By Ryan C. Wood
As I sit here pondering my future and the shutdown of San Mateo County, California because of 80 total known coronavirus infections I have some thoughts about how the inevitable bailout should look like. I am sure there are more criteria then what is listed below that are a good idea. The point is no more handouts to multi-billion corporations with the false expectation that the money somehow trickles down to lowest person on the ladder. Do not tease us with a mere $1,000 one-time payment and then give corporations $770 billion or more. Give us the people ALL of the money and let us spend it in support of the economy.
Keep the $1,000 payment proposed for people given that will only pay for my clients’ phone bill, cable bill and maybe there will be some left over for a car payment. Instead give actual people, you know, the humans living in the United States the money being proposed to be given to corporations. We all have freedom of choice in a free market right? Us working people are supposed to choose how to spend our money creating winners and losers in the free market, right? Trickle down is a joke. CEO takes millions along with upper management then whatever is left goes to page wages that are not even good?
Do you want to drink water from melted snow thousands of feet high in the Sierra Nevada Mountains or drink water that is left over from trickling down thousands of miles picking up every single harmful thing possible?
Clearly we need a #TrickleUPBailOut based upon the following criteria:
- #TrickleUpBailout – MONEY TO THE PEOPLE
What I am saying is that hard working tax paying Americans should get the bailout money period. Then those hard working tax paying Americans can choose what to do with that money. Keep the proposed $1,000 given I know the amount proposed to be given to corporations spread out over those humans that need it will be far more money. How those in need who receive the billions spend the money in our free market will determine the winners and losers. Not the government choosing which corporations to prop up on the tax payer dime regarding the free market. There will be winners and loser. Let our free market and freedom of choice be how we move forward after the coronavirus catastrophe. That is how it is supposed to work. Not the other way around. Please do not give billions of tax payer dollars to a handful of corporations under the guise of too big to fail yet again. The government is not supposed to create winners and losers. We have a free market right? Tax paying hard working voters are supposed to make these decisions right? Give the bailout money to real people that have hearts, breathe and live, vote, pay taxes and need help given the coronavirus catastrophe. Do you not trust us to exercise our rights and freedom of choice?
2. #TrickleUPBailOut – ALL PEOPLE GET THE BAILOUT FUNDS IF THEY QUALIFY
All people that meet the following criteria get the bailout funds regardless of legal status, race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, ever convicted of a crime or any other way to treat a human different from another human. Let us start a new normal from the ashes of the coronavirus catastrophe that truly is equal to humans that qualify just because they are simply a human that live and works in the United States. Disease and natural disasters that hurt humans do not care about any of these things. Disease and natural disasters do not discriminate; only humans do.
The application for #TrickleUPBailOut funds will not include a single question about legal status, race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, ever been convicted of a crime type questions period.
You live here in the United States. You lived it you get it.
3. #TrickleUPBailOut – NO BAILOUT FOR TRUST FUND BABIES
Sorry, but it must be said. Good for you, not hating, but trust fund babies should not get a dime of tax payer money as a result of the coronavirus catastrophe. Your good already given someone else in your life was able and nice enough to take care of you and provide for your every financial need. If you are a trust fund baby that has to work to get by in life then that is different of course.
4. #TrickleUpBailOut – NO BAILOUT MONEY FOR CERTAIN HIGH INCOME EARNERS
I am not going to say a number but we can all agree that someone who has a gross income of $300,000 a year or more does not need any bailout money, period. I will let other people elected to make such decisions and set a number. The point is if you make that much money you do not need a bailout. Bailout money should be reserved for those in need of it most. There are exceptions of course. If you lose your job and all income then ……..
5. #TrickleUPBailOut – IF YOU LOSE YOUR JOBE YOU QUALIFY
If you lose your job during the coronavirus catastrophe you automatically qualify, period. No questions asked. Lose job = #TrickleUPBailOut money.
I am sure there are plenty of other criteria that make sense to make sure all bailout tax payer dollars actually go to benefit tax payers that actually need it; period. These five things are probably just a good start. The point is why trust some CEO getting paid $30 million a year to decide what to do with tax payer bailout money? As a bankruptcy attorney I am already fielding calls and the coronavirus has already caused bankruptcy filings. I am sure there will be more to come, but giving bailout money directly to humans in need may reduce the number of future bankruptcy cases. Even if bailout funds do not prevent bankruptcy filings who cares? Taxing paying hard working people are the ones that deserve every penny of any bailout money from the government.