Well?? Already own a home. What is the best way to spend this Rebate Check to help acheive the desired boost to the economy? Is it merely a matter of going on a shopping spree or are there certain targeted markets?

Thoughts?

Since the U.S. retail economy pays close to minimum wage, the only economy that these checks are going to really stimulate is the owner of the manufacturing plants where our consumer goods are made - the Peoples Republic of China.

A prudent citizen would use the rebate checks to pay off debt, especially high interest consumer credit. But not many American consumers are that prudent.

By he way, since the U.S. Treasury consists mostly of debt paper (IOUs). Where is the currency going to come from to back these rebate checks?

Oh, I know! The President will have to ask Congress to raise the national debt ceiling in order to borrow the money.

No wonder future generations will hate our guts. We're squandering away their future.

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Since the U.S. retail economy pays close to minimum wage, the only economy that these checks are going to really stimulate is the owner of the manufacturing plants where our consumer goods are made - the Peoples Republic of China.

Here's a few ideas on how to avoid China . . . at least for a start...

Access AFL/CIO Union Made Data Base

Pretty comprehensive list of Made in USA Stuff

And an online store selling American Made Products.

...gjd

Our currency is technically fiat paper. Deficity spending is not necessarily a bad thing. Without going deep in debt, nearly no one would be able to buy a house. The national debt in relation to our net worth is extremely small; smaller than most household debt.

I plan to spend my dividend check of our profitable ecomony on clothes and short term debt.

Personally, I would try to leverage any money to make more money. As a business owner, I could use some ‘luxury’ technological items that might enhance my ability to bring in new business. Maybe I could use the money to take a slightly ‘higher’ risk in advertising. Who knows? I don’t expect to receive it. We have to make sure that those that don’t pay taxes get their refund (as illogical as that concept is).

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Originally posted by CommsChek78:
Well?? Already own a home. What is the best way to spend this Rebate Check to help acheive the desired boost to the economy? Is it merely a matter of going on a shopping spree or are there certain targeted markets?

Thoughts?

Well my proposed rebate check is already obligated...but not until 2023 when my now 2 1/2 year old starts college. I'll let it earn me a little interest, then put it back in the economy by paying for my son's education.

I'm going to put the money in Mason jars and bury it around the back woods. One of those liberals (Clinton/Obama/McCain) is just going to take it back anyway. And if it's Clinton or Obama, you can forget about any pay raises in the next 4 years.

Beer....good old American made beer.

How about pay my taxes? I am considered self employed. Give it back so I can keep more.

Probably going to put it towards chrome rims for my Dodge Ram. Trying to dress it up a little.

Don

I'm thinking of blowing it on a family ski trip. Just doing my part for Uncle Sam.

Rebate? What's a rebate? I usually get a check for $5. I don't make that much money but I have no deductions..CRAP maybe I should adopt a kid?
NAW

Well, if my country needs me to spend some money, then d@mn it, I'll do it.

Figure, maybe I'll put half or so into advertising for my business and the rest will be splurged on some shopping spree. I could use some new kicks and clothes. Maybe do a big dinner out, ofcourse a few pints on uncle sam will do.

all of mine will go to savings. not spending a dime of it.

If the Bush Administration wanted to practice Keynsian economics - where government injects currency into curculation in order to stimulate the economy - it would have done well to spend the money on capital investments such as the repair of highways and other infrustructure such as decomposing bridges, waterways, airports and the like. Also would have worked well to train more persons to go into nursing and other allied health positions where there are shortages, this, in turn, would have enabled the private sector to create better paying jobs and positions. Not unlike FDR's New Deal programs, this would have been a win-win propesition in the long run.

Instead, a small rebate check (yes, I consider $600 - 1200 chump change when thinking about the larger economic picture) won't go very far into fixing the economy and will enable the transfer of more U.S. currency to foreign nations where most of our goods are manufactured, as alluded to above.

Tossing small change at the people themselves is much like treating cancer with asprin. The patient might feel better momentarily the still has the cancer eating at him or her.

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Originally posted by Mazski9:
And if it's Clinton or Obama, you can forget about any pay raises in the next 4 years.

So we can hold you to that statement? If one of those two candidates win the presidency, and the military keeps on getting pay raises every year, you'll "eat crow"?

I think this nation needs to start getting comfortable with an unpleasant senario. In order to start correcting eight years of George "Spend Like a Celebrity" Bush, we may all need to start making sacrifices and paying a little more. And if the right (for lack of a better term to encompass the pro-war crowd) wants to keep up their "Team America" military operations, they'd better start thinking about paying more. We can't go on war footing and then talk about spending less across the board.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: OMC2008,

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Beer....good old American made beer.

Sounds like a plan to me!

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...you'll "eat crow"?

What, again? That's all we could afford to eat during the Carter and Clinton administrations. We had military members on food stamps and on the WIC program. Isn't it amazing how democrat administrations take care of the military?

Where do you think the majority of the money is going to come from to support all the social programs and illegal aliens? How many more bases do you think will be closed in the next few years? No, eating crow will be the least of my worries if Clinton or Obama gain with White House.

Ok, now that i have done a little more research, i have found that this Rebate, is actually an advance on next years tax refund. Glad to have learned this now, before i did blow the money. Guess I will be putting it back.

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What, again? That's all we could afford to eat during the Carter and Clinton administrations. We had military members on food stamps and on the WIC program. Isn't it amazing how democrat administrations take care of the military?

At least those programs were available during the Carter & Clinton years.

During the Nixon years, there were still young junior Enlisted families who couldn't manage to make ends meet but their needs were fulfilled largely by not for profit volunteer groups such as the Armed Forces YMCA, National Friends Service Committee (Quaker) and other groups.

In that time, to take food stamps or other form of government relief would have been embarrasing to the service. All requests for these programs were required to be signed off by the member's Commanding Officer. Not many in actual need dared approach their commands for fear of retrobution and punishment (Article 134 of the UCMJ, the General Article, was often used to punish members for bringing disagrace to the service by such requests). This is also why E-5 and below required their respective Commanding Officer's permission in order to get married.

The Armed Forces of the Carter Administration took away that particular stigma thus allowing junior members with dependants easier access to help.

Had you served in some of the more high coast of living areas such as California, New York's Long Island, Miami or Washington DC during the 60s and early 70s you might have appreciated what the Carter Administration accomplished for the troops.

As to base closures, actually these were begun after the colapse of the Iron Curtain during the administration of President George H. W. Bush and carried out by his Secretary of Defense, Richard Cheney with the peridical Base Realignment and Closure Commission meetings which begun in the late 1980s.