Americans: What are you doing with your stimulus rebate?

Duskofdead · Post by **Duskofdead** » Sat May 10, 2008 8:55 am

I suppose anyone is welcome to weigh in, but I was curious about what the American forumers in particular plan to do with their Bush stimulus package rebate checks.

Personally, I've had mixed feelings about the whole thing from the start. The rebate money is coming pure out of extra deficit spending which we will have to pay back later in taxes, with interest. So if I could go back and have my way, I wouldn't have passed this thing in the first place but that's water under the bridge.

Even more annoying to me (working in an accounting office) is how great aunt hilda and every person who hadn't filed a tax return in 15 years suddenly can get up out of their wheelchair and hurry in to file and get that free money. Our workload was definitely way heavier this year and while I don't suppose I can blame old people, it was certainly annoying to deal with people being impatient and asking all sorts of demanding questions and wanting to be reassured they would get their rebate money when they are someone who doesn't even need to file a tax return at all. A lot of these people didn't need to for over a decade but made sure to this year.

But the rant is beside the point. What do you plan to do with the money?

Me, the check is going straight to the Shark Conservation Network as a donation. I don't want it, but if it's going to be wasted debt money I'd rather it did some longterm good instead of just sinking it into buying consumables from some corporation who takes its profits and production overseas and evades taxes. How buying crap made in China is supposed to turn around and help our economy in any meaningful way, *shrug.*

Post by **Teaos** » Sat May 10, 2008 9:03 am

Me, the check is going straight to the Shark Conservation Network as a donation. I don't want it, but if it's going to be wasted debt money I'd rather it did some longterm good instead of just sinking it into buying consumables from some corporation who takes its profits and production overseas and evades taxes. How buying crap made in China is supposed to turn around and help our economy in any meaningful way, *shrug.*

Wow good for you. If only everyone was as selfless.

Duskofdead · Post by **Duskofdead** » Sat May 10, 2008 9:06 am

Teaos wrote:
Me, the check is going straight to the Shark Conservation Network as a donation. I don't want it, but if it's going to be wasted debt money I'd rather it did some longterm good instead of just sinking it into buying consumables from some corporation who takes its profits and production overseas and evades taxes. How buying crap made in China is supposed to turn around and help our economy in any meaningful way, *shrug.*
Wow good for you. If only everyone was as selfless.

It's not entirely selfless, I love the ocean and I love sharks. But supporting the longterm survival and health of both ensures benefits to the human race as well.

I'm horrified at the number of people who tell me "eh I don't care if sharks die" when they hear I contribute to the Shark Conservation Network. It's like dude... do you like seafood? Know what happens when you wipe out sharks? Otters and seals and dolphins and octopus eat all the friggin fish and the ecosystem collapses, good job.

Post by **Teaos** » Sat May 10, 2008 9:24 am

Its ironic to since I'm watching Discovery channel right now and they have a show on shark attacks on.

Duskofdead · Post by **Duskofdead** » Sat May 10, 2008 9:25 am

Teaos wrote:Its ironic to since I'm watching Discovery channel right now and they have a show on shark attacks on.

At least they've gotten much better about emphasizing the facts about shark attacks... and subtly "retraining" people that the Earth is not their sandbox and if you step into a wild environment, you enter the food chain.

Post by **Teaos** » Sat May 10, 2008 9:27 am

Yeah they hammered the point home that 5 humans die each year from shark attacks and 100 million sharks get killed by humans.

sunnyside · Post by **sunnyside** » Sat May 10, 2008 9:55 am

My wife wants to spend a chunk of it on identity theft prevention stuff. I suppose it's a risk but I dunno about that.

Duskofdead · Post by **Duskofdead** » Sat May 10, 2008 9:58 am

sunnyside wrote:My wife wants to spend a chunk of it on identity theft prevention stuff. I suppose it's a risk but I dunno about that.

Yeah I hear those ads and certainly the idea of finding out that someone defaulted on 3 houses in your name and credit is frightening, but I also wonder how much those protection services can really do. I'd hate to pay the money and then if I got screwed one day by identity theft, find out that I'm still basically stuck with the bad credit reputation for seven years anyway, and all they can do is partially cover some of my losses or whatever.

Post by **Teaos** » Sat May 10, 2008 10:13 am

I wouldnt think they could do that much to prevent it. Maybe a bit of advice like to shred personal papers but thats about it.

Duskofdead · Post by **Duskofdead** » Sat May 10, 2008 10:16 am

Teaos wrote:I wouldnt think they could do that much to prevent it. Maybe a bit of advice like to shred personal papers but thats about it.

I think it just works like "insurance." If someone actually gets into your bank account or credit cards and charges some stuff up, they probably cover some portion of the losses. That doesn't help you much in the arena that your credit is ruined for the better part of a decade.

Sionnach Glic · Post by **Sionnach Glic** » Sat May 10, 2008 2:25 pm

Wait, you're all getting money from the government? What for?

Post by **Teaos** » Sat May 10, 2008 2:54 pm

I think they are all being given 1500 dollars to spend to kick start the economy. Its a poor solution to a big problem.

Sionnach Glic · Post by **Sionnach Glic** » Sat May 10, 2008 3:21 pm

While I wouldn't exactly complain if it were me getting â‚¬1500, that doesn't sound like a great idea. Particularly when you consider that most of it is probably going to be used to pay off debts or put into savings.

Post by **Teaos** » Sat May 10, 2008 3:29 pm

Haha thats assuming people do the smart thing. Most are going to buy a Plasma TV probably.

Post by **Mikey** » Sat May 10, 2008 5:11 pm

It's the type of band-aid that has been the norm since Greenspan retired. Mine is going right into my daughter's 530k education fund.