Published in the Towns County Herald January 6, 2021
Without
regard to whether the stimulus check each of us will receive is $600 or $2,000,
those of us who do not need the money can make a choice about how to use it and
thereby correct a flaw in the program’s design.
Instead of spending the money on some frivolous thing or activity
consider donating it to a local charity or food bank.
I
understand the rationale for stimulus is to encourage spending that will boost
the economy. In the early days of the
pandemic that was a sound goal. However
now I find myself agreeing with Senator Pat Toomey (R-PA) who was recently
interviewed about his opposition to the President’s demand for increasing the
stimulus to $2,000. Too many people who
will receive checks are doing well and therefore are already able to spend on their
needs and wants. Handing them free money
does not guarantee they will spend it in a way that alleviates existing weaknesses
in our economy. It is equally likely
these people will save the money rather than spend it, meaning it will not
directly benefit the economy at all.
Meanwhile, the checks drawn from an already overextended Treasury will
drain federal resources from critical health and public safety programs.
The
stimulus checks should have been targeted to people working in depressed areas
of the economy such as restaurant and hotel workers. They are suffering during the pandemic because
of reduced income from shorter hours or no income due to being laid off. These workers are some of the lowest paid in
our economy to begin with and often do not have savings to fall back on. They nonetheless have rent to pay, heating
bills due, and children to feed and clothe.
The
problem of an indiscriminate distribution of funds without regard to need or
effect does not have to result in the funds wastefully going to frivolous
spending or worse into savings that would have no immediate impact on people
suffering in weak areas of our economy.
The
Scriptures tell us that when we meet the needs of suffering people, we are
serving God. For my household, our
stimulus money will go to Hope House in Union County. Hope House meets the needs of people faced
with the crisis of eviction, loss of heat, or other financial troubles when
events such as sickness, job loss, or unexpected bills conspire to overwhelm
them. It was formed when churches in
Union County came together to pool and better administer resources for showing
Christ’s love to the neediest members of their community.
For
those who have enough, I hope you will also consider contributing your stimulus
check to one of the many organizations – your church, a local charity, or a
food bank – which are meeting the needs of the disadvantaged for housing,
warmth, and food this winter.
David Plunkett
