No More Stimulus
By Jim Bauer
@porwest (90937)
United States
January 12, 2021 10:26am CST
Previously I was on board with an extended stimulus package and stated my reasons for thinking it was necessary despite my typical stance that stimulus packages do nothing to create any long term benefit.
I will link the post below if you care to go back and read it.
But in light of an alarming rising number of permanent business closings and bankruptcy filings, I have to change my stance.
No more stimulus.
The problem is that in order for us to have a sustainable economy, we need people able to work. And that means people need jobs. Businesses need to be able to operate, and generate profits so they can ultimately stay in business and...
Pay workers.
As Ronald Reagan once famously said, "The best welfare program is a job."
The fact is that even if you give people two or three additional stimulus checks up to $2000, unless there is a job to go back to, at some point no amount of stimulus will ever be enough.
People will ultimately suffer financially REGARDLESS of the stimulus money.
Stimulus is only going to get people through a month or two worth's of expenses. But a job can provide for much more than that, and if we keep businesses closed down due to Covid, and those businesses ultimately reach a point where they can no longer stay in business...
We will reach a point of critical mass that when we finally DO reopen there will be nothing left TO reopen.
We are going to have to accept no more stimulus. We are going to have to accept the risks from Covid. And we are going to have to reopen businesses.
It is the only way.
Most of the time I do not fully support stimulus packages. Part of my reasoning for this is that it really does nothing to push the needle forward for anyone....
16 people like this
15 responses
@LindaOHio (178780)
• United States
13 Jan 21
I probably don't have a popular opinion; but I think businesses should never have been closed. We are in a terrible financial position; and the virus rages on. You're right. We need jobs; but maybe a stimulus check will keep someone in his/her home for a month longer while they look for a job?
3 people like this
@LindaOHio (178780)
• United States
17 Jan 21
@porwest Yup. In this case, however, it will offset some of the $ we have been spending for repairs at the other house. The last of the repairs have been done (knock on wood); and now we can sell it.
1 person likes this
@porwest (90937)
• United States
18 Jan 21
@LindaOHio I hope you can sell it soon. The market is pretty hot right now, so you might not have to wait that long once it's on the market.
1 person likes this
@porwest (90937)
• United States
17 Jan 21
I am there with you. We should never have closed in the first place.
The thing with the stimulus is that it really, ultimately, helps no one. I mean, $1200 here, $600 there...hell, throw us all about $10,000. It won't make up for all of the lost wages, all of the businesses that had to close their doors permanently, and the list goes on.
I STILL can't wrap my head around what the difference is between going to Walmart or Tom's Diner?
It was funny to me, the other day, someone was touting the call by the CEO of Walmart to pay that $2000 stimulus. I was like, of COURSE he wants that. A lot of that money will be spent in his stores. 
1 person likes this
@lovebuglena (44544)
• Staten Island, New York
12 Jan 21
Another downside is this... if people keep getting stimulus money they will not feel the need to actually look for a job.
1 person likes this
@JWMILLER (3275)
• Westmoreland, Tennessee
20 Jan 21
People that I don't really get enough to live well. Have to have help.
@lovebuglena (44544)
• Staten Island, New York
20 Jan 21
@porwest Of course. Why work for money when you can get money doing nothing? That's their thinking.
1 person likes this
@porwest (90937)
• United States
13 Jan 21
We are already seeing some of this. It is part of the reason it took me three hours to get Chinese food, and over an hour to get a sandwich from Jimmy John's. People getting a check aren't showing up, and people getting extended unemployment benefits aren't bothering to return to work.
I talked to one of my customers yesterday who said he has been trying to hire a full time mechanic in his shop and can't. No one wants to apply.
1 person likes this
@porwest (90937)
• United States
12 Jan 21
With all due respect, this is a very selfish way to think. How will we support all of these people with no jobs to go to? And eventually even your own job will be impacted because your paycheck comes from taxpayer dollars.
We cannot continue these shut downs another minute.
@porwest (90937)
• United States
12 Jan 21
@JimBo452020 Not here. Even the governor of New York, one the staunchest advocates of shut downs says we can't continue. And while I usually disagree with him, he's right on this one. We simply cannot afford to bankrupt the nation for this.
In the meantime, not one more penny for stimulus and no more unemployment extensions.
2 people like this
@lovebuglena (44544)
• Staten Island, New York
12 Jan 21
@porwest @JimBo452020 Covid is not going anywhere anytime soon. We cannot keep shutting things down or the economy will totally crumble. And with a 99.xx% survival rate I don't get why people are so damn scared when it comes to covid. You can walk outside any day and get hit by a car, for example, and die. Or you can get shot, etc. Or something else bad can happen. What are people gonna do, quarantine their entire lives because something like that can happen? Life has to go on.
1 person likes this
@porwest (90937)
• United States
12 Jan 21
Selfish is keeping the businesses closed and not letting someone make a living.
I will tell you what I WOULD be for. Not a single paycheck for anyone in government (Congress, Senate, mayors, governors, the whole lot of them) until all of the businesses are reopened.
2 people like this
@Nakitakona (56486)
• Philippines
14 Jan 21
So the option is job opening and who will offer job since businesses are closing shop?
2 people like this
@Nakitakona (56486)
• Philippines
16 Jan 21
@porwest But there's a pandemic! Is it feasible and healthy-wise to open businesses?
If you're a government are you going to do that?
2 people like this
@Nakitakona (56486)
• Philippines
16 Jan 21
@porwest Don't tell me that it's being manipulated to sabotage the country's 'economy.
1 person likes this
@RebeccasFarm (89873)
• Arvada, Colorado
12 Jan 21
Yes thats true I agree they have destroyed everything.
1 person likes this
@RebeccasFarm (89873)
• Arvada, Colorado
17 Jan 21
@porwest People are greatly suffering..its not right
1 person likes this
@porwest (90937)
• United States
17 Jan 21
@RebeccasFarm This is the sad part. I get irritated when people call me selfish for wanting things to reopen, but don't realize they are being selfish by denying these people to make a living. At the same time those people will say we can't stimulate our way out of this.
So, how do we do it then if we won't let people work? lol
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61102)
• United States
20 Jan 21
The good news here in CT is that businesses are open and restaurants at 50% . We have had a holiday spike but no more closings. It has been pretty reasonable overall.
1 person likes this
@porwest (90937)
• United States
20 Jan 21
It is good that they are doing SOMETHING to get some of these businesses back and able to generate at least some kind of revenue, and thusly, get employees back to work as well. As I said, we cannot stimulate our way out of this. We have to open things back up. 50% is a start. But I think we need to go all the way and let the PEOPLE decide for themselves what they are comfortable with.
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (68084)
• United States
12 Jan 21
I agree. We’ve had two stimulus checks totaling $1800, and what can that do for anyone? My furnace was over $3,000. There are people paying $1800 a month for rent or mortgage. I believe in the free market, and the rise of businesses like Door Dash and other food and grocery delivery services shows that business can solve issues related to the “shutdown” we had. Our technology has allowed a lot of businesses to continue to operate with “at-home” working
And I agree with the “risk” assessment. There are risks every time a person goes out: risk of getting injured or killed by a drunk or distracted driver, risk of crime, etc. The government isn’t our “nanny” and shouldn’t be. It’s like going on a ride at an amusement park: there’s a sign that says, “Riders assume all risks.” That’s life!
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (68084)
• United States
13 Jan 21
@porwest — my opinion is that the lockdown shouldn’t have ever happened. When I was a kid my mom had to make an appointment to get her hair done, so why couldn’t have all of these places that were closed remained open with appointments? Yes, I know “walk-in” is the modern world, but it used to be appointments for just about everything. That would have kept the economic agony from happening.
Our nanny, I mean governor, insisted that all the protests over the summer had nothing to do with the spike in cases, but was instead caused by people going to church or a few people who went to Myrtle Beach. 
I’d love to see just a little sanity when it comes to this. Just a little?!
I’d love to see just a little sanity when it comes to this. Just a little?!1 person likes this
@porwest (90937)
• United States
13 Jan 21
There ARE many workarounds as I see it. Limited seating in restaurants etc. But yeah, that's the thing. These checks are only going to go so far. I too believe in the free market. I say, let the businesses open up and let the people make their own decisions about whether or not they wish to go. Just because the government says, "Okay, open back up," doesn't mean that those who don't feel comfortable HAVE to patronize these businesses. But people can also assess their own risk, and should be able to decide for themselves what they want to do or what risks they are willing to take.
I STILL cannot understand what the difference is between going to Walmart for a dozen eggs or Tom's Diner for a hamburger?
My biggest concern is as I stated. That we reach a point when we do finally reopen that all that are left are vacant buildings. That does no one any good, and it will take years to recover from that. IF we ever fully recover.
1 person likes this
@porwest (90937)
• United States
17 Jan 21
@FourWalls I am right there with you. The shut downs should never have happened in the first place, and someone should have realized right away that even things considered 'essential' was a bit of a stretch considering how many people went OUT anyway to horde thousands of rolls of toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and whatever else they were hording?
They could have simply limited dining in restaurants, made it by reservation only...SOMETHING. But what they did hurt a lot of people, and now all they want to do is throw a few hundred bucks here and there thinking that will somehow solve the bigger problem?
I just don't get it.
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
12 Jan 21
They better not close any more businesses when the new guys start our I'll be up a creek with the rest of you.
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
17 Jan 21
@porwest no. I'm a trump supporter too, like you.
1 person likes this
@porwest (90937)
• United States
17 Jan 21
It's basically a 'dangling of carrots in front of donkeys' situation if you ask me. It's the government's way of saying, go along with these ridiculous shut downs. Go along with this ridiculous scare over nothing. We'll make it up to you. Here's a little something for playing along.
@JWMILLER (3275)
• Westmoreland, Tennessee
20 Jan 21
People will not suffer as much if they have more money not to be gifted and not have food to ear.
@porwest (90937)
• United States
3 Apr 21
If people don't have money it is not because they lost their job. It's because they have not planned for the future. That's not my fault to fix it as a taxpayer, and it's not anyone's responsibility to fix it other than the person who dug their own hole.
If you aren't smart enough to jump out of a plane and grab a parachute it's not my fault if you go splat! 
@porwest (90937)
• United States
13 Jan 21
I just don't see how we stimulate our way out of this mess. Even to the point that people are being allowed to not pay their rent and landlords can't evict, this too is not sustainable, and ultimately at some point even the banks won't accept non-payment of mortgages. What happens when the landlord finally says enough is enough and defaults? Where does the tenant go then?
The bigger the hole we dig the harder it will be to climb out of it, if we even can.
2 people like this
@star_disgate (779)
• Phoenix, Arizona
13 Jan 21
We aren't getting one, because they aren't done processing our 2019 return. I can't believe they're holding it from people who need it.
1 person likes this
@star_disgate (779)
• Phoenix, Arizona
17 Jan 21
@porwest The stupidest reason. We are fighting with them. They are saying my fiancé can't claim my daughter or myself. I don't work. He provides for her needs. It even says on the website that he qualifies to claim her. Her dad hasn't paid a dime in years. My fiancé has claimed her every year with no issues.
3 people like this
@porwest (90937)
• United States
18 Jan 21
@star_disgate Ah. Well, I hope it all gets worked out and you can get your taxes processed AND get your money as well.
1 person likes this
@ShyBear88 (59347)
• Sterling, Virginia
12 Jan 21
People getting stimulus check has nothing to do with work places not opening. It has to do wish the owners themselves. One they have to meet CDC guidelines, they also can’t hire huge numbers of people because CDC says so not the government decided to give people and that is all people not those just not working money. A lot of jobs that still have works are working at half of what they normally wood to even less. Not all business are essential to your living.
Also many jobs are not offering any sick time or risk pay if you do get sick while working. So if you get sick and you have to say home you don’t get paid which means your losing money.
