On...Rebate Checks

Give Politicians and Bureaucrats 5 plans and watch them pick the worst one.

Continuing on the thought of the Stimulus Boondoggle just think of the lunacy of the rebate checks (Both Bush's and Obama's). This is the worst possible way to get money back into the hands of the American people yet this is the delivery system they pick. First they send a letter telling you you're going to be receiving a rebate check. (Taxpayer $ spent) Then they take months to send all those checks out (Think about time, cost, and bureaucracy needed for such nonsense). Then studies show that the majority of the people simply saved it or paid off existing debt, they didn't buy anything new. So the whole point of a big push to the economy didn't happen. AND THEY WANT TO DO IT AGAIN! And roughly the same size! Why aren't more people outraged?! The overused word of the Obamanation already is Smart: Smart Committee this and Smart energy that and Smart Biden over there. Is this Smart anything? No, this is good old fashion American idiocy.

Just cut everyone's payroll tax (or something like it) for one paycheck. You can switch a few digits in a few computers and everyone's next paycheck will be bigger. (Or so it would seem, granted probably a little more complicated, but still) People will be more apt to spend more money in a paycheck than a separate check they can just plug into their savings. They'll go to the movies or out to dinner or buy a new shirt or anything else. It will be more like found money or a Christmas bonus.

Or as someone (can't remember) suggested give everyone a time-expiring VISA-esque card that they must spend or it goes back to the government bureaucracy. Though the logistics and bugs of this project are probably going to be quite messy the first time around and the cost will be higher, it is waaay better than stupid rebate checks of $500 bucks.