This morning I received the following conceptual alternative to the AIG bailout. Let’s discuss the pro’s an con’s once you have read it. Larry
“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 billion 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 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 plan only really costs $59.5 Billion because $25.5 Billion is returned instantly in taxes to Uncle Sam. ”
Off-the -wall alternative? Who takes time to dream up these ideas anyway?
“
Someone NOT good in math.
Larry, my congratulations to you in once again printing an article with absolutely NO research, NO fact checking and NO accuracy.
$85 billion divided by 200 million people is $425 per person, not $425,000!
Nice job, Art, your folks can’t even do math right on this blog
Frank Ury
Frank,
Maybe Larry needs some help learning how to check with Snopes, first:
http://www.snopes.com/politics/taxes/dividend.asp
There you go, Larry…. your little story, all in a nutshell.
RV,
Even in the originl article, it was posted and replied to as “tongue in cheek”.
But here on this blog, it is positioned as:
“conceptual alternative to the AIG bailout. Let’s discuss the pro’s an con’s once you have read it. Larry”
OK Larry, here is my con for you, your numbers are off by a factor of 1,000!
Pretty sad when the people who reply to a blog do more research than the original posters. But hey, that is the life here on the OJ Blog.
Frank Ury
Pretty sad when the people who reply to a blog do more research than the original posters. But hey, that is the life here on the OJ Blog.
Frank Ury
Please don’t paint us ALL with such a broad brush! 😉
And Frank, you know, Art is always looking for posters who do give a damn and want to elevate the discussions but starting threads. You interested at all?
Vix, of course, I exclude you from my critique. Have a great weekend.
Frank Ury
Same to you, Frank. Have a good one.
*Even if Larry’s number was $4 million per person ….we would never get it unless we promised to spend $3 mill for someone election campaign.
or we could all just go live in Alaska. Way to go Frank, now we’ll never know who was going to fall for it on here. Larry does a good job of providing us with provocative (sometimes due to it’s inacuracy) material to comment on. Damn you Gilbert! RV nicely done.
Trust, but verify. Thanks to all who caught the math error. If nothing else it shows that you each own calculators.
Now that we have Frank Ury on the hook wait until I share some info on his data that will be posted in due time. Mr Wonderfull cannot dodge this one.
And to Mr. Ury. Early this morning I passed the Accuray in Media booth at the GOP Convention which reminded me to again respond to your input. How many posts have I written on this blog that mentions your shortcomings or Mission Viejo questionable actions yet to date you have not challenged any of them.
Your silence on those stories says it all. Obviously you are reading our stories by your inputs above. Check the baseball box scores. Even LA Dodger sparkplug Manny Ramirez is not batting 1000.
Juice readers. In my haste I failed to check the math and admit that error.
And I did call Art to apologize to him.
Ha ha, I thought the error was on purpose. To see if anyone can read and think.
Cook.
Shame on me for not checking the math. I did receive a strong apology from my source but the buck stopped at my keyboard.
However, it is good have see you back on board.
I blew this one as I stated above.
Considering the fact that over the past two years I have published well over 500 stories on the Juice I would argue that a very high percentage of the facts which I added in those stories are on the money. I do get a pass on my spelling and grammer as I struggle with getting my brain and fingers synchronized.
For the record. Manny Ramirez has carried the Blue crew into the playoff’s but even he strikes out on ocassion. What’s he batting today 390?
I never claimed to be perfect. In fact I have never met anyone who is or was.
Don’t worry about this, Larry … it’s the most common human trait to join a parade without checking out the fool in the lead. This “We Deserve It” plan is flying all over the internet as a chain letter and there are certainly many ten’s of thousands who trust the math without question. There are many, many millions around the world following their own fool in the lead without checking out his or her pronouncements.
Thanks for putting this up, Larry. It was a lot of fun.
SAHS teacher.
Thank you! Larry
PS: My next story, that I am working on now, (at 4 a.m). before engaging in inportant stuff, is in draft form. “Important stuff” being a change of pace playing golf with a dozen men early today who want to get me away from politics for a day.
One clue. The story is about an elected official in my city where I have solid evidence to back up what you shortly will be able to read on the Juice. And you will not require Snopes for verification.
Now you know what bait to use when fishing for Ury.
I hope his voters throw the bum out one of these days. His opinions are hard enough to swallow without having to worry about his actions too.