in 2012, but enough people remembered that he saved the auto industry that he won.
Tim Ryan was indulging in a big of the passive-aggressive Obama-bashing (“the Stimulus of course wasn’t big enough…”) that’s become so fashionable in the last few weeks. Someone should remind him that Obama won statewide in Ohio, twice, and maybe he should think, and talk, about why.
Another Scott
My state senator is amazing.
This bill will abolish the death penalty in Virginia – second behind Texas in US executions since 1976.
Cheers,
Scott.
Baud
@Amir Khalid:
We don’t those voters by not fixing it, so there’s no reason to consider them in the equation.
Kent
Some epic MAGA cowboy fraud news from Washington State.
The Easterday family from Pasco WA is one of the biggest ranching families in the west, owning tens of thousands of acres in Central WA. They are also one of the biggest GOP donors in WA, the whole extended family of 10+ traditionally dumping money into far right GOP candidates from Trump on down. Apparently they severely fucked up gambling in the commodities markets and lost over $200 million dollars in commodities trades in the past year or two. So to avoid bankruptcy they fraudulently invented over 200,000 cows. They had contracts with Tyson Foods, the largest meat packing firm in WA to raise and feedlot cattle for the big Tyson plant in Pasco. So they were fraudulently charging Tyson for 200,000 cattle that didn’t actually exist. And that money was going to pay off their debts and continue to fund MAGA candidates.
Now their entire cattle empire is going up in smoke. The only unfortunate thing is that a lot of small scale folks like veterinarians are going to get hurt as tons of people are owed money by the Esterdays and unlikely to ever get paid:
https://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/business/agriculture/article248970215.html
Immanentize
@Edmund Dantes:
Is this really a big problem?
People keep saying this about Georgia. Do Ossoff and Warnock agree? Or is this just a lefty “Dems suck bad” storyline embraced by Briebrie?
KenK
Interesting to see how this plays out.
https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/dr-amy-acton-leaves-nonprofit-explore-run-us-75684601
debbie
@Jerzy Russian:
Don’t forget Winston, the COTUS!
Baud
@Kent:
Sorry to hear about the collateral damage, but otherwise, I’m glad they got theirs.
I’m perplexed as to how they thought they would get away with it.
Immanentize
@rp: I don’t mind the idea of recurring 2000 dollar checks. AKA UBI. Why do you? I’m not being difficult, I just don’t understand the problem with the proposal. In fact, I like it. Never let a crisis go by, etc.
Baud
@Immanentize:
To my knowledge, neither Ossoff not Warnock have said one word in protest to Biden’s plan.
Kent
@Baud: Exactly. You gotta think it was eventually going to catch up with them. They probably knew that and were just buying time to hide their own personal assets and such in advance of bankruptcy. But I don’t really know.
MontyTheClipArtMongoose
@Jerzy Russian: This gesture will only serve to push the feline supremacists in the blogger community into the arms of the opposition.
Don’t do it. (I say, as a dog person.)
Immanentize
@The Moar You Know: I endorse this statement. Farm subsidies for not growing too!
raven
@Edmund Dantes: Bullshit, Georgia was about way more than that.
Immanentize
@rp: I assume those would be means tested? And landlords would get paid and people would buy food and clothes for their kids and cars would get repaired and more taxes would be paid. Trickle up!
Baud
@Immanentize:
Not rp, but I think he or she is complaining about the lack of unity rather than the merits of the proposal.
I personally don’t mind a push, as long as they’re not in kill the bill territory or claiming Democratic betrayal.
Another Scott
@KenK: She should get Senator Professor Warren on her speed-dial. Not on how to run as Lefty McLeftish, but on how to build buzz before announcing, how to campaign as someone who wanted to do the sensible technical service job she’d trained all her life for, but sees how vital it is that the battle be fought in the political arena as well, etc., etc. We can’t make progress when kooks control the government.
Cheers,
Scott.
rp
@Immanentize: I have no problem with it in the abstract. But she’s suggesting that the current proposal isn’t good enough and that we should instead be pushing for a UBI. There’s no way on earth that’s going to happen in the short term. And it’s one thing to to start high as a negotiating tactic, but quite another to start in a different galaxy. It’s the leftwing equivalent of the GOP senators’ $600 billion proposal.
debbie
I think the focus should be on the income limits rather than the $600/$1,400 vs. $2,000, and I bet the people who will be disqualified for any assistance check would agree with me.
Immanentize
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: I am glad there are a bunch of “stimulus is too small” voices. Strive to give. Then raise taxes.
MontyTheClipArtMongoose
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: Was this before or after he anointed Josh Hawley an ally of #OurRevolution?
gene108
@Chief Oshkosh:
Other countries have nationalized their agriculture sector. It never worked out.
The USSR in the 1930’s did this. China did it in the 1950’s, as did most communist countries.
rp
@Baud: Exactly. It’s the strategery.
debbie
@raven:
Not sure if you listen to NPR in the morning, but yesterday they reported on pollworker intimidation in Georgia. It was horrible what the pollworkers had to endure.
Immanentize
@Another Scott: Virginia is a very interesting DP State. One of my friends, David Brick (now at Washington and Lee Law) saved more people in Virginia that anyone, I think, in any other State. And, he is the nicest man in the Death Penalty world to boot.
raven
@debbie: No, I just watch Morning Joe so I can be ahead of all the whining.
Baud
@Immanentize:
I thought you meant the other DP at first and got confused because it’s too early for BJ After Dark.
Immanentize
@Baud: That was my impression as well….
Cheryl Rofer
Now in progress, if you’re interested.
Immanentize
@rp: Oddly, I don’t see it that way. She is not complaining about the current bill, she is saying more should happen. Personally, I think Omar is framing the recurring payments in a much smarter way than Tlaib, but that has become my usual take on the two of them.
Immanentize
@gene108: Stalin was my Tractor! (SCTV ref.)
The Moar You Know
@gene108: you have a talent for devastating understatement.
Immanentize
@Baud: You have a twisted mind. ?.
I approve.
Immanentize
@Cheryl Rofer: damn. What a difference a Presidency makes!
Woodrow/asim
This 2K thing is just more “hill I will die on” armchair politics. Remember the Public Option? There were people screaming down for it, insistent that the ACA would fail if it wasn’t implemented.
Saw similar with Medicare For All, to the point where folx were posting on Twitters that if you didn’t support it you wanted people to die.
If — IF — these people were making cases about the economics that said 2K would make X and Y improvements over lower amounts, it’d be one thing. I think there are good arguments on what the right amount is, and even, yes, how to shape means-testing. That’s worth a discussion and debate.
But yeah just shouting “do it!” and claiming it’ll be the midterm downfall isn’t persuasive — just annoying and worthy of the pundit class, in terms of credibility.
This is not how to move policy.
Betty Cracker
@The Moar You Know: Agreed. Squeaky wheels gotta squeak.
WereBear
@Baud:
I’m sure there’s a whole list of such shenanigans they always got away with, before.
The Moar You Know
@Immanentize: Precisely. That Overton Window isn’t going to shove itself back to the center. The GOP wants a mere $600 billion? Fine. I want a 3 trillion dollar bill with income guarantees. Now we can get somewhere with negotiations.
I might add Dems are shitty negotiators in this regard; you NEVER start out with the ask being what you actually want. Double it at a minimum, and ask for that, and let them bargain you down.
What, worried we won’t get any Republican votes? Shit, that boat sailed back in 1992.
cain
@Nelle: That’s great to hear, and I’m glad you were able to make someone’s day with that call. All of us should do that. Positive affirmation is important and a number of our congress critters and their aides have gone through a harrowing experience just a few weeks ago. Affirmation ftw!
Chief Oshkosh
@Immanentize: I have not heard it from any family or friends in GA, and some of my cousins really need the “survival” checks. That’s not to say it doesn’t exist. But, when I talk/email/text with them, to the degree that politics comes up, they’re still in awe that they were able to vote in “a Jew and Black minister! How ’bout that!” and so are giddy on that account. Some of them surprised me…
rikyrah
There is no place that I love for breakfast more than Corner Bakery. They sent me a terrific coupon, and my bus was late, so I could go to them now (they open 90 minutes later than they used to, pre-pandemic)
I step in there, and the first thing I notice is that there are a couple of people actually sitting down eating.
The only thing going through my double-masked self is that South Korean restaurant study.
5 minutes – 20 feet
It takes only 5 minutes and can go a distance of 20 feet – this virus.
Needless to say, every minute I was in there, my blood pressure went up.
I don’t know who in the government of Illinois decided to open back up in-person dining. IT. WON’T. BE. ME.
And, until I get vaccinated, I won’t be going in and ordering anything. If I can’t pick it up or have it delivered, it wasn’t meant for me.
cain
@Gremcat:
Rabbit pet owners dump their pet rabbits all the time. My area apparently is a great dumping ground for rabbits. I fostered 2 for 24 hours before the rabbit rescue came and picked them up.
WaterGirl
@Immanentize: What is a DP state?
Le Comte de Monte Cristo, fka Edmund Dantes
@The Moar You Know:
Snowjob probably made about 80K per year.
cain
Ha! I own an outback and they are made in Indiana in my home town. The town of lafayette is red, but west lafayette is blue. (thanks to Purdue) It is the perfect car for the northwest – I don’t need a pick up truck. Sheesh.
Subsole
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
I am continually baffled at the tendency of some rather prominent Socialists (TM, I’m sure) to badmouth bills they actually, factually voted for in the first place.
Like, if all we are ever going to get is endless fucking abuse, gaslighting and motorized goalposts even when we try to meet your goals, then why bother?
Seriously. Nancy Pelosi could shoot some top-hatted tycoon in spats through the head with a makarov while wearing a black beret and an eyepatch and jungle fatigues and these fatuous whiners would be arglebargling about how we are like, total cringelib shills who are biting their style and “don’t really mean it”.
The Lefterer than You left is utterly exhausting…
WaterGirl
@rikyrah: We love you more than you love Corner Bakery. Stay smart.
cain
@Kent:
Ugh, I’m really sad about vets not being paid.. Hopefully they can recoup their losses some how. But it seems that rancher family is fucked.
Perhaps they can start a gofundme and get MAGA people to help build their empire. MAGA people are always great to lean on to throw their money away and help rich people.
Craig
@WaterGirl: Death Penalty
The Lodger
@WaterGirl: Deep Purple?
Democratic Party?
Don’t Panic?
BruceFromOhio
As always, follow the money, it will tell a story all its own.
debbie
@rikyrah:
They didn’t have plexiglass panels between tables or something similar?
narya
@rikyrah: hell, I get dose 2 tomorrow, and i STILL wouldn’t do in-person, for months to come. The ONLY thing that has changed for me is that my anxiety level from running past unmasked folks has lowered a little bit.
The Moar You Know
@Le Comte de Monte Cristo, fka Edmund Dantes: He was a low six figures, as I recall. He had that TS/SCI clearance and that’s worth something.
Kent
@cain: You also gotta wonder how many millions of various Federal subsidies they have pocketed over the years from price supports to tax fraud to Pandemic relief. And how much of it they ploughed into MAGA politics.
Miss Bianca
@Immanentize: I don’t mind the UBI concept, either. It makes perfect sense to me during a pandemic.
Delk
@Immanentize: the tractor was Nikita Khrushchev. Just saw the SCTV episode a couple weeks ago.
The Moar You Know
@debbie: those are even more useless than face shields and that is really saying something.
One aerosol is cigarette smoke. Do you think if someone came in to that place having just dusted off a Marlboro, and sat next to you, on the other side of the plexiglass, you wouldn’t smell the cigarette? Of course you would.
If you could smell the smoke, you just got COVID.
MisterForkbeard
@rp: Hey, I’m all in favor of $2000 recurring survival checks. Or maybe $1000. Something.
But her framing on this (especially as she seems to be indicating that the current deal is bad) is not helpful. But it’s nice to have additional pressure on our left flank to go big.
way2blue
And push for ‘eligibility’ thresholds to be applied via income taxes—not during stimulus payment roll outs…
Subsole
@Baud: Prolly the same way Trump got away with it for so long.
“I’m ritch, bitch. Don’t you see my skintone??”
I am half expecting we will see a lot of these little cardboard ‘dynasties’ go up in smoke over the next few years. Increased scrutiny and the incautiousness that comes with thinking you have beaten your enemies forever.
Ken
The traditional formulation is “Don’t you think she looks tired?“
Subsole
@raven: Yeah. I imagine the wealthy white lady all but calling the Reverend an uppity socialist outside agitator mighta had a bit to do with it too, eh?
Old Man Shadow
“Give everybody eat!”
Worry about it later. Or don’t. God knows we do not give a fuck about money going to millionaires and billionaires in this country, so I’m not sure why everyone is so on board with being miserly to people making more than $75,000 when a lot of them probably live in cities where that qualifies as lower middle class.
MisterForkbeard
@MisterForkbeard: Correction: She is not complaining about the current deal. That’s not totally clear from this tweet.
MisterForkbeard
@Immanentize: The dude just LOOKS 10 years younger. It’s kind of amazing.
But yes, this is what a responsive and transparent government looks like. Let the experts talk and don’t hide them behind a propaganda wall.
debbie
@The Moar You Know:
No smoking rules, dude!
I know the panels are useless, but businesses around here at least make an effort to make their places safer.
The Moar You Know
@Old Man Shadow: Precisely.
That the billionaire class is so up in arms about this tells me we’re doing something right for once.
MisterForkbeard
@debbie: I mean, they’re not ENTIRELY useless. They might lower viral load, especially if you’re directly across someone for just a couple of minutes.
But yeah, in general they suck. They’re not quite “pandemic theater” but they don’t do much.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
//rubs temples, decides to go for a walk//
citizen dave
Have not heard one way or the other what other states have done, but Indiana conducted an audit of their/our COVID-19 deaths, and added 1507 new deaths today, per this note:
“Today’s total deaths includes 1,507 historical deaths identified through an audit of 2020 and 2021 COVID death records and test results.”
So we went from 9,700 deaths to 11,231 deaths as of today. Which, per a post here today, moves us to 1 death per 601 people. I found this per capita chart today by state (which has not updated these new numbers for my state yet). https://www.statista.com/statistics/1109011/coronavirus-covid19-death-rates-us-by-state/
rp
@MisterForkbeard: If she’s not actually complaining about this deal, then I have no problem with her pushing for UBI. But she needs to work on her messaging.
karen marie
@evap: Encouragement and thanks are always useful given how many negative calls/emails your rep probably receives.
Jeffro
House Impeachment managers just requested that trumpov testify – HERE WE GO!!!
karen marie
@rp: Not even close. There is a lot of competition for that title. I nominate my rep, Andy Biggs (R-Insurrection).
MisterForkbeard
@Jeffro: YES. He has no reason not to. I hope he does it.
Steeplejack (phone)
Hmm, attention-starved narcissist cut off from Twitter megaphone . . . ?
karen marie
Today is February 4th – time to get your annual supply of Girl Scout Cookies!
Leto
@Steeplejack (phone): “Sir, sir… you could finally tell your story! You can say everything you ever wanted! Plus House/Senate Republicans will stand with you no matter what, so there’s really no downside!”
Can he refuse to do it? Can we subpoena him, now that Dems control the DoJ and will enforce that subpoena?
MisterForkbeard
@Leto: I think they can subpeona him for it? Maybe?
Regardless, I think they can absolutely call him in and get some kind of punishment if he doesn’t.
catclub
@The Moar You Know: median HOUSEHOLD income in California was about $75k in 2018, so at $120k, they are way above median … for the state,
not necessarily where you live.
Leto
@MisterForkbeard: I can’t wait for the lawsuits to take 8 years to adjudicate. The courts have to move slow because… reasons.
Dorothy A. Winsor
@Jeffro: LOLOL. He’s going to want to do it. His lawyers must have started drinking already.
germy
@Jeffro:
I don’t think Trump would ever agree to that.
The most he would consent to would be some written questions he could have his lawyer reply to.
Barbara
@Steeplejack (phone): My view is that they have to ask him. If he is smart (????) he won’t, and will rest on the arguments put forward by his lawyers. But who knows. He may be so starved for a public audience that he will agree to it.
Brachiator
The current “means testing,” based on adjusted gross income, has worked fairly well for two stimulus checks already. It is not a big deal.
Also, the current system lets people use information from their 2020 tax returns to make up for some shortfalls with respect to the stimulus check.
The idea is to get money into the economy, not simply to give everyone a check.
Take a married couple with 2 kids and $45,000 in self employment income. Give them $2,000 in a taxable stimulus check and they lose other refundable credits. Instead of a net refund, they now owe $3,000.
The GOP is trying to reduce the amount of the check and to reduce the number of people who get a check. These calls for taxable money to everybody is not a fix.
catclub
No, because if you do nothing, they will vote against the Democrats even harder for not fixing the problem.
catclub
@Brachiator:
This makes no sense. Could you show your work?
What does self employment income have to do with it?
WaterGirl
@Craig: Thank you.
catclub
@rp: No. I think folks are converting ‘recurring’ to monthly. She did not write that.
catclub
@Brachiator:
Tax laws are presently written that: If your income is less than X – say $75k, then the tax rate on your long term capital gains is… zero.
You could do the same thing with taxes on any relief checks. It is not hard. and will still hit high income folks as intended.
A woman from anywhere (formerly Mohagan)
@WaterGirl: I’m guessing Death Penalty
Brachiator
@catclub:
Present law handles this acceptably. Some folks are just stuck on the idea of sending checks to everyone because it sounds good.
Kinda like “Medicare for All” without getting into the weeds of health insurance and health care.