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Thursday, September 25, 2008

The 'We Deserve it Dividend'

I got this from a friend in an email and it made sense to me. Hey if Congress is handing out money, why not?

We Deserve It Dividend

Hi Y'all,

I'm against the $85,000,000,000.00 bailout of AIG. Instead, I'm in favor of giving $85,000,000, 000 to America in a "We Deserve It Dividend". To make the math simple, let's assume there are 200,000,000 bonafide U.S. Citizens 18+. Our population is about 301,000,000 +/- counting every man, woman and child.

So 200,000,000 might be a fair stab at adults 18 and up. So divide 200 million adults 18+ into $85 billon that equals $425,000.00. My plan is to give $425,000 to every person 18+ as a "We Deserve It Dividend". Of course, it would NOT be tax-free. So let's assume a tax rate of 30%. Every individual 18+ has to pay $127,500.00 in taxes. That sends $25,500,000, 000 right back to Uncle Sam. But it means that every adult 18+ has $297,500.00 in their pocket. A husband and wife has $595,000 .00.

What would you do with $297,500.00 to $595,000.00 in your family?
* Pay off your mortgage - housing crisis solved.
* Repay college loans - what a great boost to new grads
* Put away money for college - it'll be there
* Save in a bank - create money to loan to entrepreneurs.
* Buy a new car - create jobs
* Invest in the market - capital drives growth
* Pay for your parent's medical insurance - health care improves
* Enable Deadbeat Dads to come clean - or else

Remember this is for every adult U S Citizen 18+ including the folks who lost their jobs at Lehman Brothers and every other company that is cutting back. And of course, for those serving in our Armed Forces. If we're going to re-distribute wealth let's really do it, instead of trickling out a puny $1000.00 ( 'vote buy' ) economic incentive that is being proposed by one of our candidates for President.

If we're going to do an $85 billion bailout, let's bail out every adult U S Citizen 18+!

As for AIG - liquidate it.
* Sell off its parts.
* Let American General go back to being American General.
* Sell off the real estate.
* Let the private sector bargain hunters cut it up and clean it up.
* Here's my rationale. We deserve it and AIG doesn't.

Sure it's a crazy idea that can "never work", but can you imagine the Coast-To-Coast block party? How do you spell Economic Boom? I trust my fellow adult Americans to know how to use the $85 Billion. We Deserve It Dividend more than do the geniuses at AIG or in Washington DC. And remember, the family plan only really costs $59.5 Billion because $25.5 Billion is returned instantly in taxes to Uncle Sam. Ahhh...I feel so much better getting that off my chest.

Kindest personal regards,

A Creative Citizen.

8 comments:

Barbara said...

This is the best idea I have heard in a very long time!

Peace!

Diane Widler Wenzel said...

We deserve it dividend is interesting. humor is great right now.

Anonymous said...

Humor is even greater to see how many people posted this plan to not even figure out that $85 billion divided by 200 million people is less than the Bush $600.00 stimulus.

This 'We Deserve it Dividend' plan needs $85 trillion to accomplish this humor.

It is not too difficult to see that the intention of this joke was to reveal the collective
credibility of financial planning in USA.

A pure example how people get into debt so fast.

Anonymous said...

'Merkin billions are 10 to the ninth, not ten to the twelfth as elsewhere. So 800 US billions divided by 200 million US adults makes only 4000 per head.

So I'm assuming you're joking about 'merkin accounting proficiency.

Please?

Rain Trueax said...

It was meant to be a joke, of course, but the government has now multiplied what it is promising to almost a trillion and gets a lot closer to what this author was suggesting could be meaningful *s* The problem is that the government doesn't have a trillion to give to the financial community either. It is hoping by saying it does that it (let's make it a really big number is what they said) will restore faith in a system that both government, businesses and the consumers have misused.

Incidentally, I have never believed this is all the fault of wall street. Main street has financed a lot of 'pleasures' by borrowing or equity in homes which it now would like back but isn't there. There is plenty of blame to go around and little humor *s*

MaryContrary said...

I love the comments. Had an interesting thought though. The math might be a bit off in the joke but then according to a treasury spokeswoman in an article on Forbes.com on Wednesday the $700B wasn't related to any verifiable need. It was just a very big number pulled out of a hat because they 'wanted' a very big number. Is that $700B also a joke?

Rufus McCain said...

I, too, thought this was astonishingly brilliant ... until I checked the math. This fellow had a good joke on everyone.

Here's a better plan from Quin Finnegan at korrektiv.org:

Keys to Surviving the Present Financial Crisis
I may not be a professional economist, or even an amateur one, but I know plenty about Depression, towards which everyone and everything seems to indicate we are headed. So I've decided to make my own four point plan available to the President, members of Congress, Wall Street tycoons and good taxpayers everywhere. Here it is:

(1) Do your job, whatever that may be.

(2) Eat healthy.

(3) Spend as much time as possible with the people you love.

(4) Get plenty of sleep.

If (1) proves to be a serious problem, your job is to get a job, or a better job.

Ingineer66 said...

Rufus, I love it! Great plan.

And there are only about 100 million people that actually pay Federal Income taxes and about 50 million of us that pay 85% of them so the share is higher.