Q. What is an Economic Stimulus Payment?
A. It is money that the federal government will send to taxpayers.

Q. Where will the government get this money?
A. From taxpayers.

Q. So the government is giving me back my own money?
A. Only a smidgen.

Q. What is the purpose of this payment?
A. The plan is that you will use the money to purchase a high-definition TVset, thus stimulating the economy.

Q. But isn’t that stimulating the economy of China?
A. Shut up.

Below is some helpful advice on how to best help the US economy by spending your stimulus check wisely:

If you spend that money at Wal-Mart, all the money will go to China. If you spend it on gasoline it will go to the Arabs. If you purchase a computer it will go to India. If you purchase fruit and vegetables it will go to Mexico, Honduras, and Guatemala (unless you buy organic). If you buy a car it will go to Japan.

If you purchase useless crap it will go to Taiwan. And none of it will help the American economy. We need to keep that money here in America. You can keep the money in America by spending it at yard sales, going to a baseball game, or spend it on prostitutes, beer (domestic ONLY), or tattoos, since those are the only businesses still in the US. (from the WSJ)

Certainly a pain in the rear, but I don’t how much of a pain.

When Democrats are in charge Government will always get bigger while at the SAME TIME the military shrinks in size.

That means jobs going for the defense of the nation are reduced while jobs created for the federal bureaucracy increase.

At least it’s become more apparent than ever that the ’600,000 new jobs’ that Obama plans to create won’t be in the military or the defense industry.

What a relief! :P

Unlike private sector jobs, Government jobs HAVE NO COMPETITION. NO MATTER HOW INCOMPETENTLY, OR INEFFECIENTLY GOVERNMENT WORKERS PERFORM THEIR DUTIES, THE AMOUNT OF MONEY AVAILABLE TO PAY THEM WILL NEVER SHRINK.

See, Government jobs are paid for with TAX PAYER DOLLARS.

In the private sector, jobs increase and decrease in alignment with the forces of a free market.

If I’m running a company in the private sector, I HAVE COMPETITORS. I am in COMPETITION for the public’s dollars for that particular service.

If I do a GREAT JOB and expand my customer base and make more money, I can hire more workers and expand my business.

If I do a LOUSY JOB, I end up with fewer customers, I make less money and I have to cut costs, let some people go, and reduce.

That’s not how it works if I’m in the government. Whether I do a good job or a lousy job, that same amount of money is coming in next year from the federal taxpayer funds regardless.

I have no incentive to get better, become more efficient, or improve my services. I get the money, no matter what. Because I’m the government. I HAVE no competition. There IS no market that I have to respond to.

I can even provide my services in an incompetent an inefficient manner for years, and over those years the money given to me will actually INCREASE in line with the expansion of the Federal Budget.

Another aspect of this to remember is that if you are someone in the private sector who cannot perform your job quickly, efficiently and competently, you will be FIRED.

Have you ever taken a look at all the rules and regulations and litigation that is involved in firing a member of a government bureaucracy?

Just one example: the rules and regulations regarding the firing of a public school teacher in the state of New York is bigger than most metropolitan area phone books. The department of education in New York literally CANNOT fire incompetent teachers. It costs too much. They actually have rooms where teachers are sent to play cards and nap all day rather than teach because they can’t trust these teachers to do their jobs in the classrooms, yet firing them would be prohibitively expensive. It’s actually cheaper to send them to a rubber room for 6 hours a day and pay them their salary.

Insane? Yes.

Typical? I’m afraid so.

Government will never shrink until government workers are held to the same standards of excellence as the workers in the private sector.

The pool of money available to spend on government jobs will NEVER decrease. No matter how lousy the government is at what it does.

And this fact becomes only more galling as we have to watch over the next few years as Obama & Co. reduce our military and expand the federal bureaucracy.

In the military as least if you do an incompetent job they demote you or discharge you.

Obama’s going to add hundreds of thousands of new jobs to the bureaucracy that are going to be essentially permanent because bureaucratic jobs will never disappear – why would they? Lack of money? Market forces? They are immune from such things.

A democrat president, a democrat majority in Congress, I’m not the least bit surprised at this. My surprise is it’s only 10%. This is democrat history and legacy – socialism before defense. I guess Obama never heard of “Millions for defense, not one cent for tribute”.Clinton tried the same thing in 92. He wanted to slash the budget and 80% of the cuts would come out of DOD and he would dump the savings into social programs. But the Repub minority, before they became political eunuchs, put a stop to it.

abcurtis on February 1, 2009 at 8:18 AM

Where were those people who in the last election said they would vote for Kerry as it was important to not have all the power in the hands of one party?

Gulf 1 and Gulf 2 didn’t use them until the B2 and F22 had taken out most of the radar and anti-aircraft artillery sites.
Bradky on January 31, 2009 at 11:33 PM

BDA: Decided to take a final look….Bradky you have much to learn both tactically and strategically. The F22 has yet to be deployed to an active combat theatre of operations, (try F117) When in a hostile environment one should minimize exposure and reduce risk by utilizing timely intelligence, superior preparation and disciplined mission execution, your repeated responses served to further damage your argument and reputation.

Lots of wonderful military planes regularly.

There was this pub almost inline with the southern end of the runway.

All of the jets made noise but when the B1 took off the whole town shook, it was awesome.

The B1 isnt really the plane for this conflict, but if we were fighting an enemy with an airforce its ability to go fast and low would be very useful.

It’s like the “we didn’t deploy enough up-armor kits for our humvees”, only worse.

We lost wars under Clinton due to lack of military funds? Where do people come *up* with this stuff.

I didn’t see any reference to losing wars.

Where do people come *up* with this stuff.

Bishop on January 31, 2009 at 11:30 AM

I’ll give it a stab anyway. I don’t think Mogadishu, Somalia was a victory. I don’t think Kosovo was a victory. And I sure as hell don’t think saying no to the Sudan for Bin Laden was a victory. When you do not achieve victory, the best you can hope for is a Korean peninsula situation. At worst, you have a present-day Somalia.

obama knows no shame.

Well… at least Obama can will take credit for this…

Iraq wraps up election with no major violence

Pianobuff on January 31, 2009 at 10:53 AM

I will give the credit to our soon-to-be-gutted military, where it belongs. Obama has nothing to do with this.

Disturb the Universe on January 31, 2009 at 10:57 AM

Obama, our commie douchebag of a president, already gave credit to the UN. By giving the obstructionist scuzzbuckets at the Den of Thieves on Turtle Bay any credit for Iraq, I KNOW Chicago Jesus hates our military.

No offense Blue, but [KBR and Hallibuton] in particular have been given a very bad and unfair rap.

hawkdriver on January 31, 2009 at 10:52 AM

APPLAUSE, APPLAUSE