Congress thinking about another stimuls check!

United States
October 20, 2008 11:33am CST
You heard me right. Congress is thinking of putting out another round of stimulus checks. The democrats are proposing a 150 Billion dollar stimulus plan that would extent unemployement benefits, state spending on building and repairing roads and bridges, increase food stamps and put cash in people's hands (another check). Do you think this is a good ideas? Especially with all the bail out billions we just added to the deficit. Also, did the first stimulus check really help you out that much? Did it really help our ecomony that much? Tell me what you think.
6 people like this
20 responses
• United States
20 Oct 08
The first stimulus check allowed me to get something I haven't had for almost six years -- a small savings account. Most of that is gone now, and I can't meet the mortgage payment this month, so I'd welcome it. Besides, being forced to pay for bailing out the Wall Street fat cats hurts a lot. A stimulus check could feel like a tiny (very tiny) bandage!
3 people like this
• United States
20 Oct 08
If the second stimulus package were all about sending out checks to taxpayers, I'd say that it's completely foolish because the money can be spent in better ways. Once again, most people would get just about enough to pay some of their back bills, and not nearly enough to spend significant amounts. On the other hand, money put into infrastructure improvements and state aid packages has the potential to save jobs, keep needed services (and people working) and create new jobs. Considering that food prices have spiked in large part due to the increased cost of fuel for transportation, raising the maximum income level to qualify for food stamps makes more sense than handing out one-time checks. I'd far rather see people get an extra $90 a month to be spent on food for six months than see $600 checks go out once.
@irishidid (8688)
• United States
20 Oct 08
It certainly could be spent better. I like the idea on the food stamps. You make one dollar over right now and they cut you off. This also works with childcare subsidies. Just one dollar. Like having the piddly amount is going to make you able to buy groceries. Please!
2 people like this
@irishidid (8688)
• United States
20 Oct 08
The school lunches, now that is a big deal. Luckily they figure income differently for that. I don't have kids in school anymore, but the free and reduced lunches did help. Where I'm at they made sure all the kids ate. If you couldn't afford to pay they would always have sack lunches for those kids. No kids went hungry. I can't say it was the same when I was little.
1 person likes this
• United States
20 Oct 08
You do need to be income-qualified to get food stamps, and making more than the cut-off at the top will cut you off entirely, yes. There's a gray area between that top amount and the fully-qualified amount, though, if I remember right. Basically, if you fall into that segment, particularly if you're working a job that doesn't provide a steady, regular paycheck - commission jobs, contractor jobs, freelancing jobs - you report your income every month or every three months. You lose $1 in food stamps for every $3 you earn (gross earnings) in cash. For a while, when I was working two jobs and my roommate was working full-time before his disability, we qualified for $8 in food stamps per month - which, of course, they didn't pay because it was less than the amount they'd send out (not that I take issue with that - it's silly to send out $8 in food stamps to anyone). The big thing that it did for us was that it qualified my children for reduced price lunches at school which WAS a big deal. .
2 people like this
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
20 Oct 08
lilwonder yes indeed the first one was agodsend, and I could'right now use another one, we arent all wealthy'on mylot, some of us have to budget and scrimp on a very small social' security check.I think its a great idea, and yes it well'help our economy.as for the bailout that hurts butus little people had nothing to do with it at all. anytime someone gives me free' money I would be a fool not to take it.just my idea, this is what i think.
• United States
21 Oct 08
That is just it....it is not free money. It will have to be paid back and with interest. It adds to our national debt and every time we just keep printing more and more money it devalues the dollar further. Which to me just digs us deeper into our problems. I am not rich and I am hurting right with the rest of you. But it does not make sense to me to dig the hole deeper. We should be filling it back in as fast as we can.
@jonesy123 (3948)
• United States
20 Oct 08
This has been tossed around for months now, even while the bailout was in process. Truth be told, I rather would have had my share of the bailout money in my hand rather than in the hand of those banks. It would have ended up in the bank one way or another anyway. Ours would have been used to pay down debt, others might have put it into savings, again others may have bought something ... that would have helped the credit crunch and stimulated the economy, lol. Did the last check help much? No, not really in the grand scheme of things. There is no short term solution to our current crisis, just bandaids where the 'blood' may or may not come leaking through again right away. There is in fact not much they can do except trying to get us feel confident again. But hey, if they hand out money, I'll be there;) I rather handle spending myself right now rather than to leave it to congress and their little pet projects.
2 people like this
• United States
20 Oct 08
IT means more money borrowed from China to pay for it, and paying it back with interest. I know things are tough for everyone right now. me included. But I can't help but think that all this money we are spending in the forms of stimulus checks and bails outs are just digging the hole deeper. We are going to have to pay back all those debts. The national debts is huge and we just keep adding to it. The way it looks now my kids and grand kids will be paying for this. I am sure they will not be thanking us for it.
1 person likes this
@jonesy123 (3948)
• United States
20 Oct 08
True, our kids and grandkids will be paying for this. However, I doubt that China will be able to lend us much more money. Their economy is collapsing as well. They have factories closing because Americans buy less. That's on top of all those health scares that came from there and seem to hit the news every other month. Obama however has already said he wants a second stimulus check round and greatly approves of such a measure. My guess is that it will come latest in February, when everything is under the control of the Democrats.
1 person likes this
@spalladino (17891)
• United States
20 Oct 08
I don't believe a second stimulus check is going to have people running to Walmart but it will provide some much needed assistance to those who are struggling to make ends meet right now. I also think extending unemployment benefits and increasing food stamps is a good idea in light of the increased number of people who have lost their jobs and the increase in food prices.
2 people like this
@bmorehouse1 (1028)
• United States
20 Oct 08
Hey I am always willing to take money if its being sent my way! I was actually able to buy a set of new tires with the last stimulus check, which I needed badly. I think another stimulus check would help people out tremendously. Why not help the people of our country? It is for a good cause! Best wishes!
@irishidid (8688)
• United States
20 Oct 08
I bought tires too.
1 person likes this
@jonesy123 (3948)
• United States
20 Oct 08
Hahaha, we bought the same thing, tires, with the last check. What a coincidence. Mine were bold. I desperately needed new ones.
1 person likes this
• United States
20 Oct 08
I'm not sure how well the first stimulus checks helped the economy but for most people I know the checks helped to pay bills and balance the increasing prices for gas and food. After the recent bailout, I think middle America is wondering what exactly just happened, and how the bailout will be helpful. That said, I would look forward to another check to help out with the winter heat bills this year.
@xParanoiax (6987)
• United States
21 Oct 08
The first one helped people pay their bills (it helped my family pay our bills). It did nothing to get us out spending money, nothing to help the economy. Sure, alot of us are dreading the coming winter... Now, extending unemployment is good, food stamps too. But helping states repair roads and bridges...I'm not so sure. The national debt is insurmountable already, the deficit's crap, inflation's at bad levels. I know state governments are in trouble, money-wise, they expect roads to fall in disrepair, and alot of them are saying they'll have to cut basic services because they don't have enough money (law enforcement, firefighters, for example)... So I don't know. I really don't. Like I said, unemployment and food stamps will definitely help, but the rest...it could potentially just contribute to the overall larger part of the problem afflicting our economy. ..like I said, I won't turn away free money. But they're naive if they think this is the most they need to do, or the wisest thing they could do.
@anniepa (27955)
• United States
20 Oct 08
I really don't think the checks we got or any we may get in the future really help the overall economy that much but for some it could be the difference between having heat this whole winter or not, or being able to give their families a few decent meals or not so I'm for it. I know we've added hundreds of billions to the deficit and I don't like that one bit, especially considering we had a surplus and the debt was starting to be paid down and look at us now. However, our country is in deep trouble right now and so are many individuals, most of whom are hard working people or at the very least people who would be working if they had a job or if they didn't have some kind of illness or disability or if they're retired. Many people are well past retirement but can't afford to retire, not if they want to be able to afford the necessities of life. I'm totally in favor of building and repairing our roads and bridges, which obviously will also provide lots of jobs for awhile at least. Increasing food stamps and extending unemployment benefits are also both good ideas, in my opinion. Annie
• United States
21 Oct 08
I agree with the food stamps, unemployement benefits and road work. But what we need to be focusing on is creating more jobs. Giving someone a check only takes care of them for a short while, while a job helps them take care of themselves a lot longer plus helps free up money in the ecomony.
@kellys3ps (3723)
• United States
16 Nov 08
I think that if people would actually spend it - it could help!
@schulzie (4061)
• United States
21 Oct 08
Well, like most everyone in the United States another Stimulus check would help my family out to help pay our bills. I mean we are going to be taxed anyways, so if the government is throwing money my way I will accept it. I never turn down money. My family like many others is struggling and it would help us out if not a lot, at least a little bit. Every lit bit helps. Have a great day and happy myLotting!!!
• United States
21 Oct 08
Our biggest problems in this country come when we get further away from what the Constitution says. It says that government is to "promote the general Welfare..." Not the individual welfare, "The GENERAL Welfare" IOW provide an environment where people are able to succeed in Pursuit of Life liberty and Happiness. Instead we have Liberal politicians who think it Govm'ts job to make sure each and every individual is taken care of. So they tax the cr@p out of the ones who ARE productive and give it to those that aren't.
• United States
21 Oct 08
I forgot to add this. For those of you who have never read The Constitution or have never even Heard of it. Here is a link. http://www.usconstitution.net/choose.html Of course if you do know about this great document, It's still a great site for you to study or reference.
@irishidid (8688)
• United States
20 Oct 08
All I can say is don't get the check too close to your face considering where they are going to have to pull the money from. I read somewhere Pelosi said they wouldn't do anything until after Bush was out of office. I wonder what happened. Wait, is Pelosi up for re-election this year?
@jonesy123 (3948)
• United States
20 Oct 08
Obama wants this second stimulus round. He also wants it just right after he takes office. They'll sit and wait for that. It'll be a legislative heaven for the Democrats at that point.
@jonesy123 (3948)
• United States
20 Oct 08
I wish there would be an edit button. I meant to say 'haven' not 'heaven', lol.
1 person likes this
@irishidid (8688)
• United States
20 Oct 08
Maybe the heaven was a Freudian slip. LOL The whole congress thinks they are Gods.
1 person likes this
@agrant10 (1476)
• United States
21 Oct 08
I think this is an excellent idea. Did the last check help out the economy? Not that much but I was able to pay off a lot of my bills and I know it helped more than me. I would love to receive another one. Every little bit counts.
@gewcew23 (8007)
• United States
20 Oct 08
Lilwonders let me sum up my answer in one word NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! All right I got that off my chest now let me expound. The federal government currently suffers from CBS and not the network but the Capital Bleeding Syndrome. The economy will never recover unless CBS is take of. CBS creates inflation through government creating and spending more capital artificially. Inflation robs the population of their savings and buying power through higher prices. So governments idea of fixing the economy is to hurt the economy. No matter how many bridges they build or checks they send out, the money that will be spent will just be printed.
• United States
20 Oct 08
Throwing money at the problem won't fix it. Isn't that how we got into this mess in the first place? But isn't that just like the Democrats.... Personally, I won't see a dime of a stimulus check. My husbands ex-wife will get all of mine AND his. I could use the unemployment extension, as we have both been out of work since last year. Either way, we will make it.
@taface412 (3175)
• United States
20 Oct 08
The stimulus check helped pull me out of the whole with my bank...and I think I actually had maybe $100 or so I was able to use towards gas until my payday. I am as leery about this new stimulus check as I was the first one, but I am not one who will say no when it comes. It will just go back out in bills I am sure....hopefully this time I will not be in the whole with my bank....keeping my fingers crossed....
@apples99 (6556)
• United States
20 Oct 08
Well the other stimulus check really helped me and I think its a pretty good thing I think it kinda helps they economy also, but anyway, is that true about giving out another stimulus or is it just a rumor?
• United States
20 Oct 08
When the economy first showed warning signs of collapse, the government did indeed give the money to consumers so that they may spend and give the economy a small boost, that didnt work out at all because most Americans used it for bills which really doesnt help consumerism. So i think giving it to Wallstreet is a better idea because the market did jump 400pts
• United States
21 Oct 08
In a way I think it is a good idea but the bail out bill should have come to the people to bail us out and not the banks. I do not think that 1800 helped us out that much. Sure it payed a bill off and helped us go on vacation but that was it. I think we really need to work on getting this country out of debt first then talk about cutting back. Lets cut back on the perks of Congress. They can drive their happy butts into work and live off of what a military officer makes. That would save us about a million a year.