Comments on: Free Cash! (And Don’t Forget Us in November) http://washingtonindependent.com/1863/free-cash-and-dont-forget-us-in-november National News in Context Tue, 31 Jan 2012 02:40:51 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: nikkym http://washingtonindependent.com/1863/free-cash-and-dont-forget-us-in-november/comment-page-1#comment-1669 nikkym Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.washingtonindependent.com.php5-9.websitetestlink.com/?p=1863#comment-1669 Wow, $42 million for snail mail, huh? (I thought they made a point of letting us know they had access to our emails. So don't they have a big list of all our cyber addresses?) But seriously, didn't we used to disseminate civic news through public libraries and public schools, and other civic centers? Oh, wait, we hate civic centers! Librarians are "radical [and] militant" according to the FBI, and schools aren't even worth funding. Wow, $42 million for snail mail, huh? (I thought they made a point of letting us know they had access to our emails. So don’t they have a big list of all our cyber addresses?) But seriously, didn’t we used to disseminate civic news through public libraries and public schools, and other civic centers? Oh, wait, we hate civic centers! Librarians are "radical [and] militant" according to the FBI, and schools aren’t even worth funding.

]]> By: m_leblanc http://washingtonindependent.com/1863/free-cash-and-dont-forget-us-in-november/comment-page-1#comment-1670 m_leblanc Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.washingtonindependent.com.php5-9.websitetestlink.com/?p=1863#comment-1670 <i>And yet the 130 million households were identified by the very fact that they did file tax returns last year. So the only folks who will really benefit are those who filed last year but weren <i>And yet the 130 million households were identified by the very fact that they did file tax returns last year. So the only folks who will really benefit are those who filed last year but weren

]]> By: mlillis http://washingtonindependent.com/1863/free-cash-and-dont-forget-us-in-november/comment-page-1#comment-1671 mlillis Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.washingtonindependent.com.php5-9.websitetestlink.com/?p=1863#comment-1671 To m_leblanc: Point well taken. And I should have mentioned that Social Security beneficiaries, Veterans, and others who may not usually file tax returns might also be eligible for the payment. But they aren't included in the 130 million (nor the $42 million). The IRS is sending them notices as well -- in an entirely separate mailing. As for the low-income earners: Odds are that if they're earning too little to file taxes this year, then they probably didn't file taxes last year either. And yet the 130 million households were identified by the very fact that they did file tax returns last year. So the only folks who will really benefit are those who filed last year but weren't planning to do so again next month. I don't know how large an audience that is, but I'm guessing it's not terribly significant -- and that there was a better way to target them. (Events like "Super Saturday" sound like a good start). And back to the low-wage folks for a minute: The government has never found a great way to locate them, whether it be for Medicaid enrollment or an IRS benefit like this one. Maybe rather than sending notices to the highest-income households, the IRS should have sent them instead to exactly everyone else. For anyone with other suggestions, there are plenty of well-meaning administration officials who'd love to have them. To m_leblanc: Point well taken. And I should have mentioned that Social Security beneficiaries, Veterans, and others who may not usually file tax returns might also be eligible for the payment. But they aren’t included in the 130 million (nor the $42 million). The IRS is sending them notices as well — in an entirely separate mailing.
As for the low-income earners: Odds are that if they’re earning too little to file taxes this year, then they probably didn’t file taxes last year either. And yet the 130 million households were identified by the very fact that they did file tax returns last year. So the only folks who will really benefit are those who filed last year but weren’t planning to do so again next month. I don’t know how large an audience that is, but I’m guessing it’s not terribly significant — and that there was a better way to target them. (Events like "Super Saturday" sound like a good start).
And back to the low-wage folks for a minute: The government has never found a great way to locate them, whether it be for Medicaid enrollment or an IRS benefit like this one. Maybe rather than sending notices to the highest-income households, the IRS should have sent them instead to exactly everyone else. For anyone with other suggestions, there are plenty of well-meaning administration officials who’d love to have them.

]]> By: m_leblanc http://washingtonindependent.com/1863/free-cash-and-dont-forget-us-in-november/comment-page-1#comment-1672 m_leblanc Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.washingtonindependent.com.php5-9.websitetestlink.com/?p=1863#comment-1672 Mike, although I don't disagree that sending out the notices to the tune of $42 million is quite excessive, your "Just file this year's return, like you're required to do anyway" isn't quite right. There are millions of people who don't ordinarily file tax returns who will nonetheless be eligible for the stimulus payment. One particular group is people in entitlement programs, such as those on disability or receiving Supplemental Security Income. Those people don't ordinarily file tax returns, but they have to file them this year in order to get the stimulus check. Also, people who receive veterans' benefits or are low-wage workers, whose income doesn't pass the threshold such that they have to file a return, will be eligible. In fact, the IRS is having a "Super Saturday" to help all the people who are filing a return <a href="http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=180741,00.html">solely for the purposes of getting the stimulus check</a> to do so. Perhaps to save money, the government could have sent out a targeted mailing to people in entitlement programs (e.g. everyone receiving a monthly check from the Social Security Administration), but there would still be groups of people, like low-wage workers, who wouldn't receive the notice. So I'm not sure there's any way around the cost that was incurred. If they didn't send out such a notice, then surely many people who would have otherwise been happy to file, to get the check, wouldn't have done so. Mike, although I don’t disagree that sending out the notices to the tune of $42 million is quite excessive, your "Just file this year’s return, like you’re required to do anyway" isn’t quite right.

There are millions of people who don’t ordinarily file tax returns who will nonetheless be eligible for the stimulus payment. One particular group is people in entitlement programs, such as those on disability or receiving Supplemental Security Income. Those people don’t ordinarily file tax returns, but they have to file them this year in order to get the stimulus check. Also, people who receive veterans’ benefits or are low-wage workers, whose income doesn’t pass the threshold such that they have to file a return, will be eligible.

In fact, the IRS is having a "Super Saturday" to help all the people who are filing a return <a href="http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=180741,00.html">solely for the purposes of getting the stimulus check</a> to do so.

Perhaps to save money, the government could have sent out a targeted mailing to people in entitlement programs (e.g. everyone receiving a monthly check from the Social Security Administration), but there would still be groups of people, like low-wage workers, who wouldn’t receive the notice. So I’m not sure there’s any way around the cost that was incurred. If they didn’t send out such a notice, then surely many people who would have otherwise been happy to file, to get the check, wouldn’t have done so.

]]> By: strangely_enough http://washingtonindependent.com/1863/free-cash-and-dont-forget-us-in-november/comment-page-1#comment-1673 strangely_enough Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.washingtonindependent.com.php5-9.websitetestlink.com/?p=1863#comment-1673 Bush comes into office, everyone gets a $300 check (well, everyone who works for a living...): go shopping Bush leaves office, everyone gets a $600 check (well, those who file): pretend it didn't happen. "Why did we need to be told to do nothing?" Indeed. Usually, the recipient doesn't need to be told what to do with a bribe... Bush comes into office, everyone gets a $300 check (well, everyone who works for a living…): go shopping
Bush leaves office, everyone gets a $600 check (well, those who file): pretend it didn’t happen.
"Why did we need to be told to do nothing?" Indeed. Usually, the recipient doesn’t need to be told what to do with a bribe…

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