The Covid-19 Stimulus should give workers checks like farmers got, not cripple Social Security!

[SunSeeker]

Why would Democrats ever agree with this Republican bullshit proposal to cut the payroll tax? The payroll tax funds Social Security. It is the ultimate in cynicism to "help" workers by defunding Social Security. Plus, it would only apply to full time workers, not the unemployed or part-timers. We agreed to that bullshit during the Great Recession in order to get the rest of the Stimulus passed, but there is no reason to agree to it now.

To make up for lost sales due to his trade war, Trump gave the farmers $14.5 billion in direct payments last year. This is on top of $12 billion in aid that the Trump administration distributed to farmers in 2018. https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2019/07/25/745280710/economists-say-trump-administration-is-over-paying-farmers-for-trade-losses

Why not guve targeted checks to workers who have no/insufficient sick leave and those suffering wage loss due to business slowdown? And why not extend unemployment checks to 99 weeks like we did during the Great Recession? This is what Congressional Dems are proposing, but Trump refuses to sit down with Pelosi.

Better yet, how about spending money for ready available commercial Covid-19 tests (like those by this Utah company selling to the EU, http://codiagnostics.com/products/diagnostic-solutions/logix-smart-covid19/ ) so every doctor can test for it in their offices, like they do step throat or UTI? I just went for a checkup here in southern California and my doctor, part of a large medical group, she said she and all GP doctors have no Covid-19 tests. They must refer suspected Covid-19 patients to one of the few local hospitals that have the tests. But the hospital will only see you if you are seriously ill. I told her that was insane. She agreed.

If we could get tested as negative at our family doctor, we wouldn't need to enter economically devastating 14-day self-quarantines for what turns out to be a common cold or flu.

[Mike Niendorff]

1. K&R

Well said.


MDN

[we can do it]

2. +1

[Sherman A1]

3. K&R

and as all money bills originate in the House perhaps we should contact the Democratic representatives to insure that this is the case.

[VMA131Marine]

4. It would cost about $500B

To send every taxpayer a check for $2500.

It would cost about the same amount to give everyone a payroll tax holiday for the rest of the year, but the fixed amount check would provide relief to lower income folks where it’s most needed.

[SunSeeker]

6. The checks need to be targeted, not folks who are unaffected. nt

[roamer65]

5. I think we should kill ALL agricultural subsidies.

[doc03]

7. Any stimulus should go to workers directly affected by the loss in tourism or

other industries. Something like they did in the 70s with the TRA payments to workers displaced from imports.

[SunSeeker]

8. Yes, the checks need to be targeted to those affected. nt