Feeling Stimulated?
15/9/11 10:28![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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talkpoliticsI received a check from the US Treasury for $250.00 yesterday. Fortunately, they printed on the bottom "VA Economic Recovery Payemnt".
I had to look it up.
Now, I don't mean to sound ungrateful, and at one point in my life not too long ago, this would have been a tidy sum of money. Not a meaningful amount of money even then, but nice. But really. $250? What am I supposed to stimuate with that? I suppose, as HH6 mentioned, in some neoghborhoods, I might be able to buy a hooker. That would be stimulating. Maybe get half a tattoo?
Incidentally, when I enlisted in the Army in 1981 my base pay as a Pv1 was $501 a month. So this would have been two weeks' salary for an Army Private. In 1981. Beer money!
I really don't mean to sound ungrateful here, but WTF? Why would they send me $250? Okay sure, it's because I am a disabled vet. I understand that. But really? $250? That's almost insulting in some ways. It's not really enough to actually do anything with it. Sure, it's a month's worth of groceries, but it's as if they are just sending out some token payment to attempt to placate the masses.
And they set up the whole government infrastructure to cut checks, track them, man the phones, answer questions, create websites, get coffee, and so forth. How much does all that cost? Is keeping more government employees busy part of the stimulus?
Oh, and the checks were supposed to have been sent out by 4 June. So they were late too.
I had to look it up.
Now, I don't mean to sound ungrateful, and at one point in my life not too long ago, this would have been a tidy sum of money. Not a meaningful amount of money even then, but nice. But really. $250? What am I supposed to stimuate with that? I suppose, as HH6 mentioned, in some neoghborhoods, I might be able to buy a hooker. That would be stimulating. Maybe get half a tattoo?
Incidentally, when I enlisted in the Army in 1981 my base pay as a Pv1 was $501 a month. So this would have been two weeks' salary for an Army Private. In 1981. Beer money!
I really don't mean to sound ungrateful here, but WTF? Why would they send me $250? Okay sure, it's because I am a disabled vet. I understand that. But really? $250? That's almost insulting in some ways. It's not really enough to actually do anything with it. Sure, it's a month's worth of groceries, but it's as if they are just sending out some token payment to attempt to placate the masses.
And they set up the whole government infrastructure to cut checks, track them, man the phones, answer questions, create websites, get coffee, and so forth. How much does all that cost? Is keeping more government employees busy part of the stimulus?
Oh, and the checks were supposed to have been sent out by 4 June. So they were late too.
