Editorial: Figuring out ways to let you keep your money is government?s job

Somewhere between the president’s signature and the arrival of the seed money, a funny thing happened on the way to economic stimulation.In February, Congress approved legislation providing tax rebates combined with tax breaks for businesses — theoretically giving people more disposable income and making sellers better able to hire new workers to handle the anticipated flurry of income disposal. Direct-deposit rebates started hitting bank accounts this week.The aim was to rejuvenate an economy seen in some quarters as spiraling toward a recession. However, the key players began to display an independent streak that didn’t jibe with this experiment’s intended outcome.A year ago, 27 percent of people who responded to an Associated Press-America Online poll said they would use their IRS refunds to pay off bills. That number had risen to 35 percent by April. If Americans have been trending toward frugality, what would this development mean for the heralded stimulus package?In our view, this plan involved even more guesswork than the usual initiatives that come out of Washington. If people could forecast the economy, hardly anyone would lose money in the stock market. Intentionally or not, the stimulus package also set up consumers as fall guys. If they didn’t spend, spend, spend as expected, the blame for any difficulties could go their way.Excuse us? It would seem more appropriate for the government to concern itself with how it spends our money rather than how we spend our money.Besides, people have legitimate reasons for not blowing their refunds or rebates. Gas prices, food prices, troubles in the housing market and other factors have caused economic pain and uncertainty. Unlike the government, the public doesn’t have an involuntary source of income it can tap to balance the books (such as taxpayers).If you choose to consume with this money, you don’t have to feel obedient. If you choose not to consume, you don’t have to feel unpatriotic. After all, it is your money. Figuring out how to let you keep more of it while efficiently performing essential duties should be the extent of the government’s involvement.