Faced with an economy that's been fucked three ways to Sunday, the geniuses inside the Beltway decided that, rather than admitting that the housing market's overdose of laissez-faire was the problem, opted for bread and circuses (or at least frozen pizza and American Gladiators). As we may remember, tax rebates proved a genius idea and had a huge effect of the economy last time they went out. If you give a man a fish, he'll eat for a day; if you give him some dynamite and a well-stocked trout pond, he'll feed his whole freaking family. Therefore, rather than funneling this paltry sum of $150 billion directly into the local gas stations, Costcos, and Wal*Marts of the 117 million households that will be receiving $300 to $1200-plus-$300-for-each child, here's ten New Dealish things the government could do that would ultimately result in greater benefits than direct checks:
1.) Forgive some student loans or set up some scholarships so that college isn't a ball-busting expense for the middle class.
2.) Revamp the VA system so that the soldiers who got blown up to protect our oil or democracy or whatever they're allegedly doing in Iraq are properly taken care of.
3.) For that matter, try health care for all of us. I think most people will spend a great deal more than $1200 on health care this year, if you count what they take out of their wages.
4.) Wasn't Social Security in trouble? Shouldn't we bail that out?
5.) Alternative energy research. In particular, the Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device needs to be invented.
6.) Give air traffic controllers and other federal employees raises, so they're not living on the edge of poverty. I can't believe the air-traffic controller wage freeze hasn't received more attention. I, personally, don't want my air travel directed by the lowest bidder.
7.) Men in the inner cities need jobs.
8.) Take over the mortgages of people who got screwed in the home-buying frenzy and make them pay them at a reasonable rate.
9.) Education. Remember that?
10.) Extend unemployment eligibility.
Oh, and my dear Republican party: Unemployment benefits, food stamps, and infrastructure projects are not "extraneous spending." They're why we have a government in the first place.