Another Spending Incentive?

I wonder what the government is thinking sometimes. Well, maybe more than sometimes. All the time is probably more accurate.

I hear now that we may get another check in the mail from the government, like we did in May, to encourage spending in the current economy. I realise that the current economy stinks. It doesn't take much to get that. I was surprised to hear myself saying, "Wow, my 401(k) only dropped 4.94% on my individual rate of return." Sadly, while I have contributed almost $900 this quarter, the total amount only went up $230! Yikes. So I do realise fully that the economy is poor. Somehow, Republicans never admit Bush had to be involved in this severe decline somehow, a thing I find amusing.

I also don't have any unrealistic expectations of Obama to pull a rabbit out of the hat and save the American public from this wretched economy. That would be insane. And any presidential candidate who claims to be against raising taxes is full of it. I can't imagine anyone tries that as their platform since taxes are part and parcel of life. But at the same time, who is the brain surgeon who thought of this? Sending out checks to individuals to jump start the economy?

It clearly did not work in May. What makes anyone think it will work in January? And not for nothing, but if you really, really, want to jump start the economy, then send out the checks in time for Christmas shopping... which will likely be the big make or break thing for many retail businesses.

With a national deficit involving figures beyond my imagining, how is it possible that the government has the money to give out to everyone?