The Bush Tax Rebate Plan

Bush Tax Rebate Plan White Paper  <- Click to see your rebate

There’s a lot of anticipation and speculation about the tax rebate plan effective the upcoming filing period. Washington should be complemented for an effort to to throw a lifeline to the sinking economy but I’m not so sure this will breathe life back into the existing state of the economy alone. The idea is that rebate receivers will go out spend the additional funds, thus boosting the economy. Some will, some will never see it, some will simply invest it or sit on it.

The ones that won’t see it are the ones that have IRS balances, or will have. I don’t think the IRS is going give money to taxpayers that owe them. That’s something they are not known for, even if they were, most people would still simply send it back to pay off tax balances.

Then consider the large number of homeowners and investers hit with a huge loss of home equity in the last  year,  credit card debt, inflation, and the uncertainty of the economy, and its a sure bet a large chunk of these rebates will ever find their way out of the bank and into the retail arena. But then, the administration didn’t plan to it for this segment,  quote “Proposed stimulus measures linked to housing and mortgages are no longer a top priority after being discussed in White House talks that began in late November”, the official said. ( http://www.freedom4um.com/cgi-bin/readart.cgi?ArtNum=70628 )  Most households will use the rebate to pay down debt or boost savings and investments. The key words here are pay down. Being able to pay off would benefit the taxpayer and the economy.  

Depending upon the size of one’s debt, and the amount of the rebate, this may or may not have an impact on the debt or the economy. Don’t get me wrong, with the state the economy has fallen into, every little bit is welcomed by all affected, but I don’t think this is going to pull a lot of people out of foreclosure or boost the job market. Eight hundred dollars is a stretch to acquire that computer and necessary trimmings for that home based business start up that could realistically contribute to the economy. This is fast money designed to be spent faster. And that’s pretty much going to be the way this pans out.

The recipients that can afford to spend it will do just that, splurge, and close the case. Where and how they spend it would determine the impact and outcome of the plan. Something Washington can’t control, and I feel is the flaw.

Be sure to click the link at the top of this post for a breakout and view of your proposed rebate. It would be interesting to hear  diverse input on this.

Another New Year

2007 came and went with some pretty interesting content. Some sad, some bizarre, some good, some mundane, and some just downright wrong. The usual showcase of just when we’ve think we have seen it all……

But so went 2007 and we should leave it at 2007. If you are reading this, thank your God for one blessing, you lived another year.

And a good start to the new year would be not to waste any energy that can be applied to 2008 dissecting 2007. I think we all should assess our accomplishments of the pass year be proud of them and focus on some concrete goals for the upcoming year. The things we fell short on, if they are worth pursuing, decide what we need to do to make them work. Outside of that, throw the trash out and get on with it.

Make it a break out year. Clean up any loose strings, detach yourself from restraining baggage that’s not adding any value to your life and set your sights on enhanced self development aimed at improving your quality of life. It’s not too late to achieve that dream you have been claiming you couldn’t have. Self defeatist never achieve any thing but what’s given to them, and nobody gives you anything.

Draw your own map, don’t concern yourself with the path others are taking. You have to live and answer for your own choices and decisions so make the ones that beneficial to you. Be considerate of others but concerned with yourself.

Take an inventory of what’s left in your life’s stockroom from the previous year. here are some ticklers to get you started. I would suggest answering these question on a piece of paper and investigating your honest answers. If you find you have made the strides you planned map out how to keep the momentum going. If you find you have been marinating in excuses and self constructed obstacles, map out how you plan to jump into the frying pan and get things cooking.

Are the current contents helping you achieve your life’s mission or hurting?
Are some of your dreams gathering dust on last years shelves?
What have you tucked away in the drawers of your mind to avoid dealing with?
How have you improved yourself in a year?
What do you want most to accomplish this year and why?
Do you have a list of goals written for this year? If not why? Don’t you want anything?
How do you plan on achieving the things you want most and are you working toward them?
Where do you see yourself next year this time?
Are you capitalizing on what you do best?
What’s on that shelf that has little or no value to your quality of life?

I have a philosophy when it comes to challenges and all my teammates hear it the day they join the team.
” Any laid back soul with no ambition can submit a million reasons why something won’t work, I’m looking for that firm believer that submits one reason why it will work.” That’s what will get you where you want to go, entertaining why it can be done when presented with challenges as opposed to submitting to why it won’t. Take the will option an build on it and you find things falling in line.

And use reverse engineering when solving a problem, children do it all the time. Keep asking yourself why until you can’t answer any more….the answer to that why before the one you could not answer is your starting point, your one in many reasons why it will work.

The only thing stopping you is you. Think about it.

Colleges Offering Free Online Courses

For those of you looking to enhance and improve your skill sets, beef up your career training to better align yourself for a higher position, there are colleges and universities that offer courses free online. You can learn at your own rate in your own environment, free of charge. It’s worth looking into and can be a beneficial way of investing your spare time versus say, watching TV or playing video games. The result can only be something good. Check it out.

http://education-portal.com/articles/Universities_with_the_Best_Free_Online_Courses.html