Economic non-stimulus

[altivo]

So the much-vaunted "economic stimulus" check arrived today. I'll deposit it tomorrow. Sorry, Bush administration, I'll not be going on a spending spree, which is clearly what you hoped people were going to do. I hope others are following suit. You've been dragging the entire country into a state of financial ruin for almost eight years now, so anyone with the least bit of sense is not going to spend what pittance they can salvage at this point. We expect to need every penny just to get by in the next few disastrous years. That you saw fit to hand out largesse from an empty cookie jar is only proof of your own lack of faith in the intelligence of the electorate. It's our own money, and we'll just end up paying it back, with interest now.

Gasoline prices in Harvard actually dropped a penny or two today, to $3.97 at the cheapest station. I expect they'll be back over $4.00 before the week's out, since it's a long holiday weekend and the one that often sees the highest gasoline price of the calendar year. What I find even more noteworthy, though, is the price of Diesel fuel. In Marengo it's at $4.39, but in Harvard (just 15 miles away) the two stations that have it are charging $4.89. A 50 cent difference over 15 miles, within the same tax rate zone, is outrageous. Someone said today that the price of Diesel is rising faster because overseas markets are demanding more and US refineries are shipping it to them. I don't know if that's possible or true, but if it is, it belies every claim of the federal government to be seeking oil self-sufficiency. You wouldn't ship a scarce resource overseas to sell unless you put the profit margins of the oil companies at a higher value than the oil reserves of the nation...

Actually, I sorta fibbed about the stimulus check. I do intend to buy eyes and jaws for my wolf suit. But I was going to do that anyway, long before there even was talk of tax rebates or whatever they are supposed to be. This month has three paychecks in it rather than the usual two, so it's the perfect time to buy an extra book or two or get blue eyes for a wuff. On the other hoof, because of all the expected sales of corn to ethanol producers, farmers are planting less hay this year. I'm going to have to spend more to feed my animals over next winter, perhaps as much as 50% more. This is not good, and may stretch things too tightly at last. Real estate tax payment is due next month as well. Things are squeezing hard, and honestly, I think I'm probably better prepared than the majority of Americans. Handing out paltry little checks isn't going to "fix" anything, folks.

Comments

[heavens-steed.livejournal.com]

Actually, I would more accurately describe it as the falling economic trend that was already in effect in the latter years of the Clinton administration, especially around the turn of the century that Bush inherited and was later greatly impacted by events out of Bush's control (unless he was behind it all as the conspiracy theorists believe).

I do agree that the stimulus plan is a joke considering what little is being done to reduce the ridiculous costs of goods which is why people are getting this "handout" to begin with. It's rather pointless and self-defeating. But who knows. It will be interesting to see the results of this and if anything changes.

We have enough resources in our own country to end this dependence on foreign oil and boost our economy significantly. There is a 200 billion barrel oil field sitting underneath North Dakota, the Bakken Oil Formation, that the USGS is looking into resource analysis. And that's not the only place. But guess who have been the ones telling us to not to drill and utilize our own natural resources? It's not the Bush administration. Of course, I'd support alternative energy above all and work to using something besides gasoline, but in order to do that you need money and time. Why not, in the meantime, utilize such resources?

[schnee.livejournal.com]

Strange about diesel - that's usually cheaper than regular petrol here. In fact, I've only seen it being not cheaper precisely once, at one petrol station, and when I mentioned this to others, nobody would believe me. (That being said, the price differential has gone down; diesel used to be much cheaper, but nowadays, it's only a little cheaper anymore.)

[soanos.livejournal.com]

I cannot really see that "handout" being a good long'term solution, as it would practically need to be given out every month.

I am glad you got some money though. :)

[avon-deer.livejournal.com]

Diesel used to be cheaper than petrol here as well. That was until people started buying diesel cars to cash in on the fuel economy (our fuel at this point was already some of the most heavily taxed in Europe). They then found an excuse to shift the tax burden from petrol to diesel. Much to muted fury (when is British fury EVER not muted?) of motorists and hauliers. We're now looking at £1.12 for a litre of unleaded and £1.26 for a litre of diesel. That works out at $8.50 per gallon unleaded. $9.58 per gallon of diesel.

€1.41 a litre for unleaded. €1.58 a litre for diesel.

[soanos.livejournal.com]

About same for petrol here, diesel is still cheaper, but then again, here in Finland they pay a fixed sum for diesel tax every year. Diesel is around €1.00/litre now.

Extortionate prices, really. :|
If I had the money and a place of my own, I would get myself a horse. ;)

[altivo.livejournal.com]

The "stimulus" is a purely political move, just as it was when the Reagan administration tried it. The idea is, when you come right down to it, that they can buy votes by passing out what they hope will be perceived as "free money." Of course it isn't free. It is borrowed, adding to the deficit, and we just end up paying it back again with interest. I blame both parties for this stupid move, as both of them had to vote for it in order to pass it, but the seed idea still came from the usual place.

No, of course, the oil-baron administration would not be opposed to drilling for more oil, no matter where. They've already demonstrated their willingness to destroy the ecology anywhere and everywhere in favor of profit. But anything that reduces the pressure for developing alternative energy sources is ultimately not going to help. It will just delay the work that must be done even further, and meanwhile continue to feed huge profits into the greedy hands of a relatively few already wealthy individuals who control that source of profit entirely.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the handout is not a solution to anything. It's just a short-sighted effort to buy the loyalty of voters who don't think it through. Expenditures on the middle east wars are literally bankrupting us, and earning very little result. I really hope that voters will see through this smoke screen, but I doubt many will.

[hrrunka]

I saw unleaded at 120p and diesel at 132p (well, 119.9 and 131.9, but that's near enough) at the weekend. :/

[schnee.livejournal.com]

*noddles* We're currently paying... well, it may not be correct down to the last cent since prices do go up and down several times a day, but it's about 1.47 EUR/litre for diesel, and 1.49 EUR/litre for regular petrol, both "normal" (91 octane) and "super" (95 octane). ("super" used to be more expensive in the past, but these days, it's not anymore.) "super plus" varieties such as Shell's "V-Power" are quite a bit more expensive still.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Hmm. "Normal" is 91 octane? I wonder if the measurement standards are different. Here the "normal" grade, which is called "regular unleaded" at most dealers, is usually 87 octane. I can remember when it was 89, but it has been 87 for quite a while.

Not that this is terribly significant, but it does in theory at least excuse a slightly lower price here if the measurement standard is comparable. We should compare our midgrade or premium prices to your normal in that case.

[deffox]

Sorry, Bush administration, I'll not be going on a spending spree, which is clearly what you hoped people were going to do.

I thought his only hope was to buy McCain votes.

I just got my federal refund, but not the state refund or stimulus. Mine goes toward bills in Canada, so no US economic help from me.

[schnee.livejournal.com]

*noddles* Yeah, "normal" is 91 octane, and "super" is 95, and it has been for about as long as I can remember. "Super plus" and other premium varieties vary, but are typically 98 or 100.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

My SSN ends in "11" so I was on the early list for the handouts.

As far as whose hope it was, this is not, I'm sure, an idea that came from Bush himself. Sure, in short-sighted terms some who voted for the stupidity probably thought that voting for it would bolster their own support or support for their party, and some probably voted for it because they were afraid a NO vote would be counted against them by narrow sighted constituents.

But the vague rational is really to heat up the economy again by getting people to spend more money. If they don't have any to spend (and most don't, having already overloaded their credit to the max) then why not give them some to spend?

My own cynical view of this is that with fuel and energy prices rising so fast, most of the handout is just going back into the pockets of the oil companies and electric utilities, and I have no trouble believing that at least some of those who supported this dumb idea had that in mind all along. "Let's put the federal government even farther in debt by giving a huge additional cash infusion to the wealthy energy industry."

[altivo.livejournal.com]

When I get some time, if ever, I'll check to see if the US standard for counting octane is different from the EU version.

[schnee.livejournal.com]

Apparently so. Quoting Wikipedia:

In most countries (including all of Europe and Australia) the "headline" octane that would be shown on the pump is the RON, but in the United States, Canada and some other countries the headline number is the average of the RON and the MON [...] Because of the 8 to 10 point difference noted above, this means that the octane in the United States will be about 4 to 5 points lower than the same fuel elsewhere: 87 octane fuel, the "regular" gasoline in the US and Canada, would be 91-92 in Europe. However most European pumps deliver 95 (RON) as "regular", equivalent to 90-91 US (R+M)/2, and even deliver 98 (RON) or 100 (RON).

So there still is a difference (most cars in Germany use "super" petrol these days, and I don't think any that don't are being built anymore), but it's not as big as one might expect simply by comparing the numbers directly.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Typically confusing. ;p

[schnee.livejournal.com]

Yeah - I really wish people would just get their acts together and standardise these things (including other things like, say, electrical sockets/plugs, not to mention voltages).

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Well, it's a good thing the plugs and sockets differ where the voltage differs. Otherwise many people would naively make bad mistakes. Changing a voltage standard is costly and messy, as bad as the changing television standards in the US are right now.

(Of course, I don't much care one way or another about the television standard, as I don't watch the stuff and won't be buying a new television receiver in any case. But if the voltage standard were to change, everything I own that uses mains electricity would suddenly be unusable. This affects everyone.)

Totally off topic, but one of the big laughs of my life came years ago when the tabloid newspapers were all concerned about "space aliens" infiltrating the US and hiding among us in disguise. Several of them published an article on "How to tell if your neighbors might be space aliens" that focused on things like, "They don't watch television and never heard of the popular shows everyone knows about" and "There is no TV antenna on their house."

[gabrielhorse.livejournal.com]

My thoughts exactly...

a gift for you:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WqQL5WFN20

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Hmm, now I have to figure out how to look at that. The latest version of "Flush" for Linux crashes and burns on all the machines I have. I don't know what kind of testing Adobe does, but it's not good enough.

[deffox]

Looking at their website, all direct deposits were supposed to be done by the 16th. My SSN ends in the 90s, but I should still have it by now.

Since I just got my regular refund on the 16th, hopefully it's just a short delay.

I'm trying not to get worked up by how stupid the whole idea is. I'll just take the money and vote against them in the fall.

[schnee.livejournal.com]

*chuckles* Oh my. By that definition, I'd definitely count as a space alien; I do watch some TV, but less than two hours per week on average, I don't care about any of the popular shows really, and since we've got cable, there's no antenna here as far as I know, either. ^^

As for the rest - yeah, actually harmonising the consumer part of the electric grid would be difficult in practice, but the end result still would be nice. And people do make mistakes already - in fact, I nearly did myself when I visited the USA two years ago, since I bought a universal adaptor without taking into account that the voltage would be different, too. c.c I didn't actually use it in the end, and given that you've got half the voltage we got here, it probably wouldn't have been a huge problem, either (as opposed to the other way around - double the expected voltage can probably fry appliances quite quickly), but still.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Half the voltage kills things with motors in them. Doubling the voltage burns up just about everything. Computers here often have a configuration switch on the back that can be changed between 120 and 240 volts. Switching between 50 Herz and 60 Herz AC is more problematic.

[schnee.livejournal.com]

Ah, OK.

[goldenstallion.livejournal.com]

Dear Rider.

I put my check into savings, where it will remain.

Bitching about gas/fuel prices is the American Way. I remember when it went to a dollar a big uproar. Then the gas lines and rationing in the early 70s. National speed limit of 55mph.

Then the Honda Civic/CVCC engine and the Geo Metro and Chevy Sprint and Ford Festiva, that got 45mpg and now they are gone in excange for "Safe" huge SUVs. Took a few years for the auto makers to respond and it will happen again. I fully intend to buy a tiny, cheap but cheap to drive car again. I tend to drive even cheap junky little cars for years and years.

Oh and now many gas stations are requiring pre-pay due to the increasing drive-offs, a major crime here in Michigan. So I may get a gas card.

Yea, diesel used to be cheaper so Mercedes and VW came out with diesel cars (still have a beater Rabbit) that get pretty good mileage. Of course EVERYTHING you buy is trucked so the costs of everything is going up. Fortunately we have pretty good pastures but yes, there will be next Winter's hay which will be more expensive. Thinking of reducing our horse population by one or two but that is hard because we want to ensure they go to good homes no matter the price we might get for them. Not too cheap but not too expensive, either. Is anybody going to want an old Appy mare? She is well trained and has a few more years to go. But not sure she would be a good horse for, say, a beginner or kid because she is kinda set in her ways and a bit on the stubborn side.

Yes and most Americans do not save and live from paycheck to paycheck. We are trying to slowly save and that is why both my tax refund and this check went into a credit union savings.

Imperator

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I wish I could take Cher myself. I don't know if she'd get along with Tess though. We really should find a home for our boys, but you've got your hoof right on the problem. It's just too difficult to be sure they would be safe and cared for. Even with horse slaughter pretty much shut down in the US, they are still being trucked into Canada and Mexico by people who will do anything for a buck.

Our farrier drives a Chevy Aveo and is real pleased with it. He gets 38-40 MPG and actually uses it to haul his farrier tools in the trunk unless he's going somewhere that he will need his forge. He's a big guy too, taller than I am, but he finds it comfortable to drive.

[damnbear.livejournal.com]

Fortunately in my case the economic stimilus backfired for the Feds. The amount they sent me went towards my federal student loan.

I say keep it coming, you can pay yourselves back for me while I enjoy the irony.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Paying off existing debt is good. It's exactly what they DON'T want you to do. ;p

See, it doesn't "stimulate" anything. I think we should stimulate a few politicians with, oh, maybe a sperm whale sized dildo...

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Obviously I mean Chey here. Hard to believe that the force of habit in typing could have hung around for so long, eh?

[damnbear.livejournal.com]

I'm sure Zeta Creations would be up for the challenge.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Yes, I suppose they would be. Now there's a thought for what to do with the economic stimulus package. We could all pool the money and send a donkey dildo to each and every member of Congress...

Nah, Homeland Security goons would be after us in a flash, wouldn't they?

[silver-kiden.livejournal.com]

hah, i'm spending mine in mexico! take that, bush!

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Ooh, the ultimate in treachery! I don't care for Mexico, but I still approve.

[silver-kiden.livejournal.com]

*giggles* i'm glad you approve. of course, i'm spending more than i got on the plane ticket DOWN there...but the trip was already planned before the economic stimulus plan was even a rumor on the net.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Next time try Canada. Much prettier, much wilder. ;p

[silver-kiden.livejournal.com]

and only a thirty minute drive away! :p

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Well, the good parts are a bit farther, in my opinion.

[silver-kiden.livejournal.com]

yes, like the african lion safari. ever been there?

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Uh, no, actually. When I think of Canada I generally think of wolves, moose, pine forest, and clear water. ;p