really it's an advance on the money we're supposed to get next year and I don't actually want it right now. I like getting a fat check in the beginning of the year and now I won't because the government has decided for me that I will get it now.

it is not an advance

I agree that people who don't pay taxes shouldn't be getting anymore checks. They already get plenty from the govt teat

"This is an advance on a tax credit people would have gotten next year."

Whether it's an advance or not, it's just political posturing - it's still just another form of borrowing from our children for short-term relief. Totally irresponsible but par for the course for the Bush administration.

agreed

It was a bipartisan agreement and the democrats wanted to give even more money, to borrow even more money from our children, to make a bigger political posture but that doesn't allow for another chance to blame bush for everything that is wrong so we'll ignore that for now

Fair enough, no party has a lock on pandering to populism... both parties wasted no time in taking credit for the final plan though. John Boehner was just as misty-eyed about it as Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid in the final analysis, crowing about how we can't disperse this money fast enough. Bush certainly has been very publicly enthusiastic about it as well. Sad.

Um that's an interesting spin.

The Dems wanted to include money to poorer people who hadn't filed income tax returns. Considering the alleged purpose of this pandering, that actually makes some sense...the poor would more likely spend the money.

I'm against all the pandering be it Republican or Democrat. This whole move is not supported by many economists and will most likely just raise the deficit without spurring the economy much.
On that we agree.

If I recall correctly they also wanted to give more money per person

And poor people even those who've never filed a tax return can get the mislabeled "rebate" the govt is even spending money to advertise to them to file a zero earnings return to get money for them and all their children.

But we're agreed it's a lame idea, right?