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Straight Story: Stimulus a step forward
Economics editor Chris Farrell
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About the author
Christopher Farrell is economics editor of Marketplace Money, a nationally syndicated one-hour weekly personal finance show produced by American Public Media.
You know, the more I think about $2300 per person being "really not that much money", the more uncomfortable a feeling I'm getting.
If even our personal advice folks are this far away economically from the actually real life reality of average American families, perhaps the entire economic situation itself is far, far worse than usually represented in the media.
"So, $2300, it's really not that much money."
hmmm....perhaps this is symptomatic in a way.
To me, even if $7000 for our family of 3 isn't earth shaking, it certainly by no means or far stretch of imagination could it ever be "really not that much."
Seriously, like 70% of all American families, $1000 or $5000 or $7000 is something we scrimp and work to save, with a lot of foregoing.
It *really* is that much money.
1. I work at the VA as a nurse practitioner. My TSP is ok - although smaller- I took advantage of loan to help pay off debt= now I pay back to the bank of 'ME" - and its going in at 4.75% I wonder if you can look at the different choices in the TSP and give your thoughts about the funds - I have been putting most $ into G-fund since middle of down turn - that fund never goes down - but I don't understand the fund.
2. Re: Electronic medical records in the recovery package - I can't understand why they don't use the VA electronic medical record tools (CPRS)
In use since approx 1999- while not perfect it is already paid for by the taxpayers - and it is very good in tracking immunizations/medical tests and procedures.
3.re: bailout money for individual homeowners-- what would help me (not that I need a lot of help) but I would spend more $ and be a bigger consumer if I had less property taxes--I think a lot of people feel this way.
- Keep up great work. I learn from your show eveyweek-- I will let our media department at my VA know about the show next week
Governments are Not our friends. We somehow got the false impression that governments Can do something positive by Spending OUR money. It was Not welfare programs that got the U.S. out of the depression as many seem to think. For governments neither create nor grow wealth, they simply take the wealth from others. So I do not see this "stimulus" do do anything positive. Actually I see it doing more harm to the world economy in the long run. I suspect even conservative will disagree with me until they look at the really Big picture.
Chris,
Thank you for noting the potential inequities of a housing bailout. There seems to be intense grassroots opposition to the idea of a bailout that would rescue those who were careless, with taxpayer dollars. Your remarks came close to acknowledging that there are many homeowners who have paid off their mortgages after years of hard work, and many others who have been renting for years, waiting for the market to adjust downward in line with incomes or rentals. Responsible savers and renters need to be heard as an important faction opposing any housing bailout. Thank you.
