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[UTUSN]

This message was self-deleted by its author (UTUSN) on Sun Apr 4, 2021, 12:19 PM. When the original post in a discussion thread is self-deleted, the entire discussion thread is automatically locked so new replies cannot be posted.

[Scrivener7]

1. This is my thought too. I would rather the money go to those who actually need it.

Many here feel that any means test of it would be a disaster.

But I'm safe and have a roof and food. I'm thinking of donating mine. If it ever gets here. For some reason all my stimulus payments have been very late.

[ProfessorGAC]

2. No

First no "super rich" got it. The payment phase out began at $150k and zeroed at $160k. That is not the income level of the super rich. That's a married couple making $80k a year, each. An XRay tech & a high school teacher, for example.
My wife & I got nothing. We're not super rich.
Second, the economy is badly damaged by COVID.
The payments are not intended to be merely relief, but also stimulative. Extra spending money in the hands of people not directly affected, financially, by the pandemic is likely to increase "C" in the GDP equation.
I think you misunderstand the dual purpose of this distribution of cash, because your premise appears to presume it's only intended as relief. And, you seem to believe the super rich got money.
Sure, companies got relief and some big companies are going to scam the system, but that's a minor risk.
Lastly, well over 70% of the money did go to people directly affected financially by COVID. So, not sure how a restructuring of those distributions would have helped, especially serving two goals.

[UTUSN]

27. See post #26."

[pwb]

3. Stimulus is to stimulate the economy and get the country working again.

If you don't need it give it to your kids or a food pantry. Or you can send a check to the treasury for the amount , they will cash it I am sure. Income limits are in place last I knew.

[leftyladyfrommo]

4. I wish I didn't need it so badly. nt

[Croney]

5. Give me all the money I don't need, please.

The working poor--otherwise known as my grandchildren--are very worthy recipients.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

6. In the end, means testing hurts those who need it. If you don't need it, donate it.

[Voltaire2]

7. No.

It isn’t just welfare it is also economic stimulus. If you don’t need it for food clothing shelter or healthcare spend it on something you want or donate it to a food bank.

[snpsmom]

8. Welp

Ours went right back to the government to pay taxes that increased under the former guy's administration. So I guess that qualifies as giving it back, right?

[Liberal In Texas]

9. I can't believe you buy into the GQP meme that using gov't money to help the People

is going to "bankrupt the country."

The thing that's run up the debt (if that's what your concerned about) are the ridiculously low taxes on the uber wealthy and corporations that pay essentially nothing in taxes. It 's well recognized that the disparity of wealth in this country is turning us into a third world country and that the burden of paying taxes has been shifted to the middle and lower classes.

There already is a test for means as there is a cut-off point for people who made over a certain amount in 2019. (Which I disagree with. A lot of people who made six figures in 2019 haven't made a cent in 2020 or 2021.)

If you don't need the money, more power to you. But there are a lot of retired people on Social Security who desperately do. If you can't stand having too much money, give it away. I hope when Democrats get raises for Social Security through you don't disapprove of that either.

[UTUSN]

28. See post #26."

[Mariana]

10. If you wish to return the money to the US Treasury

instructions are here:

https://www.fiscal.treasury.gov/public/gifts-to-government.html

[Lars39]

11. You're to spend it to help the economy

Guilt free splurge
It’s part of the “go big” plan to save the economy.

[Bettie]

12. The point of stimulus is to stimulate the economy

to create economic activity. Economic activity improves the economy.

Consumers are the drivers of the economy, though the purchase of goods and services in their communities.

Buy something that is of US origin, made in the USA. That is what will help our country.

[Bettie]

13. Also, "Bankrupting the Country"

is a right wing talking point.

[UTUSN]

29. See post #26."

[tanyev]

14. If you don't need it, pass it on.

We donated our first payment to local food banks. After the second and third payments I sent checks to a couple family members who are on very tight budgets right now.

[Hawker123]

15. It is means tested which is good

I did not get any, don't mind. It was not described by the Biden administration as a stimulus but as a rescue payment for those impacted by the pandemic. Like you I will be attacked for saying this here sadly. I am so glad it passed and people are getting help. I too am worried about the deficit and debt. A democrat can be worried about that. We need to raise the taxes on the rich and corporations that pay little. This will probably get reported sadly. Certain opinions are not allowed to be freely talked about here.

[Hekate]

19. Yikes. I think you misjudge the community rather badly

[UTUSN]

26. "misjudge" - see the posts accusing of rightwing talking points & not helping the poor.

Granted I misspoke about the "super rich" who didn't get it. But I was specific about the ones who weren't impacted, not the (only) Social Security ones scraping by - some retirees have multiple sources.

As for all the sermons aimed personally about donating or spending - nobody here should assume they know what somebody else does or doesn't do or that lecturing is in order for bringing up a topic. I think that is what the poster was referring to in "misjudging the community".

Am going to post "See post #26" to all the accusers/assumers.

[Hawker123]

34. I don't think so

It's not the majority of course but it is here and should not be ignored.

[Deminpenn]

16. Would have just spent mine

on splurges, helped out friends who needed it or given to charity but fell outside the AGI limits.

[Roisin Ni Fiachra]

17. Give the money to someone who really needs it.

An extra $1400 could save someone's family from eviction or some other disaster.

[Hekate]

18. Leave it be. The more broadly defined it is, the more people will see a personal benefit & accept...

...the idea. As I understand it, one of the reasons Social Security itself has managed to endure as long as it has is that eventually everybody gets a piece of the pie, and I mean everybody. If it were means-tested downward, it would soon be seen as a welfare gimme for the undeserving poor, and if there’s anything the average American dislikes, it’s the undeserving poor — right up until it’s them.

If you personally feel you don’t deserve/want/need a stimulus check, give it away to someone who can use it immediately and get it back into the economy, because that is the general idea of “stimulus” — the overall economy needs it.

In fact, look at it this way: your local small businesses have suffered like hell and are barely hanging on: go get a haircut, treat yourself to dinner at the locally-owned Chinese or Mexican restaurant, have some car maintenance done that you’ve been putting off. Just generally do some things that will recirculate that money in your own neighborhood and town.

Happy Easter.

[gibraltar72]

20. Up until this one every dime I got went to elect people who would work for us.

Or it went to food banks. It should be an individual choice. I feel pretty good about what I did.

[Wounded Bear]

21. Nice thought, but probably too complicated to do...

better to just sprinkle a few hundred million bucks into the economy and the lower levels and let people spend it as they need.

I'm not worried about "bankrupting the economy" in the slightest. Not after several trillion wasted on Bush Bullshit wars in the middle east and Trump's $2 trillion in tax cuts for those who didn't need it to stimulate an economy that didn't need it.

Like many, I didn't really "need" the money to survive at the most basic level, but I'll spend it happily.

Oh, and the "super rich" didn't get checks anyway.

[Hoyt]

22. Basically agree, but only if the money "saved" is used to increase what those hurt by CV19 receive.

Not really upset by those theoretically "unhurt" getting it, but I think the threshold should have been lowered and their stimulus sent to others.

And, I think those on the lower end of SS, etc., need/deserve a boost.

[quaker bill]

23. The point is to get the money out there quickly

to do that the formula needs to be simple and based on data the government already has. Income level is data that they have which does not need to be assessed by source. Actually creating an assessment by source of income would likely require a lot of processing time which defeats the goal of getting the money out fast. The trick is to spend it or donate it as your means dictate. I am doing a little of both.

[Hotler]

24. keep it. We'll need it to pay our taxes in the thousnds so the rich only have to pay $750.00

Bailout after bailout, loop hole upon loop hole and the repugs cry-bag about us getting a measly $1400.00.

[DFW]

25. There are many who fit in that vast realm in between

Neither scraping by nor "Super Rich," a category I suppose starts at some number, but I wouldn't know what that number is--just that I never expect to claim it as my net worth.

All the same, I can well imagine that there are those like my sister. Her husband and she work(ed) as performers/technicians for events in New York City. If any of you ever saw "Mamma Mia" on Broadway, chances are, that was my brother in law making sure the lights on the stage went on and off when they were supposed to. They have been without income for over a year, and they live in New Jersey, where property taxes are high, and don't care if you have income or not. They are grateful for anything the government is willing to toss their way.

I'm in a different situation, and don't need anything from the government (nor have they offered), and my brother in northern Virginia just retired (he is now 67). He will start drawing social security, and I don't know if his outfit gives him any kind of a pension. He wasn't allowed to tell me anything about what he did, and while I doubt his former security clearance forbids him from telling me his current financial situation, I thinks he just clams up about it out of habit. I'm sure he'll open up if there's a problem, but I have no clue about whether or not he gets any stimulus money.

Being here in Germany, I can only hope that those people in the USA who get it needed it, and that if anyone who gets it didn't need it, that they contribute it to someplace that always needs it--food banks, planned parenthood, local Democratic candidates who are just getting started, whatever.

[Elessar Zappa]

30. Well, I'm on a fixed income,

SSDI and have given my brother a lot of money this past year so I really need and appreciate the stimulus. I bet there's a lot in my situation.

[UTUSN]

31. See post #26."

[XanaDUer2]

32. No

donate it then. Local animal shelter could use it

[UTUSN]

33. See post #26.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

35. As others have already pointed out, it's already means tested.

And if you truly don't need it, you can donate it.

I donated my first stimulus money, but I'm hanging on to the other two. My income is well below the point at which it starts being phased out. I live a very modest life, and so I'm doing just fine. But I need some long-postponed and serious dental work, and this new amount will be very helpful.

[UTUSN]

36. "already pointed out" - incredible, right after the "See post #26" post.

[UTUSN]

37. Entire O.P. here,also Post #26.All the repetitions & assumptions having been made,am Self-Deleting

********* O.P. here: *********

Heresy here: Should some of us not want/receive stimulus? -- Retirees/pensioners/SSA/VA, etc.

Look, shouldn't it be targeted to those who are actually impacted by being laid off, unemployed, shut down? And certainly not the Super Rich who don't need a stimulus?

Those of us who are off the playing field of employment because of being on fixed income of retirement, who never felt a change of income, why should we get a stimulus. Including the super Rich who never feel anything?

I mean, despite not at total subsistence level I still pinch pennies. But feel a pang of economy at receiving a check, like don't want to bankrupt the country.

***** And Post #26:

"misjudge" - see the posts accusing of rightwing talking points & not helping the poor.

Granted I misspoke about the "super rich" who didn't get it. But I was specific about the ones who weren't impacted, not the (only) Social Security ones scraping by - some retirees have multiple sources.

As for all the sermons aimed personally about donating or spending - nobody here should assume they know what somebody else does or doesn't do or that lecturing is in order for bringing up a topic. I think that is what the poster was referring to in "misjudging the community".

Am going to post "See post #26" to all the accusers/assumers.