# Why is the Debt/Deficit issue #1 for so many people?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-debt-deficit-issue-1-for-so-many-people/624297>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [June 6, 2012, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-debt-deficit-issue-1-for-so-many-people/624297 "2012-06-06T18:31:30Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 135

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**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:** [June 14, 2012, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-debt-deficit-issue-1-for-so-many-people/624297/135 "2012-06-14T19:09:13Z")

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> [@What the fuck is wrong with these homophobic bigots?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck-is-wrong-with-these-homophobic-bigots/4948/297):
>
> We literally spent trillions doing this. could have just written a whopping check to each person and let them spend wildly.

If by “this” you mean the ARRA stimulus package, you’re literally wrong once again. We should have spent trillions. We have spent $758.4 billion, the largest chunk of which was in tax benefits (297.8B).

And all we got for doing so was the prevention of a second great depression.

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