Obama To Press For Stimulus Payments For Seniors

President Barack Obama will press Congress to approve 250 dollar stimulus payments to seniors, veterans and the disabled, the White House said Friday amid persistent worries about the US economic recovery.

Comments

[Uda]

08:33 PM on 10/19/2010

Why is Obama recommending $250 for seniors, vet's and the disabled?
Ans: Because there has been no CPI increase.
Why not: Because our economy is deflating instead of inflating.
Why's that? Because of our current account deficit.
When did that become a problem? It began in the early 1980's, peaking at $161 billion in 1987.
Oh, I understand it now. It's all Obama's fault.

[GloriaY]

01:28 AM on 10/19/2010

Can't wait since we were overlooked for the last two years. Hurry up with the $250

[Wasp35]

06:40 PM on 10/18/2010

Well, this should be entertaining. The last time this Administration decided to send out "stimulus" checks of $250 each, the Social Security Administration sent 89,000 of them to dead and incarcerated people (48,000 of which could not be retrieved because the stimulus package didn’t include a provision authorizing the SSA to try to retrieve funds that were mistakenly sent out).

http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2010/10/07/maybe-you-can-take-it-with-you-stimulus-checks-sent-to-the-dead/

Naturally, the White House report that was issued shortly thereafter (and touted by Joe Biden--the guy who is supposed to be in charge of tracking stimulus spending) concluded that Recovery Act funds were being used "effectively and efficiently."

So, exactly how many stimulus checks have to be sent to dead and/or incarcerated people for the White House to conclude that the funds are not being used "effectively and efficiently"? 100,000? 150,000? Seriously, what's the number? Is there a number?

[logic63]

03:13 PM on 10/18/2010

Some people will find a negative in everything. There is an old saying in Okla. "it's better than a sharp stick in the eye" it applies to anything that isn't worse than before. $250 beats the heck out of nothing, no?

[Debbie McPherson]

09:06 PM on 10/18/2010

logic

I think you are right - at least it would be something - Obama should remind Congress that they happily and easliy snuck in a little $9K per year increase on their own pensions for this year.
I didn't hear Boehner cry "armageddon" on that one - being unfunded spending you know - what a bunch of greedy, disgusting hypocrits...

[MeinNH]

09:07 AM on 10/18/2010

The rich get richer (they can now buy new jewelry) and the seniors (poor) get $250....is there something wrong with this picture?

[Dangerous Dan]

01:56 AM on 10/18/2010

How many people would play monopoly for hours on end,
if all they can accomplish,
is a draw?

[Dangerous Dan]

01:52 AM on 10/18/2010

All actors should voluntarally work for union scale.
Athletes should be paid "Less than $200k" per year, and a pension annuity set up to carry them beyond their 'productive' years.
Greed should not be reflected in our desire for "non-productive" entertainment.

[Dangerous Dan]

01:38 AM on 10/18/2010

Why do all the eco-friendly,
low carbon footprint "Progressives"
Want to 'redistribute' the wealth?
That would equate to higher consumer spending on products that consume energy!
Do you think thy will beinformed consumers?
Do you think they will prioritize the way "you" would?
John F Kerry spoke in Congress and said that "The government knows better how to spend the peoples' money than the citizenry!"

[Dangerous Dan]

01:29 AM on 10/18/2010

The South won!
We are going back to the Plantation,
where the masses are "kept,"
Kept off theporch,
Kept healthy to provide for the elite,
Kept provided just enough to survive,
Kept in the dark about how captured their vote is.
Vote Dixiecrat, 2010.

[Dangerous Dan]

01:21 AM on 10/18/2010

Will the President have kept his word,
when they implemnt the VAT tax on top of income tax?

[FoonTheElder]

10:32 PM on 10/17/2010

The problem I have with this is that, as a group, the elderly are the wealthiest in the U.S.

This makes no differentiation whether someone has millions in the bank or someone who is living off Social Security alone. I'd favor giving more to those who need it and nothing to those who don't.

[PJ Parker]

11:59 PM on 10/17/2010

Most elderly people ARE NOT wealthy. A lot of very rich people are elderly.

[Dangerous Dan]

01:24 AM on 10/18/2010

Liberal solution to Social Security-

Elders "Die Soon!"

[ponteeman]

07:18 AM on 10/18/2010

Wasn't that Paylin catch phrase? Hmm.... Death Panel thingy! Turn off faux news and read a book.

[carolo]

11:47 AM on 10/18/2010

Too bad you don't know what you're talking about. The vote was 47 yea to 50 nay. 12 Dems voted against it but the majority against was Republican.

http://seminal.firedoglake.com/diary/33235 Here's the list of names if you wish to throw darts. I'm already throwing some at those in MY party.

[MIKEinNYC]

10:07 PM on 10/17/2010

We're talking about a whole $250 per person!
Wow!!
That's 68 cents a day!!!
And it's taxable income!!!!

Is this a joke?

Mostly it'll be used to buy CCC, (cheap Chinese cr*p).

[FoonTheElder]

10:28 PM on 10/17/2010

Over the past dozen years the top 400 individual taxpayers have seen their inflation adjusted income triple and their federal income tax rates cut almost in half.

The top 400 individual taxpayers per the IRS by Adjusted Gross Income (not even Gross Income) saw their average effective federal income tax rate go from:
29.4% in 1993
29.9% in 1995
17.2% in 2006
16.6% in 2007

With average adjusted gross income in 1990 dollars of approx:
$50 million in 1993
$60 million in 1995
$160 million in 2006
$210 million in 2007

http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-soi/07intop400.pdf
Page 9

[MIKEinNYC]

10:52 PM on 10/17/2010

All of which proves that the top 400 taxpayers pay more than twice as much now as they did in 1993.

[FoonTheElder]

10:29 PM on 10/17/2010

(Add to above)
That's about what George Bush gave everybody when he cut the wealthiest's taxes by 100,000 per year.

[Bankerrkt]

09:20 PM on 10/17/2010

You all give the Professor a break. It's very difficult to buy votes at just $250 a pop. Give him a couple of more years to turn the economy around and then he can get more taxpayer money to buy votes.

[specultr]

09:36 PM on 10/17/2010

Social Security beneficiaries received no COLA again for the second year in a row because the CPI-W showed no inflation in living expenses on aggregate. That is if you take into account decreases in living expenses such as transportation costs (buying a car), apparel (buying clothes), and home furnishings (buying furniture), these lower expenses offset increases in other areas such as medical expenses and food. However, seniors are going to be more adversely affected by increases in medical care than younger people. Medical care has risen over 7 percent since the last COLA, including prescription drugs at over 8.5 percent; food is up close to 2 percent. But these costs are not factored more heavily because of the law passed by Congress to use the CPI-W. How many seniors are buying cheaper sofas and cars to offset the cost of their meds? I don't think many. I applaud Obama for doing something to help.

[glitrbug]

12:53 AM on 10/18/2010

This senior is driving a 1990 Ford Festiva, hasn't been able to replace her favorite living room chair that broke, used to buy her clothes at Goodwill back when she could afford it and can't afford to buy meds since the cost of Medicare drug coverage went up by 50%. I can afford Medicare coverage, or doctors visits and meds but not both. $250 will cover my Medicare and the supplement for once month with $30 left over to blow on something frivolous like fresh fruit.

[MeinNH]

09:09 AM on 10/18/2010

You are so right that costs are up....I sold my car and belongings to pay the electric bill this year. I have not bought clothes for 5 years or shoes...but my electric bill, my rent, food, medical expenses and medications have all gone up.....I have no more corners to cut....no one gets gifts, I don't send cards, I don't eat out etc.....

[ponteeman]

07:20 AM on 10/18/2010

Your name should be Bank-Rupt! That what the rethugs will do if they get in!

[DeaconJoey]

09:16 PM on 10/17/2010

And these seniors will overwhelmingly vote for the GOP/Tea Party candidates right after cashing in that $250 check.

Obama, how about a little relief for the young families who overwhelmingly voted for you?

[ResearchtheFacts]

08:05 PM on 10/17/2010

At least Bush gave $1200. What is $250? Is this every month or a one time payment? The utility companies will take that for one month of heating costs.

[gramma61]

08:48 PM on 10/17/2010

And what did that bribe cost us in the long run?

[Uda]

03:10 PM on 10/21/2010

Did your heating costs go up? The $250 is intended to offset the portion of the cost-of-living that was not factored into the CPI. The measure (CPI) that is used to determine how much social security, etc. should increase each year did

[ResearchtheFacts]

03:30 PM on 10/21/2010

Ok, $20 more per month may make the difference in eating dog food or cat food. Or being able to afford one prescription.