Many people will welcome the economic stimulus income tax rebate checks that the government is issuing, but whether or not the additional tax money will actually "stimulate" the economy is yet to be determined. Even if the extra money, which will be like a bonus to most people, does help taxpayers catch up on bills, once the money is spent the economy will likely revert back to its original state, if it even improves in the first place. This small amount of money that taxpayers are being granted is simply not enough to boost the struggling economy to the position that it needs to be in order to function as it should. It would cost way too much money in order to get many people out of the financial ruts that they're in.

The government would have to pay taxpayers a lot more money than the proposed amount if they really expect to improve the dire state of the economy. Many people who are eligible to receive checks are behind on their bills, which include utilities, car payments, credit cards payments, mortgages, rent, and more. These individuals will of course use their rebate checks to catch up on their bills, which will most likely have little to no direct effect on the economy. Even if those who receive the rebate check aren't behind on their bills, the insignificant amount of the check will simply not be enough to produce the proposed effect. There won't be enough money for taxpayers to go out and purchase new cars, new houses, or anything else that would notably increase the economy.

A large number of taxpayers are welcoming the extra money that the tax rebate checks will bring, but feel that it's simply not powerful enough of a plan to have any visible effect on the straining economy. First of all, not everyone will be eligible. Those who receive social security or some other form of government payment will not receive a check, as well as those who haven't made a certain amount of money during the previous year. People who live on fixed or extremely low incomes often experience financial distress more often than those who have earned more money. The stimulus checks would really make a difference in these people's lives as well. Perhaps if the government changed their guidelines to include these individuals the economy might be able to recover somewhat, but excluding those on fixed incomes won't make much of a difference toward improving the economy.

One way that the government could possibly stimulate the economy is to create more jobs, job training, and make paying for college possible for those who previously were unable to attend because of lack of resources. If individuals are able to focus on bettering themselves and their jobs situation, then this would slowly and steadily improve the economy, making everything better in the long-run. Better jobs with higher pay and more benefits would increase the United State's economic situation on a regular basis, rather than with a small one-time rebate check from the government.

So, the bottom line is: if you're expecting a rebate check to arrive in the spring, spend it wisely, and don't expect for it to make a drastic improvement in our current economic state. One of the only ways to prompt improvement in the economy of the United States is to create more methods for people to pay for college, such as with providing educational funding. This way, people can work toward training for higher paying jobs, which will likely more effectively help the economy to recover. If you've worked hard in the past year and feel that you deserve to use your rebate check to splurge on something you've been wanting but just haven't had in your budget, then by all means buy it. It may not have a great effect on the economy, but even a small improvement can help--while making you happy in the meantime.