The White House and Congressional leaders have reached an outrageous agreement to increase the deficit to pay for rebates that discriminate against married people, reward out-of-wedlock births, and give out welfare to non-taxpayers — all in the name of fighting a recession.
They’re giving out rebates, but if you are a middle-class taxpaying family in a high-living cost region, you’re out of luck. The rebates only go to single people making less than $75,000 per year or married couples making less than $150,000.
For the crime of being married to me, my wife, who made less than $75,000 last year (she recently quit her job to take care of our new baby daughter), will be denied her refund, because our combined household income is just a hair over $150,000. If we lived together “in sin,” she’d get a rebate, but because we’re married, she won’t.
If she weren’t married to me, she’d receive a rebate for our daughter, too! Too bad our daughter wasn’t born out of wedlock. Then we’d qualify.
By contrast, non-taxpayers — people who currently pay no federal income taxes and actually get an earned income tax credit back — will be eligible.
I previously explained why such rebates will do no economic good, will drive up the deficit, and increase taxes years in the future to pay off the increased deficits, here.
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Which is more reflective of your and your wife’s individual standards of living?
a. Your household income.
b. Your personal income applied only to your standard of living, and your wife’s personal income applied only to hers.
If you chose a, then you realize your wife benefits (financially) from being married to you, and realize that if she weren’t married to you, she wouldn’t be living in a household with one extra person and $76K or more in income.
If you chose b, then you’re shockingly selfish about how you distribute your income — and your point in this post applies. But that would be your fault, wouldn’t it?
Waaaaah! After years of bitching about government handouts, poor Hans wants his piece of the pie!
Nitpicker,
No, it sounds like after years of hard work and paying excessive taxes you want a piece of Hans pie. A piece you are not entitled to have.
You have a J.D. from Harvard and clear less than $100K/year? Clearly, wingnut welfare doesn’t pay nearly as well as I thought it did.
Azygos,
You, and the crazies over at redstate, seem to fail to understand the point of this stimulus package. It’s not a tax rebate for fun, or for redistribution (it’s Mr. Tax Cut’s idea!!). It’s to stimulate the economy by attempting to make sure that consumer spending declines don’t finish off what the mortgage crisis and housing bubble started. You all seem to want tax cuts and care nothing for deficit spending to get them; when it comes time to bail out the economy — and when deficit spending becomes the entire point, so as to create an externality to drive the economy, to be replaced with increased tax revenues when profits go back up again — you’re all deficit hawks. How about some consistency!
“Waaaaah! After years of bitching about government handouts, poor Hans wants his piece of the pie”
————–
Of course you’re unable to differentiate between those who pay taxes and those who do not.
Why should those who don’t pay federal income taxes get a “rebate”? What is this a “rebate” on exactly?
Oh, my money. That’s what. Since I won’t be getting one…
Dan,
Who do you think might “need” this rebate more? A single person making 70K in Phoenix, AZ or a single person making 80K in San Francisco, CA?
The problem is the cost of living is not the same state to state. You think you could buy a small house in SF making 80K? No way! But 70K in AZ would get you a nice house. So, the person in SF does not get the rebate, yet the will never own, pays the highest cost for gas, etc than any other state. But the person in AZ, who is a home owner (and receiving a nice tax break on the interest and taxes also!), who most likely also has a larger savings, will get the rebate.
Why is that far?
So how will it work for married couples with only one income? Will both receive a rebate if the single income is over 75K but not over 150K? My wife has been a stay at home Mom for 8 years.
Penality for NOT being married:
My girlfriend earns 90k a year.
I earn 30k a year.
If we were married we would get the $1200 rebate, but now, I only get a $600 rebate. The “Discrimination” swings both ways, and doesn’t seem to penalize marriage any more than it rewards it.
Oh boohoo for you. You make over 150,000 a freakin year! And you have the gull to complain! Ok so what about the people that have no kids and aren’t married? Like me, I’m a struggling student currently enrolled in a university (full time) and working full time. For me this rebate is a gift from god and will take a tiny bit of the presure off me. Everybody has struggles. At least your wife can take off time from work to raise your daughter and still live the lifestyle your used to. How about the married couples with 1 child that has to be with babysitters all day because both parents have to work to support eachother. Not everyone is lucky enough to be in your situation and your complaining…what gull!
Don’t worry Hans, Harry Reid is working hard to make sure no one gets a rebate by trying to load a ton and a half of extra give aways into the bill, and then getting it vetoed. Then Nitpicker will really be crying.
Of course he hasn’t figured out that Hans and I just aren’t bitching about wanting a piece of the pie, we just want to pay for less of his pie.
The only way to get government off our backs is to change the dynamics of government funding. The only real alternative out their today is FairTax.
The problem that I have with this is that there is already a rebate for people that don’t make enough money to pay taxes, it’s called the Earned Income Credit. So the poor in this nation are ALREADY getting a rebate each and every year that they don’t pay taxes.
As far as Eureka, where do you think people making $150K a year started? Most people in this country start right around minimum wage and eventually work themselves into a good paying job. Most of us have been in your situation. BTW - $150K is still probably working paycheck to paycheck, just like you. They’ve probably got nicer things, but they still have a mortgage, a car payment, credit card bills, and are part of the population that you are probably not, they are taxpayers. So while you are struggling, they are watching $30-$40K of their labors be taken by a government that no longer protects them from it’s own excesses. They are on their own, and the government uses their money to buy off voters so they can stay in power.
Why is it that people that are making good money crying about not getting $600. You make $75000 single or $150000 as a married couple you are doing pretty well for yourself. I make $85000 and over a $100000 with my bonus and I am not crying I feel fortunate to have what I do. I work with a lot of charitable organizations and see first hand what poverty or someone only making 25000 a year lives like paying the same prices for gas and necessities. You want to know what’s funny is that holding events to raise money for needy causes it is the people that makes under 50000 that donate the most and for the majority of my peers that make a decent wage are GREEDY. Not all but most people in the not qualified range are greedy and do not care about no one but themselves. So for all of you that do not qualify go wipe your eyes on your bank statement and after you can see again walk into a school that is in a low income area and tell me who needs this package more. Be thankful you are not worried about how to pay your heating bill or how to feed and clothe your kids.
Those of us who are retired on only SS/SSD, and/or really disabled, and/or guardians raising grandkids [can't claim as our own unless adopted, no tax usage, or SSI available], always fall between the cracks. We can’t apply for Earned Income credit; even too low income to file taxes. Law requires car insurance, but public aide doesn’t count it as a legitimate expense, and when I had to get a car on credit [to get self and grandchild to doctor appointments each week] I found they don’t allow the payments as a legitimate expense, either. What kind of rebate do we get? My brain says work, work; but the body doesn’t function. Often I can’t even drive, or lift milk jug. Grandson shops with me, it takes two cooperating here. When child support began, I got cut off from food stamps, and have to use the c/s for food.
In Australia we save first for what we want, but then think twice: “Is it a NEED or a WANT?”
Before Christmas (2007) Australians (only 20 million of us down-under) paid off AUD$17 Billion from our Credit Card balances.
The consumer mentality and get-rich-using-the-mortgage-equity is known as a fast-track to the poor-house where I live.
I smile when I read the comments on many USA web-sites about how you guys are planning to use your rebates. few plan to use it to eliminate personal debt. Even fewer plan to use it for savings or investment.
And many are whinging because they do not “qualify” for the rebate!
Just by quitting drinking, smoking, gambling, and “being content with what you have” for a year or two, would deliver far more to your overall personal well-being and finances, and to your nation as a whole.
As the bread-winner head of a single-income family of four, I worked out years ago that if I spend more than I earn, or borrow to get something that is not a real NEED, then I will only increase my pain in the future when these things HAVE TO BE PAID FOR.
Isn’t ANYONE in the USA speaking up for common-sense?
What about using the USD$150 Billion to teach Americans what their elders have either failed to do, or simply did not know how … teach people how to budget on a personal and house-hold level, and to keep that budget in balance.
I can only see more pain ahead for the citizenry of the USA as they pile up more debt for their children and grand-children.
Sad I think … gimme gimme gimme … my name’s Jimmy!
Wow! If I have my facts straight I will get a check for $300 even though I paid no taxes and I am on Supplemental Security Income. Thanks, George!
from what i’ve read you can simply get around this by filing your taxes as married filing separately. also if you make over 150k, the rebate is phased out, so you will still get something if you’re just a hair over 150k
you know i just dont get it these people like hans (or who ever he is) just dont get it. 150000 a yr. thats more than i make in 15 yrs! and then you want more! you dont need anymore money. if you cant live on what you make a still have a butt load saved then you are living beyond your means. and thats not us poor peoples fault!!!
I am screwed too because I won a prize that is counted as income although it is not money, because of that and the outragous cost of living in my area I will not get a refund. I cannot afford to buy a house, last year and next year we will not be close either
I too am a stay at home mom with three children, I have worked for a hospital for thirteen yrs lost my job and werent allowed to receive umemployment, I have since found other employment,my thing is I would like to be compensated for the tax I put in for thirteen years and were not allowed to get it back after all those yrs. ha ha ha, I know it sounds ridiculous but hey they stole from me, I think I deserve a share of the pie.
I totally see where this guy is coming from. We give and give and give some more to the poor but the middle class get left out. Yes, I am calling 150,000 a year middle class because it IS. When you have kids, a mortgage, car payments, etc, it doesn’t go far. The goverment takes $1200 dollars PER MONTH out of my husbands paycheck. that is not including what is taken out of my paycheck. We are probably bring home less than people making less money than we do. That is how it works in our country. Take from the middle class and give it to people who don’t feel like working or bettering themselves.
Strange how so many well off people do not know how lucky they are. I used to be one - I worked and paid plenty taxes from 1969 thru 1999 when I suddenly got MEN-1 syndrome.
Now I am 59 and disabled, spent all my savings and pension and sold all I owned to survive my unexpected rare illness for some years before being destitute from it.
I do try to work and earned $1200 in 2007, and it was hard to do. I also got $339 a month in welfare but as it was State welfare, it does not count as income towards the minimum $3000 needed for me to get a stimulus package ($300 which for me could purchase 3 months of antioxidants to help me breathe enough to earn a worthwhile amount for three months anyway!).
Now THAT would be a true stimulus package - but I’ll not be getting it.
Nor will anyone else falling through the same state-welfare cracks.
So if YOU are getting anything - be glad and I challenge you to use it well………..Irene
I would just like to say that as a very hard working successful single mother, I just got screwed. I will receive $233 lousy dollars for all my hard work at staying off welfare. I work with guys that make the same as I but they are married and their wives don’t work so they get the max amount. I am single and raising 2 kids alone and because I make just over the threshold, I GET PRACTICALLY NOTHING……THEY SHOULD JUST KEEP THEIR FRECKN CHECK!!!!
This package is a crock. How about myself who makes just over 110K and is not married to my girlfriend. We have two kids, yeah that’s right were living in sin. And we don’t get sh1t either. I hope all of you that receive the check buy that new TV you’ve been eye balling and not spend it appropriately. In a couple months i’ll be coming to your neighborhood to buy you out of your home before you forclose. F the stimulus package.
you know all of you are complaining about not getting it. what about the families who work hard and have kids and still don’t get the money. I only made $2300 last year because I could not work most of the year because of health problems and having a baby. At least you get money. My boyfriend and I both work hard and we get crap. Why does it matter how much someone makes. It should be for everyone who has an income and filed the darn taxes.
I hope you all think about the little people when you spend money that should be for everyone not just the people who all ways make more money the us.
People in the use want to much buy to much and are never happy with any thing. I know I’m one. We want $30.00 an hour to work then we don’t want to work hard or on time.
We want the best home , car, clothes, ect…
Happy up ! we could all live in worst places
This will be great for the credit industry, people will pay their outstanding bills and the top 1% will be richer…Bush your and idiot and Greenspan should have know you can not fight deflation with raiseing interest rates to the home owners under the Arms Loans, Why help with such a program to take it away and leave them homeless…130 Billion a month of $ you print each month to cover the War in Iqrac and no gold standard..Opec knows our $ is worth less each day so the price of oil goes up and up.. Greenspan retired after creating a mess and knew your plan sucked.. You can not have 2 classes in America, we all must prosper or deep despair. Will be a rough ride comming and Congress doesn’t have a clue either. We need everyday people in Offices of Goverment, not better then the masses.