Forget the "Prebate", Do Something that would really help the U.S. economy!

What the government can do is get out of the way. Quit interfering. Protect and ecourage freedom and competition. I'll tell you a true story from my trucking days. I was at a major farm picking up a load and having a discussion with the farmer. He was complaining about banks and the government as to how they hindered his business. I suggested he cut the banks and the government out of his business to a larger degree by doing the following. 1) Send his children to college to learn about South America, their ag-business, and their language. 2) Send his children as representatives of his farm to South America to negotiate with farmers like himself down there. 3) Work out deals between himself and those farmers where they swapped each others products with each other and sold them in their respective countries, thus cutting out some of the banks action and some of the government control. The farmer laughed at this. He said others had already thought of this. They found it would be illegal. Trade laws and import laws do not allow this! Anyway, the point being is that government when it limits freedom prevents hard working, exceptionally intelligent people like the farmer I was talking to from solving economic problems. He could have cut out a lot of overhead and waste, thus reducing prices he would have to charge, but it would be against the law! The government can stimulate the economy by increasing freedom. Anything else is probably counter productive.

Government "help" has made the farmer little more than a government employee.

Well, whether we spend money, invest it, or put it in the bank, we are keeping it in circulation. Spending the money helps the local economy (and local economies translate to state and national economies). So yeah, putting money back in our pockets does help... But there's always a "but" isn't there. ;~D As you point out, the government is borrowing the money they are "rebating" to us. If it was actually a rebate, that might not be so bad... but as you know, it isn't. What would help is if the federal government didn't take part of our paychecks out of the local economy in the first place.

Do you have a job? If so, you only have a job because someone else is spending money. It helps everyone who uses it to better their situation. It helps the people who work at and own the businesses at which it is spent. In the short term, it helps a lot of people. In the long term, you are right, it's borrowed money. It's a gamble that the downturn is a short term situation and a few bridges are all that is needed. It doesn't hurt the politicians who are pushing for it either. ;~D

When you say we are putting the money back in circulation... who gains? or should I say, who profits? Not us. Spending further stimulates other countries' economies, not ours. When you buy anything, who gains? Not us, we are not manufacturing or producing much of anything anymore. What exactly do you suggest I "buy" with my windfall? Products from China?

Yawn. Sorry, I read this thinking you had something of value to say.

The bank uses that money to back their own investments, so putting it in the bank does help the economy. It's also a great choice!

First of all, at the risk of sounding heartless, it's not the government's job to pay our bills. Niether is it the government's job to get us out of the financial fixes we get ourselves into. This is a plan to stimulate the economy, not fix our boo boos for us. That being said... You are right in a lot of points. The most important being, these checks won't even be out this quarter. They can't have any kind of effect for the next six months. If it's supposed to be a "short term fix", where is the short term gain? You are also right that the money has to be borrowed, which means it's propping up one part of the economy at the expense of another. If they would just cut the gas tax, it would bring immediate benefits to both the people and the economy. The "Prebate" will cost more to implement than it will put back in the economy. While it isn't the government's job to pay bills, yes, you and I.. and a lot of other people in America will get some relief in that department... unless all they do with their thousand is use it as a down payment for something that costs several thousand.

Gas tax is a built in "yearly fee on emissions" and I reject your idea that it's regressive. If it was used right, it's actually one of the most fair taxes there is. Those who use their vehicles a lot are taxed a lot, those who use it less, are taxed less. Those who conserve fuel are taxed less those who don't, are taxed more. Each person volunteers for the amount of taxes they pay. The problem with the gas tax is, rarely is the money actually used for its intended purpose. Instead of going to the programs it was intended, it gets raided into the general fund, where legislators can use it for their own pet projects. Love the sarcasm, keep it coming! :~D

Don't bother with Class Warfare bullcrap with me please. Class warfare is meaningless drivel.

It's regressive by definition - as it doesn't take into account the ability to pay. Read my example again. A struggling rural single dad having to drive his kids 15 miles a day to school pays as much as a rich guy in an SUV who can't be bothered to walk 400 yards to get the paper in the California sunshine. When I say yearly fee, I mean you pay $2000 on Jan 1 every year if you are the registered owner of a low MPG vehicle, and then going down. People may not have a choice about driving, but they do have a choice about buying fuel efficient cars.