Dear President (elect) Obama (and Congress): Please, no stimulus checks [View All]

[question everything]

Sure, we can use the $600 or $1000 check. Our heating bill for December is $200 and will probably be the same for January. And I really would love to send more money to my IRA account (money fund or treasuries only). And, of course, we don't know how secures our jobs are.

But what we need is more jobs. We need people to get jobs so that they will pay taxes so that government agencies will be able to keep their unemployment funds solvent. I've heard that California's will run dry in a couple of months.

And if people have jobs they may even go shopping.

I've always cringed thinking how shopping is the fuel of our economy. We even went to the mall to purchase some stuff that we don't need just to... spend. And we stopped at several small business stores, in some cases just to ask questions and when we left we commented that we hope they stay in business.

Yes, when one is unemployed, any additional money helps. Benn there, more than once. But what unemployed people need is jobs. And investing in infrastructure, that provides needed work while providing jobs using many skills - is the way to go.

And Congress.. this is not the time to "flex your muscles." Chances are your districts can benefit from this type of investments, too. And if you are from a red state that has been a net receiver of our tax money: think again. This pool can dry, too.