Was just reading up about President Trump's latest Executive Order on stimulus payments, payroll tax etc, Which, regardless of where you stand on the strict intent of the constitutionality of it is very likely a solid political move.
I was reading this positive opinion piece on it:
It would seem to give $400 a week (75% provided by the Federal government and 25% by the states) to unemployed Americans (unlike the $600 which the Dems wanted which would actually be more than most of those unemployed would earn if they were actually employed) and pulls the funds by diverting from some already appropriated leftover Federal funds in other programs and tapping the Federal Disaster Relief fund. Apparently the stimulus payments have a sunset clause that they will expire after a certain time-frame which pushes them past the election OR when the Disaster Relief Fund is reduced to $25 billion, whichever comes first.
On top of this Trump wants to bring in a freeze on payroll tax payments for the next few months which it is estimated will put around $1,200 extra in the pockets of employed Americans. Now these repayments will have to be made up for at a latter date but Trump has said if he wins the election he will waive them and has called upon Biden to promise he will too if he wins.
He has also signed an Order making it more difficult for landlords to evict tenants or banks to evict mortgagees for the next few months.
Now to my untrained eye this looks like a good move for Trump as it is good optics of him moving ahead when congressional Democrats keep holding things up with unreasonable demands. If they argue against it without a working alternative ready to go then they look bad and hold up relief to those who need it. The payroll tax freeze helps employed Americans who are also struggling in many cases and seem to be forgotten about by some and if it actually happens it puts Biden in the interesting position of having to either having to say he will go after people for money if he wins or tacitly promising support to a thing he doesn't endorse.
The eviction/mortgage thing is something which you can see is probably temporarily necessary even if it is being and will be abused by some. Ultimately everyone will win out if the economy bounces back and this is one of the measures aimed at that.
Now two things that spring out at me! ONE, the 25% contribution of the states. Will this put the states in an interesting bind? if it goes ahead does this mean that any states that don't sign on for it will either get no federal relief OR that they will get LESS federal relief? (25% less in fact). One of the big hold ups on the congressional stimulus package was the Democrats trying to shoe in debt relief for predominantly Democrat run states (it would have added another couple trillion$!) , they're in enormous debt and not really a position to give MORE than the 25% contribution. If they give none or less than people in their state miss out and can look at neighbouring states (many of them Republican) getting the full amount. Won't that be an eye opener?
Now for the other bit
School vouchers!
Now imagine the scenario... the 'pandemic' continues on, public schools in Democrat states are paralysed by concerted efforts from Democrat lawmakers and teachers unions to keep schools closed or go 'online' (a waste of time and beyond the reach of many poor). All of a sudden households begin receieving school vouchers along with stimulus cheques in the mail. Now imagine many of these households are Black and Hispanic households (many of whom have wanted mores school choice for years) and the Charter and other private schools are open except where the Democrat lawmakers force them to stay closed in which case they are demanding to re-open, going to court etc. Teachers Unions will vociferously oppose anything to do with charter or private schools with no compromise (they already have tried to use the pandemic to kill them off) the Democrats will be forced to take their side.
I think school vouchers and the promise of school choice are going to be one of the weapons in the arsenal of the Trump re-election campaign and we may just be about to see it unveiled. The Teachers Unions effectiveness at getting schools shut down, forcing parents to home educate kids or babysit them (whilst teachers keep getting full pay) could be about to bite them and the Democrat Party in the arse.
I was reading this positive opinion piece on it:
Trump's latest stimulus move brilliantly flips the table on Pelosi, Democrats
Trump’s four executive actions do many of the things that the Democrats have been agitating for.
www.foxbusiness.com
It would seem to give $400 a week (75% provided by the Federal government and 25% by the states) to unemployed Americans (unlike the $600 which the Dems wanted which would actually be more than most of those unemployed would earn if they were actually employed) and pulls the funds by diverting from some already appropriated leftover Federal funds in other programs and tapping the Federal Disaster Relief fund. Apparently the stimulus payments have a sunset clause that they will expire after a certain time-frame which pushes them past the election OR when the Disaster Relief Fund is reduced to $25 billion, whichever comes first.
On top of this Trump wants to bring in a freeze on payroll tax payments for the next few months which it is estimated will put around $1,200 extra in the pockets of employed Americans. Now these repayments will have to be made up for at a latter date but Trump has said if he wins the election he will waive them and has called upon Biden to promise he will too if he wins.
He has also signed an Order making it more difficult for landlords to evict tenants or banks to evict mortgagees for the next few months.
Now to my untrained eye this looks like a good move for Trump as it is good optics of him moving ahead when congressional Democrats keep holding things up with unreasonable demands. If they argue against it without a working alternative ready to go then they look bad and hold up relief to those who need it. The payroll tax freeze helps employed Americans who are also struggling in many cases and seem to be forgotten about by some and if it actually happens it puts Biden in the interesting position of having to either having to say he will go after people for money if he wins or tacitly promising support to a thing he doesn't endorse.
The eviction/mortgage thing is something which you can see is probably temporarily necessary even if it is being and will be abused by some. Ultimately everyone will win out if the economy bounces back and this is one of the measures aimed at that.
Now two things that spring out at me! ONE, the 25% contribution of the states. Will this put the states in an interesting bind? if it goes ahead does this mean that any states that don't sign on for it will either get no federal relief OR that they will get LESS federal relief? (25% less in fact). One of the big hold ups on the congressional stimulus package was the Democrats trying to shoe in debt relief for predominantly Democrat run states (it would have added another couple trillion$!) , they're in enormous debt and not really a position to give MORE than the 25% contribution. If they give none or less than people in their state miss out and can look at neighbouring states (many of them Republican) getting the full amount. Won't that be an eye opener?
Now for the other bit
Both the White House and Pelosi want a $1,200 per person payment to individuals, and that can now be done as a stand-alone bill.
The nation’s businesses still need a liability shield for employers (so they don’t get sued through no fault of their own when workers randomly get sick). And families need the all-important school vouchers for parents who want alternative education choices if the public schools are not open in the fall.
School vouchers!
Now imagine the scenario... the 'pandemic' continues on, public schools in Democrat states are paralysed by concerted efforts from Democrat lawmakers and teachers unions to keep schools closed or go 'online' (a waste of time and beyond the reach of many poor). All of a sudden households begin receieving school vouchers along with stimulus cheques in the mail. Now imagine many of these households are Black and Hispanic households (many of whom have wanted mores school choice for years) and the Charter and other private schools are open except where the Democrat lawmakers force them to stay closed in which case they are demanding to re-open, going to court etc. Teachers Unions will vociferously oppose anything to do with charter or private schools with no compromise (they already have tried to use the pandemic to kill them off) the Democrats will be forced to take their side.
I think school vouchers and the promise of school choice are going to be one of the weapons in the arsenal of the Trump re-election campaign and we may just be about to see it unveiled. The Teachers Unions effectiveness at getting schools shut down, forcing parents to home educate kids or babysit them (whilst teachers keep getting full pay) could be about to bite them and the Democrat Party in the arse.
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