My my home town newspaper, The Buffalo News (not a bastion of Democratic
liberalism):
HEADLINE: AN UNNECESSARY MAILING
BODY:
With the month of July beginning, many Americans will soon start
checking their mailboxes for the tax refund checks promised
by this year's massive tax cut package. The plan's first bonus, though,
will be a separate letter with President Bush's name
prominently displayed and the promise of more tax cuts "for years to
come."
Such blatant advertising sent via a governmental agency has Democrats
like Sen. Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., crying foul.
And with good reason. Schumer correctly questions the cost of mailing 91
million such IRS notices at a whopping cost of $21
million to $29 million.
Wouldn't it have been enough simply to have mailed the checks?
Americans, unless they happened to be residing in an isolated
cave these last few months, are aware of the refund. And they should be
aware of the sum to expect sometime in the next few
months, whether it's $300 for a single taxpayer or up to $600 for a
married couple.
Treasury officials defend the letter, saying it will avert a deluge of
phone calls and clear up confusion among taxpayers. The
government might just be underestimating the average intelligence of
check recipients, but it's probably safe to say that most
Americans don't need instructions preceding the check.
Regardless, written instructions will precede the windfall -- and the
letter will be sure to make clear how the money got back
into taxpayer hands: "We are pleased to inform you that the United
States Congress passed and President George W. Bush
signed into law the tax bill. . . ."
There's no doubt Bush is largely responsible for the refunds. It was,
after all, his $1.35 trillion package of tax cuts. But the
apparent braggadocio is galling to Democrats, who quickly point out that
the tax cuts could cut into such programs as
prescription drug payments, Medicare and aid to the military.
Undoubtedly, questions about how the tax cuts will affect the nation in
years to come remain unanswered. This tax cut package
hinges on a continued prosperity that has recently been called into
question, at least for the short term, as evidenced by
continued interest rate cuts to boost the economy.
Whether the rebate checks will provide additional economic stimulus is
also questionable. But what is certain is this: Bush and
the Republicans want to leave no doubt about who deserves the credit,
even if it costs more than $20 million to take the bow.
LOAD-DATE: July 4, 2001
