# I Pit the Tax "Rebate" **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 27, 2008, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-tax-rebate/435146 "2008-01-27T01:35:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2008, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-tax-rebate/435146/61 "2008-01-27T18:57:21Z")
[QUOTE=Carol Stream] No, people should be able to keep their own money to start with. [/QUOTE] You can keep all your own money. Print up some StreamBucks (or, since “Euro” is taken, how about “Urea”), and you’ll be able to keep all of it that you like. Nobody else will want to take a single red cent, or yellow cent, or whatever you make it to be. Oh, you meant, your money, as in, all of that you acquired due to being part of a society. Well, that’s different, isn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2008, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-tax-rebate/435146/62 "2008-01-27T19:30:15Z")
[QUOTE=Rhubarb] I’ve already decided to thwart our government’s fiendish plan to “jumpstart the economy”. I’m putting the whole thing in a savings account. 🆒 [/QUOTE] I’m pretty sure the Fed is _way_ ahead of you on that one. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2008, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-tax-rebate/435146/63 "2008-01-27T20:25:54Z")
The Ms and I gave our rebates to charity the last time around. I won’t be pandered to by the most egregious fuckwit to ever disgrace the presidency and our country. He and his cabinet are criminals that should have been impeached after the first four years, and I can’t wait to see their sorry rebating asses kicking horse turds down the beltway. A rebate? This is the best these half-witted fucktards can come up with to prop up a tanking economy? An economic situation that, by the way, they have helped create by ignoring what the bankers and corporations have been shoving up our asses for the past eight years. I can hardly wait to see what it’s going to cost me to bail these financial institutions out. In the meantime, the EU and Asia have discovered that they really don’t need us after all, and that a tanking U.S. economy is good news for them. After a one day bounce, their markets are back in full vigor. George Bush has done everything in his power to destroy this country’s reputation, honor and economy, and he’s very nearly succeeded. One more year should be just about long enough to finish the job. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Millit\_the\_Frail](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/51bf81/32.png) [@Millit\_the\_Frail](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Millit_the_Frail)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2008, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-tax-rebate/435146/64 "2008-01-27T20:37:42Z")
[QUOTE=Ca3799] I understood this is a “prebate” and, using **Millit the Frail** as an example, Millet will then have the $1200.00 she receives this year deducted from her 2008 tax refund. Is this correct? [/QUOTE] I think you are actually correct. Gotcha. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2008, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-tax-rebate/435146/65 "2008-01-27T21:42:30Z")
[QUOTE=Carol Stream] Fool, the government isn’t going to give you extra money back, they are going to take it away from others to give it to you. [/QUOTE] 10 years of profits from [my employer](http://www.uspto.gov/) (a Government agency) would cover this. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2008, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-tax-rebate/435146/66 "2008-01-27T21:52:44Z")
Um, could. _Could_ cover this. Possibly. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2008, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-tax-rebate/435146/67 "2008-01-27T22:13:54Z")
Political Logic: 1. Something must be done. 2. X is something. 3. Therefore, X must be done. ---
**Author:** ![newcrasher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b3f665/32.png) [@newcrasher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newcrasher)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2008, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-tax-rebate/435146/68 "2008-01-27T22:16:04Z")
[QUOTE=Carol Stream] My relationship with the Lord is none of your business, and you are wrong to question it. [/QUOTE] From one Christian to another…ssshhhhhh, you’re making us look bad. ---
**Author:** ![newcrasher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b3f665/32.png) [@newcrasher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newcrasher)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2008, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-tax-rebate/435146/69 "2008-01-27T22:27:46Z")
[QUOTE=Carol Stream] Fool, the government isn’t going to give you extra money back, they are going to take it away from others to give it to you. You don’t see a problem with that? And buy your own damn groceries, like the rest of us. [/QUOTE] Have you _ **read** _ the bible? You have proclaimed to follow Jesus in this thread, so what facet of his teachings are you emulating here? If you would like to discuss this in another thread, feel free. But when people claim to be Christian and then (by defiance to him or ignorance of him) act opposite of his message, its sort of a turn off… ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2008, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-tax-rebate/435146/70 "2008-01-27T22:54:15Z")
[QUOTE=newcrasher] Have you _ **read** _ the bible? You have proclaimed to follow Jesus in this thread, so what facet of his teachings are you emulating here? If you would like to discuss this in another thread, feel free. But when people claim to be Christian and then (by defiance to him or ignorance of him) act opposite of his message, its sort of a turn off… [/QUOTE] Could someone please point me to the chapter in the New Testament wherein Jesus’ equates seizing and giving? ---
**Author:** ![Nancarrow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c37758/32.png) [@Nancarrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nancarrow)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2008, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-tax-rebate/435146/71 "2008-01-27T23:16:25Z")
[QUOTE=Labrador Deceiver] Could someone please point me to the chapter in the New Testament wherein Jesus’ equates seizing and giving? [/QUOTE] Well, if we can accept ‘giving’ and ‘rendering’ as equivalent… and ‘seizing’ sounds rather like ‘Caesar’… then, yep, it IS in the New Testament. But you can find it yourself. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2008, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-tax-rebate/435146/72 "2008-01-27T23:22:50Z")
[QUOTE=Nancarrow] Well, if we can accept ‘giving’ and ‘rendering’ as equivalent… and ‘seizing’ sounds rather like ‘Caesar’… then, yep, it IS in the New Testament. But you can find it yourself. [/QUOTE] I’m sorry. I didn’t realize I questioned the fact that Jesus thought we should pay our taxes. I must have typed that somewhere without knowing it. ---
**Author:** ![newcrasher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b3f665/32.png) [@newcrasher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newcrasher)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2008, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-tax-rebate/435146/73 "2008-01-27T23:49:30Z")
Let’s not hijack this thread. Open a new one if you want… ---
**Author:** ![Carol\_Stream](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c2a13f/32.png) [@Carol\_Stream](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carol_Stream)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2008, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-tax-rebate/435146/74 "2008-01-27T23:49:55Z")
[QUOTE=Millit the Frail] I’m not sure you understand how taxes actually work. [/QUOTE] And I’m not sure you know how to read. Since you paid income taxes, you will be receiving a rebate. The Democrats under Mrs. Pelosi added a provision to pay $300/pp to those who haven’t paid income taxes. That is the subject of this thread, and it is NOT a rebate. ---
**Author:** ![Carol\_Stream](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c2a13f/32.png) [@Carol\_Stream](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carol_Stream)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2008, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-tax-rebate/435146/75 "2008-01-28T00:01:49Z")
[QUOTE=Nancarrow] Well, if we can accept ‘giving’ and ‘rendering’ as equivalent… and ‘seizing’ sounds rather like ‘Caesar’… then, yep, it IS in the New Testament. But you can find it yourself. [/QUOTE] Jesus talked about giving one’s own bread, cloak, shelter, etc. to the least of our brothers. He did not say you should take Jacob’s bread to feed Joshua. As for Caesar and taxes, I am not an Ancient History expert, but I’m pretty sure that Caesar’s taxes were used to wage war and expand the empire. I don’t recall him giving bread to the slaves. ---
**Author:** ![Rhubarb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/59ef9b/32.png) [@Rhubarb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhubarb)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2008, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-tax-rebate/435146/76 "2008-01-28T00:04:21Z")
[QUOTE=iamthewalrus(:3=] [Quote=Rhubarb] I’ve already decided to thwart our government’s fiendish plan to “jumpstart the economy”. I’m putting the whole thing in a savings account. [/quote] I’m pretty sure the Fed is _way_ ahead of you on that one. [/QUOTE] What, just by cutting the interest rate from practically nothing to approximately nothing? I couldn’t care less. It’ll be $1200 in my bank account for when the economy _really_ goes south, it won’t be circulating in the economy propping up a bunch of Wall Street investors, and if this is just a “prebate” on next year’s taxes, I’ll have it ready to pay back, because I rarely pay in much more in income taxes than absolutely necessary. My average tax refund is generally $1000 or less. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2008, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-tax-rebate/435146/77 "2008-01-28T00:10:06Z")
> [@](#): > > …As for Caesar and taxes, I am not an Ancient History expert, but I’m pretty sure that Caesar’s taxes were used to wage war and expand the empire. I don’t recall him giving bread to the slaves. You recall the expression “bread and circuses”? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2008, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-tax-rebate/435146/78 "2008-01-28T00:19:24Z")
[QUOTE=Carol Stream] As for Caesar and taxes, I am not an Ancient History expert, but I’m pretty sure that Caesar’s taxes were used to wage war and expand the empire. I don’t recall him giving bread to the slaves. [/QUOTE] I don’t recall Jesus acknowledging a distinction. Pay your taxes, no matter what they are used for. Your reward awaits you in heaven. ---
**Author:** ![Ca3799](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9f8e36/32.png) [@Ca3799](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ca3799)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2008, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-tax-rebate/435146/79 "2008-01-28T00:24:45Z")
[QUOTE=Rhubarb] It’ll be $1200 in my bank account for when the economy _really_ goes south, it won’t be circulating in the economy propping up a bunch of Wall Street investors, and if this is just a “prebate” on next year’s taxes, I’ll have it ready to pay back, because I rarely pay in much more in income taxes than absolutely necessary. My average tax refund is generally $1000 or less. [/QUOTE] I agree. This ‘rebate’ annoys me. I spent some effort and time to balance my witholdings so I would owe nothing and get a small refund (as I prefer to get a small refund than to pay). Now, I’ll just have to sit on the money so I can give it back later?! Ugh. And, thanks for the favor (not). ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2008, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-tax-rebate/435146/80 "2008-01-28T00:25:51Z")
[QUOTE=Fear Itself] I don’t recall Jesus acknowledging a distinction. Pay your taxes, no matter what they are used for. Your reward awaits you in heaven. [/QUOTE] Precisely. THere is nowhere in the gospel, AFAIK, that Jesus advocates a strict respect for property rights. Indeed, he reserves some of his strongest condemnations for those who treat property rights as license to do ill, or even as license to withhold from the poor. “Buy your own damn groceries” sounds like the kind of sentiment that would earn you a beatdown from the son of god. Daniel [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-tax-rebate/435146.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-tax-rebate/435146.md?page=5)