BernieHund: The Political Watchdog

Government waste?  We have hit a new high… or low.  The government wants the taxpayers to know that they will be receiving their fair share of the economic stimulus package. 

How did they decide to inform us?  By sending the taxpayers a letter.  But, those letters will cost us about $42 Million. 

The IRS is sending us a letter to let us know they are sending us a check.  Why not just send the check?  If the government can put together a list of who is to receive the stimulus check and send us a letter of notification this month, why will it take a couple of extra months to get the checks in the mail?

According to MSNBC

That works out to about 32 cents to print, process and mail each letter. It doesn’t include the tab for another round of mailings planned for those who didn’t file tax returns last year but may still qualify for a rebate.

Democrats accused the Bush administration of wasting time and postage.

The letters are being sent out to explain how the stimulus checks work, the government thinking we will be “confused” without their explanation.

Keith Hennessey, director of the president’s National Economic Council, said the letters are being sent to explain how the tax rebates will work.

“Any time you do something as a government tens of millions of times, there is ample room for people to get confused. And so if you’re going to have tens of millions of taxpayers getting checks, you want to get the information out so that you have as few people as possible confused about what’s happening, they understand what’s coming, and it reduces the number of incoming requests that IRS and Treasury have to figure out how to deal with it,” said Hennessey.

“Dear Taxpayer,” the letters will begin, going on to say the IRS is pleased to inform the recipient that Congress passed and President Bush signed into law a plan that will provide payments of up to $600 for individuals who qualify or $1,200 for married couples filing jointly. The rebates are the centerpiece of a $168 billion economic stimulus package.

I guess I’m confused.  The letter of explanation won’t pay the heating bill or the high price of filling the gas tank.  I will have to wait until May for that. 

Is this just another example of government waste or is it necessary?  As far as I’m concerned they could just put the letter in the envelope with the check if they want to tell me what to do with it.  Just send the check!