If you live in the United States and made a certain amount of money (or paid a certain amount of taxes, or something like that), you’ll be getting a tax refund soon. While I never turn down free money, I have two issues with this new economy boosting idea.

1. $42 million to send a letter!?!?!

Did you know that it cost our government $42 million to send the NOTIFICATION that you were getting money. This doesn’t factor the cost of actually mailing your check, this is just to let you know that you’ll be getting money. I would rather have them save the $42 million and let it be a surprise for those 8 people that didn’t know the money was coming.  Since this has been all over the Fresno news and in the Fresno Bee, just about every person has heard.

2. This won’t help the economy, at least not in California.

If you don’t know, the state of California is in a HUGE budget crunch with just about every public and state agency (schools, cities, parks, transportation, etc) is losing money that was already promised to them. This means that these agencies are forced by lack of funds to fire people, cut budgets and cancel scheduled repairs and construction projects.

So now just about every single person that works for the state or a city, or a school in Fresno and every other county is worried about losing their jobs. Does that make you want to go out and SPEND money? I don’t think so. Instead of spending my money, I’ll be sitting at home with this money in my SAVINGS account because who knows what will happen tomorrow with these huge budget cuts.

This impacts Fresno because just Fresno Unified School District has over 5,000 employees. I would guess that the total number of employees affected by this in Fresno alone is over 25,000. That’s 25,000 people that think they might not have a job in the next few months. Do you think they’ll be down at Best Buy picking up a new TV? I doubt it.

Since people won’t be spending any money, that will cause our state to spiral further out of financial control. No money being spent, no taxes being taken, no revenue for the state and local cities.

What do you think about getting your tax rebate?

In a blog post openly critical of Hillary Clinton, the blog AgainstHillary.com says, “Clinton was left red-faced Thursday after a New Hampshire staffer told a Washington Post reporter that Obama’s already-admitted drug use left him vulnerable to Republican attacks. Clinton – once the front-runner – found herself having to denounce her staffer’s unauthorized remarks, accept the staffer’s resignation, and then personally apologize to her closest rival in the space of a day.”

While the race for the Democratic nomination heats up, be prepared for even more trash to be talked and crap to be thrown in every direction.  Don’t think for one minute that this now retired staffer didn’t have some leading in what to say to the media.  Things like that don’t just “slip out”.  He was definitely goaded by someone.  Since it cost him his job I hope he was well compensated for his statements to the Washington Post.

Lunch is finished, took off your church clothes and now you’re looking for something to do on a lazy Sunday afternoon?  Look no further.  Jude has given us a great list of interesting quotes and links that will keep you busy for at least 30 minutes.  After that, entertain yourself, I’m going to take a nap.

Here’s my favorite quote, “At a campaign stop in Cedar Rapids, Sen. Clinton said that the alleged bed-wetting incident “should not disqualify” Sen. Obama from the White House, but should make Democrats “think long and hard” about voting for him in next month’s caucuses.

“Personally, I don’t have anything against having a bed-wetter in the Oval Office,” Sen. Clinton said. “But you can be sure that the Republican right-wing attack machine will have a field day with this kind of thing.”