"Mr. President, when are you going to sign the checks?"
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Too lazy to go lookup a new story link, but the story goes that Trump is/was trying to get the Treasury Department to put his signature on the physical stimulus checks that will be sent out per the COVID-19 stimulus package, presumably to trick to the gullible into thinking that it's Trump who is giving them the money, and that attempt to get his signature onto those physical checks is causing a delay in getting those checks out. That's what Biden was complaining about.
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On April 9, Treasury will start doing direct deposits for those who provided bank account information with their tax returns, then to those who get Social Security benefits but did not file tax return. Paper checks to be sent out starting April 24, sending out checks for those with the lowest income and move upwards, reaching joint-filers with at the top of the phase out range in around August-September timeframe.
One can argue whether that’s “fast enough”, but leveraging direct deposit facilities and prioritizing the checks for the low income are the right things to do.
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Coronavirus: Trump’s name to appear on US relief cheques
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-52293910President Donald Trump’s name will be printed on paper cheques being sent to millions of Americans struggling financially because of coronavirus.
It is the first time a US president's name will appear on a federal government handout. ...
More than 80 million Americans are expected to receive payments of up to $1,200 in their bank accounts on Wednesday, according to the Treasury Department
But for those who did not provide banking details, they will receive a cheque with "President Donald J. Trump" printed on the left-hand side. ...
Critics are accusing the president of playing politics, using the financial aid to boost his reputation in an election year.
"You are getting your money late because the President thinks it is more important that his name be on the cheque than that you are able to pay your bills on time," tweeted Democatic Senator Brian Schatz.
And Senator Chris Murphy from Connecticut, which has around 3,500 COVID-19 cases, accused Mr Trump of putting himself “first” and “America second”. ... -
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@Mik said in "Mr. President, when are you going to sign the checks?":
Do we know they were delayed for that reason or are we just assuming and trotting out his signature as the reason? He certainly walked into right it if it was his idea.
The Treasury said the paper checks are rolling out on schedule and that adding his signature added no time to the check printing dates.
Figured as much. How much time does it take to sub one signature for another in a computer program? Payroll departments do it all the time.
H8ters gotta hate...
Always remember, Operation Valkyrie was an act of sedition.
Warning: I post things that interest me. Read and comment at your own discretion. -
So we don't know for sure.
What we do know is it is a very bad idea, a huge unforced error.
But one thing I take exception with in an article in WaPo:
"But to critics and some IRS employees, many of whom started to learn of the decision on Tuesday, the presence of Trump’s name on the checks reeks of partisanship in a corner of the government that touches all Americans and has, since the Nixon era, steadfastly steered clear of politics. "
Steered clear of politics? Anyone remember the weaponization of the IRS against conservative groups in the Obama admin? What a short memory WaPo has.
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@Axtremus said in "Mr. President, when are you going to sign the checks?":
@Jolly It is a completely unnecessary change that (1) creates extra work for the IRS in a time of crisis and (2) confers no additional benefit to the nation. For that, it deserves criticism.
Horsefeathers.
The IRS has a due date of 7/15 for tax returns. I suspect they aren't near as busy this time of year as usual.
And if you judge the Federal government by the yardstick of unnecessary, let's have a talk about the Department of Education and their 68 billion dollar budget.
