The Gop solution to the collapsing economy is exactly what it always is: give more money to rich people.
Here at my university, we're collecting groceries to feed our students. The GOP proposes to give a $4000 tax credit to any American who takes a vacation.
That's $4000 per person. So $8000 for a couple. Plus $500 each for their kids.
Notice it's a tax credit.
So who does this benefit? Well, it benefits those who have $8000 to spend on a goddamn vacation. As for the rest of us, hey, the lines at the food pantries are down to a couple miles each, I hear.
8 comments:
Wait... why do they want people to travel????
Oh my head.
I mean, we could *do* this, but then I wouldn't be allowed back into my dentist office to get my permanent crown (much less get the testing that is needed to see if I need a root canal first, yes, my dentist visit in which I was supposed to get a permanent crown yesterday was unpleasant).
I am all about (fettered) capitalism, but this kind of stuff is making me see the benefits of other systems.
I think it's a giveaway to both the tourist/travel industry and to the wealthy.
But yeah, in actual fact it makes very little sense. It's true that people aren't traveling as much right now, for obvious reasons, so a tax break that benefits airlines et al might help fix that.
But it's also true that -- for instance -- people aren't visiting the dentist as much. Or bookstores as much. And so on.
Where would anyone travel? If they go anywhere outside the US, they have to be quarantined for two weeks. Guess they could go out on their yachts, but then the only money they would be spending would be for fuel, food, and water. Don't need $8,000 for that to drift around.
But people spreading corona virus via travel sounds dumb.
Especially since there's places that question where you've been if you want to go in, like my dentist/doctors offices-- you cannot go in if you've traveled out of state in the past 2 weeks. (Even though our rates are higher than many other states, so I would be less likely to get Covid in MA than here, but...)
My university is refusing pay for people to travel and we're supposed to fill out some kind of form if we come back after leaving the state.
Our university has asked everyone not to travel out of state. IDK if they're going to pay for travel, but I suspect not.
And yes, giving tax breaks to people so that they will travel -- and spread the virus -- is really not clever.
Yeh and here in Massachusetts my dentist isn’t even open yet...... frustrating but I do get it. And I am in Western Massachusetts where numbers are lower.
I am so frightened for what is still to come...Covid19 wise and a whole bunch of other things.
Now about to google “how to deal with a racist boss”
Y’all keep remaining amazing.
Anon in mass
Ha! Never in my life have I taken a vacation that cost $4000, even counting all 5 of us. I feel for the travel/tourism industry, but this is just tone deaf.
Right?
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