Posted on 02/19/2025 9:09:02 AM PST by Red Badger
Elon Musk has endorsed it with an innovative way of showing the country the savings his Department of Government Efficiency is making.
Posting on the X platform on Tuesday, Musk said he would “check with the president” about a proposal to send out $5,000 checks to every American using money saved by DOGE’s cost-cutting operations.
The idea was initially proposed by James Fishback, a partner at the investment firm Azoria.
He explained the idea as follows:
Few in America knew precisely what to expect from DOGE. The early perceived turbulence around leadership, the uncertainty around legal structure, and the lack of precedent for such a bold initiative created a sense of “show me” with DOGE. Just a month into President Trump’s second term, DOGE is delivering. Full stop.
With DOGE reportedly achieving $1 billion in savings per day, President Trump has an opportunity to work with Congress to take DOGE one step further and deliver what we at Azoria call the “DOGE Dividend,” a tax refund check to be sent after the expiration of DOGE in July 2026 funded exclusively with a portion of the total savings delivered by DOGE.
However, the idea comes with some caveats, including that all recipients must be paying federal income tax in order to qualify:
Finally, President Trump’s DOGE Dividend will work to increase labor force participation by requiring individuals to be net payers of federal income tax to be eligible to receive their DOGE Dividend check. As just one example, 7 million working-age men in America are neither working nor looking for work.
The prospect of a $5,000 DOGE Dividend in 2026 will incentivize many to re-enter the labor force in 2025 in order to be eligible for the DOGE Dividend.
Low labor force participation is throttling U.S. economic growth and the DOGE Dividend will provide a powerful incentive to begin reversing this trend on the margins.
Over the past few weeks, Elon Musk’s DOGE initiative has uncovered billions in government waste and corruption, exposing rampant mismanagement of taxpayer dollars.
Investigations revealed $1.7 billion in unspent COVID relief funds, $3 billion lost to fraudulent unemployment claims, and $800 million wasted on failed green energy projects.
Meanwhile, the federal government spent $200 million on diversity training for bureaucrats and $4.5 billion in foreign aid to hostile regimes with little oversight.
Talk about buying votes.
And given the government's history of unlawful/illegal payments to both citizens and noncitizens, not to mention people who don't pay taxes that would get this money, I'm saying no again and again.
Too much…. 1500-2500
A lot better than Obama’s phony “free phone” nonsense.
I like it. Take from Liz Warren et al and give to people who work. Put them behind bars and never let them run for public office again.
This would be a concrete step, debt reduction is important, but just imagine the support if they even sent out $1000 checks. What could the opposition say? Nothing. Shut those bastards down once and for all.
the original tweet mentioned $5000 to each tax-paying household”- I hate to keep saying this but everyone is running with the “everybody gets $5k” thing. Plus, it’s just a tweet.
There will be a check box. If you want your check used to pay their debt, check the box. No problem.
I have never ever been “for sale” to ANY politician. sure glad Elon musk isn’t a politician!
“ about a proposal to send out $5,000 checks to every American using”
NO AND HECK NO!!!!
REDUCE THE DEFICIT AND REDUCE TAXES.
This is vote buying just like Biden did with COVID money
Do they think we are stupid?
“not to mention people who don’t pay taxes that would get this money”
Obviously you didn’t read the article ...
Not really bad-faith “buying votes”.
Rather more like a good faith initial showing of REAL SAVINGS to the American People by CUTTING UNCONSTITUTIONAL GOV’T and its $3+ trillion waste.
That was a program that was started under GW Bush, that Obama coopted and turned into a huge giveaway program. It was intended for the rural poor and disabled veterans, but Obama weaponized it for votes.............
I'm not sure what the term 'net payer' means. Would this eliminate retirees?
Agreed!
Pay down the debt! It’s simple Common Sense.
It is returning tax money back to the taxpayers.
Once that was a conservative idea.
NO!most DON’T pay federal taxes!
Those helicopter squadrons they use for evacuating VIPs to bunkers in the event of WWIII - I think we've found another use for them.
Musk replied, curious, but said that he ‘will check with the President.’
Fishback added: ‘American taxpayers deserve a ‘DOGE Dividend’: 20% the money that DOGE saves should be sent back to hard-working Americans as a tax refund check.’
‘It was their money in the first place! At $2 trillion in DOGE savings and 78 million tax-paying households, this is a $5,000 refund per household, with the remaining used to pay down the national debt. Elon Musk, let’s do this! This
the original tweeting
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