Republicans should refuse check, and not owe the debt
I concur with the opinion of “To My Republican Friends” (3/11/21), namely that Republicans that receive the $1400 check should return them to the Treasury. However, I would add that anyone that does so should not bear the burden of the cost: $5,750 per person ($1.9T/330M). In the absence of this exemption, they should save and invest anticipating the unavoidable day of reckoning.
This is a classic example of the “Law of Unexpected Consequences” repeatedly exhibited by our elected officials. Rather than peel the onion to understand the comprehensive impact of the proposed solution, weigh the benefits versus the cost and explain the balancing act they per -formed, our short-sighted representatives leap onto a simple catch phrase extolling the virtues to convince the short attention span populous.
The questions that we, as constituents, should be asking are “What are the negative consequences of this solution (bill, act, law, mandate, executive order, etc.)?” and “How have you weighted those against the benefits?” If we do not demand this type of assessment, we deserve the placation we get from our elected loan sharks.
Steven Schaeffer, Fairhaven
•••
Support local journalism, donate to the Neighb News with PayPal.
Click here to download the entire 3/18/21 issue: 03-18-21 CandidatesNight