Open Thread for Night Owls, Early Birds and Expats

From the January Harper's Index: A retrospective of the Bush era

Portion of all U.S. income gains during the Bush Administration that have gone to the top 1 percent of earners: 3/4 Increase since 2000 in the number of Americans living at less than half the federal poverty level: 3,500,000 Percentage change since 2001 in the average amount U.S. workers spend on out-of-pocket medical expenses: +172 Estimated percentage by which Social Security benefits would have declined if Bush’s privatization plan had passed: –15 ... Portion of the $3.3 billion in federal Hurricane Katrina relief spent by Mississippi that has benefited poor residents: 1/4

From the Economic Policy Institute's A Rescue Plan for Main Street - Bang for Buck of Various Types of Stimulus:

First year impact on real GDP of each $2 spent

TAX CUTS
Non-refundable lump-sum tax rebate: $1.02
Refundable lump-sum tax rebate: $1.22

Temporary Tax Cuts
Payroll tax holiday: $1.28
Across-the-board tax cut: $1.03
Accelerated depreciation: $0.25

Permanent Tax Cuts
Extend alternative minimum tax patch: $0.49
Make Bush income tax cuts permanent: $0.31
Make dividend and capital gains tax cuts permanent: $0.38
Cut corporate tax rate: $0.30

SPENDING INCREASES
Unemployment Insurance extension: $1.63
Temporary increase in food stamps (SNAP): $1.73
General aid to state governments: $1.38
Infrastructure spending increase: $1.59

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