meditations on the economic recession.

Stimulus package passed the Senate today.

Now, while I am a self-respecting liberal lady who believes that the economic recession is the fault of stupid anti-progressive tax cuts and similarly shortsighted measures that fail to account for the poor, especially women and children of color, and emphasize benefits for the wealthy capitalists and white businessmen who already have money, this is bitchin' good news.

Here's why: I am edging close to damn broke. I owe my girlfriend three hundred dollars. I want to buy tack that will probably cost three times that. My car will very soon need repairs, gas prices aren't exactly on the decline, and I need to get outfitted with practice and steel weapons of all sorts in preparing for upcoming kendo advancements. I like to travel. I like Rhode Island, and Ausin, and Williamsburg, and *especially* I like Europe. Well, the idea of Europe, anyway.

Here's why else: purported advancements of tax refunds to come for the next few years, to arrive in May, on the order of a few hundred dollars. Granted, that may not mean much to someone who only makes a few thousand a year but anything is something.

Couple that with my respectable (read: three figure) refund from this fiscal year, the money my mother is refunding me for housing deposits, and the paychecks from work that should start rolling in within the next couple of weeks. Win.

So, don't hate me too much when I say that I hope this anti-recession stimulus package actually materializes. Likes me the ability to afford my lifestyle.