Thank you, Uncle Sam! Thank you, Republican members of Congress! Thank you, George W.

Monday, June 11, 2001

Thank you, Uncle Sam! Thank you, Republican members of Congress! Thank you, George W.!

Thank you for my tax rebate two months and one week before it will arrive in my mailbox. (I’m a 4 – 0, the last two digits of my Social Security number, which means that my tax rebate will arrive the week of Aug. 20.)

Thank you for the time to plan and dream about how I am going to spend my rebate so that I will be able to help bring our local, state and national economy out of its current trough.

I’m a patriotic American; I will support my president; I will spend, not save, my rebate; I will boost the Lawrence County economy.

You may think that our federal tax rebate will not help the local economy, but you would be wrong. If only half of the 22,354 households in Lawrence County receive rebates that average just $300 (the lowest amount), the county would receive an infusion of $3.4 million.

That $3.4 million would have an impact of $23.5 million as it works it way through the local economy. Each dollar spent locally results in seven dollars of economic impact.

Of course, the key word is "spend."

Residents must spend the money locally if the local economy is to benefit.

So I would like to join our president in urging everyone to spend their rebates and help America. You have weeks before the first checks go out. That’s more than enough time for you to find something you want – maybe even need.

As you ponder, remember this:

Uncle Sam needs you to spend your rebate check. It’s the patriotic thing to do.