In honor of today’s inauguration of President Barack Obama, your payday loan source would like to review some of the high points of Mr. Obama’s upcoming economic plan. Some of the proposals you’ll see here are currently being addressed by the incoming President, while others have yet to be realized. As newsman Tom Brokaw reminded the nation and the world before Obama appeared before the expectant National Mall inauguration crowd, “There are no guarantees.” America’s economy is in need of significant repair, and President Obama will do all that he can to move the country in the right direction. However, significant reforms will take time.

Part I: Stagnant Wages and the Wrong Tax Cuts

Wages for American workers have not kept pace with the skyrocketing cost of living. In-state college education costs have grown by a staggering 35 percent over the past few years. Health care costs have also flown ahead of wage earnings, outgrowing earnings by four times over the past six years. And personal savings? Some might ask, “What’s that?” We are saving at a rate that is at its lowest since America’s Great Depression. Savings should come first, before leisure, before faxless payday loans and most certainly in a way that assures you are free of predatory fees (which most banks and credit unions cannot guarantee). The following chart appeared in a recent New York Times article, and it paints a picture that is indeed sobering:

Tax cuts for the rich instead of the middle class

While some economists argue this, most agree that tax cuts should benefit those who need the relief. Taxation should apply most logically to those in the highest income brackets, in order to achieve economic balance and give citizens real opportunities to succeed. However, tax cuts under former President George W. Bush benefited not those who needed relief, but those who earned over $1 million dollars per year. Bush’s largest tax cut was in fact 160 times greater than whatever the middle class received. The hard-working middle class bearing the brunt of taxes and having their right to payday loans being taken from them are both exceedingly unfair.

Truly, the numbers of the middle class are much larger than those in the upper income brackets, yet the tiniest percentage actually holds an overwhelming percentage of the world’s wealth. It is no different in America, which made the G.W. Bush tax cuts all the more puzzling. A study at the time found that “the effective tax rate for the top 1 percent of taxpayers dropped from 33 percent in 2001 to 26.7 percent this year, a decline of 19 percent. The middle 20 percent of taxpayers saw a decline of only four percent.”

The laundry list against the cuts, continued:

• The top 20 percent of incomes (averaging $182,700 a year) saw their federal taxes decline from 65.3 percent in 2001 to 63.5 percent
• Middle-class incomes bore a greater tax burden; those averaging $75,600 jumped from 18.5 percent in 2001 to 19.5 percent the following year

Phil Singer, spokesman for former Democratic Presidential candidate John Kerry, said at the time that

George W. Bush keeps trying to mislead Americans into thinking we’re turning the corner, but truth is that he is turning his back on middle-class families. The Bush policies are exacerbating the squeeze that working families have been feeling for the last four years.

How does President Obama plan to fix this?

It will be rather difficult to spur employers to increase salaries significantly at this stage in America’s economic recovery (which is part of why payday loans have come to fill a necessary role), so the most logical courses are strategic (not sweeping) tax relief and stimulus packages (the latter of which is already underway). According to the Obama/Biden “Plan for America” Web site, they will achieve these economic ends in this way:

• A “windfall profits tax” will provide a $1,000 energy rebate, because the rising cost of fuels – for our homes, vehicles and commerce engines – has been a major problem. President Obama will increase taxes on oil company profits to give American families this rebate
• A further economic jump start will include a $25 billion “State Growth Fund” that will fill the gap and prevent there from being cuts to health, education, housing and heating assistance, or unfortunate increases in property tax, tolls or fees. Infrastructure, school repair and protecting jobs are central to this growth fund

• 150 million workers, via the “Making Work Pay” tax credit, will receive up to $500 per person, or $1,000 per working family. Obama estimates this will eliminate income taxes for 10 million Americans
• Seniors making under $50,000 will no longer have to pay income tax. President Obama claims this will affect seven million seniors in America and save them an average of $1,400 per year
• In order to simplify tax filings, Obama will require the IRS to produce pre-filled tax forms based upon bank and employer information. By doing so, all consumers will have to do is verify and sign the forms, then return them. Experts estimate this will save up to 200 million total hours of work and up to $2 billion in tax preparer fees. Moreover, it will save consumers from investing in ridiculously expensive tax return loans

President Obama has his work cut out for him when it comes to righting the ship of the United States economy. Your payday loan source will be keeping a close, hopeful eye on how the President deals with these issues, with a particular eye for preserving the financial freedom and well-being of the consumer. When you choose a payday loan, you exercise your right to choose the best possible source for short-term emergency cash. It’s your choice. For more on President Obama’s economic plan for the American consumer, click here.

House Approves $14 Billion Bailout

Big 3 Auto Makers Bailout

The $14 billion bailout proposal was sent to the House of Representatives tonight in order for the House to cast its vote. The bill passed 237 to 170, but a majority of the support came from the Democrats.

Only 32 Republicans voted in favor of the bailout, eight of which are from Michigan. Seven additional Republicans in favor of the bailout were also from Midwestern states that are home to automobile plants. Besides the Republicans from states directly tied to the auto manufacturers, there was little right-wing support for the measure. It’s going to take more than a couple payday loans to get this problem out of the gutter.

Checks and Balances—Senate Could Kill Bailout Measure

The House approved the bailout, but opposition from the Senate could kill the bill. It’s obvious that Democrats in the House are in strong favor of the bailout, but the majority of Republicans in the House and Senate are in strong opposition of the bailout. Republicans, along with some Democrats, in the Senate argue that the bailout will not solve the issues that plague the auto industry.

What is the Purpose of the Bailout?

A lot of media attention has been given to the auto bailout in recent times. However, the proposal keeps changing, and people are confused about the bailout’s purpose. The most current proposal is a $14 billion bailout designed for two of the three big auto makers. The $14 billion is much less than the original request, and the bailout would now help prevent only Chrysler and General Motors from going into bankruptcy. Ford Motors claims that it has enough money to stay afloat for now, while Chrysler and General Motors allege that they are merely weeks from going bankrupt.

A Temporary Solution

The bill would create a temporary remedy until the new Congress and President-elect Barack Obama can develop a more permanent solution. The bill calls for strict oversight of Chrysler and General Motors: the company executives would have pay limits and would be forced to get rid of the aircraft they used to transport to previous Congressional hearings. George Bush will also appoint a “car czar” that has the power to recall the loans within 30 days if the auto makers are not cutting their costs enough.

Bailout Is Now Up To The Senate

The fate of the auto bailout is yet to be determined. The House of Representatives and President George W. Bush have given their support, but it is now up to the Senate whether or not the measure will pass. The Republicans in the Senate believe that instead of being a temporary solution for the auto industry, the bailout is simply prolonging the inevitable—the collapse of the big three American auto makers. The future of the American auto industry relies on the Senate vote; it will take 60 Senate votes to pass.

Choose Your Own Fate

Aren’t you glad that your financial future isn’t up to someone else’s vote? If you need a financial bailout or a temporary financial solution, you are at liberty to get extra money when you need it. Payday loans can do for you what the House is hoping the bailout will do for the auto industry: give your current financial situation a little boost until you can get back on your feet.