# The Birkenmeier plan - what are the flaws? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 29, 2008, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-birkenmeier-plan-what-are-the-flaws/465734 "2008-09-29T17:10:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2008, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-birkenmeier-plan-what-are-the-flaws/465734/1 "2008-09-29T17:10:41Z")
I imagine lots of people have seen/will soon see this letter that is circulating on the net. It proposes taking the $85 billion AIG bailout money and sending it on to all adults in the US, roughly 200,000. It proposes dividing it among those people and having them then pay the taxes on it, and keeping the remainder, about $450 thousand, thus solving the mortgage problem and a number of other problems, too. Clearly, this is one of those ideas that sounds so wonderful, easy to do, and so rational, until you look at it a little closer. I’m unable to do that. Can anyone start to dismantle this scheme here? xo, C. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2008, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-birkenmeier-plan-what-are-the-flaws/465734/2 "2008-09-29T17:14:04Z")
There are far more than 200,000 adults in the U.S., for one. Divided equally between assuming 200 million adults would come out to $425 apiece. I.e. it would help us about as much as the stimulus did. ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2008, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-birkenmeier-plan-what-are-the-flaws/465734/3 "2008-09-29T17:22:42Z")
:smack: I suppose I could have looked at the numbers and been just _slightly_ more observant. TY (my 200,000 was a misprint, however - I know the number should have been 200,000,000.) ---
**Author:** ![Isosleepy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/isosleepy/32/479_2.png) [@Isosleepy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isosleepy)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2008, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-birkenmeier-plan-what-are-the-flaws/465734/4 "2008-09-29T17:52:06Z")
Heck, look at the numbers for the Bailout. 700 Billion is 700,000 million. There are 300 million of us. OK, exclude every one under 18, resident aliens and people with less than 2 legs, call it 200 million. Comes to $3,500.00 each. on the 85 Billion AIG it comes to 400 bucks That’d be the first flaw. eta oops. sorry about the me-too