Tax rebate, food stamp money possible in aid plan

[cal04]

Source: Associated Press

After consulting with Barack Obama, Democratic leaders are likely to call Congress back to work after the election in hopes of passing legislation that would include extended jobless benefits, money for food stamps and possibly a tax rebate, officials said Saturday.

The bill's total cost could reach $150 billion, these officials said.

The officials stressed that no final decisions have been made. They spoke on condition of anonymity, saying they did not want to pre-empt a formal announcement. House Democrats have announced plans for an economic forum on Monday "to help Congress develop an economic recovery plan that focuses on creating jobs and strengthening our economy."

Democrats said Obama's campaign has been involved in discussions on a possible stimulus package. The party's presidential candidate, running ahead in the polls, has outlined his own proposals for stimulating the economy.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081012/ap_on_go_co/second_stimulus

[bluestateguy]

1. Why another cash tax rebate?

How about a voucher that could only be used to pay bills (like mortgage payments)? I think that would make better sense right now.

[DUlover2909]

3. If you give someone a voucher to pay their mortgage...

they will spend their paycheck in other places. It's easier to just hand out cash. Some people are renters too. I am a renter and my stimulus check would be gobbled up by the $600 I already owe the IRS.

[madeline_con]

2. What does this mean?

"money for food stamps" ????

[fasttense]

4. Jobs, good paying jobs, decent f***ing jobs, that's what we need.

Keep your handouts and welfare, we just want a decent f***ing job.

That's why the dumb stimulus check didn't do shit. It's jobs with good pay that will make the difference.

[silverojo]

8. Some people need the welfare.

Not everybody can work, and Lord knows getting on disability is harder than squeezing blood out of a turnip.

[yy4me]

5. I wonder who many people used the first rebate to pay bills? I

bet very little of it went to "stimulate the economy" with people rushing to Best Buy for a new TV or something like that. Everyone I know used the money for bills.
things are worse now, another rebate will certainly go to fuel companies, other utilities, car payments and the like. It will help us pay a bill or two but will hardly find us jobs.

[MasonJar]

6. How about creating jobs by investing in repair of our infrastructure

before we all fall into the river; how about bringing those jobs back from Mexico and India.

[13 Hawks]

7. How about helping the self-employed for a change . . .

I'm self-employed with no employees. Times are really tough
for people like me. If I go under, who helps me? No one. Banks
laugh at small businesses such as mine even though I'm an
important part of the local economy and forget any kind of
unemployment benefits if I go under.  

I'm usually self-sufficient. My bills get paid. I live a
frugal life and don't own a home or credit cards. I should be
a the top of the heap, not the bottom.