Seeking American Wisdom

We just received our Economic Stimulus Act notice from the IRS this morning. We're in the money, I guess. And I guess I should be feeling pretty great that my government loves me so much and gives me all it's nice borrowed cash. So let's just say that's how it is. I just love that my government is borrowing cash and doling it out to poor little scrubs like me. How thoughtful.

But now there's the question of how to spend this borrowed cash. My knee-jerk desire is to put it in the bank, but I don't get the feeling that Mother Gov. wants this. Saving isn't stimulating. So, as a patriot, I should spend the ever-loving heck out of it. Here's the problem: everything I want is made in China or India or Iguanistan . . . and while I'm no economist (or even the ghost of an economist), spending Chinese money on Chinese goods to inspire American economic growth sounds fishy. Sushi. Tsunami. Splash.

So I figure that it's my American duty to bypass the Chinese stuff and do one of two things: 1. Give those dollars away. 2. Spend them local (as in, really local; like, direct-from-the-fatta-the-land local).

The first option hurts a bit. I like money as much as the next patriot. But I figure if I skip the retail sector and give my Economic Stimulus check to, say, the church, then those dollars are doing their jobs paying out people who do their jobs. That's stimulus, right? Help me out here.

The second option hurts as much as the first. I want an outdoor grill more than I want locally raised steaks to pan fry in the house. But the local farmer holds a dear place in my ignorant little heart, and I'd like nothing better than to fill his coffer a bit more full. That's stimulus, too? Yeah?

Ack! The pressure! It's starting to get to me! I'm seeing spots! Out! Out!

Please advise here, people. My principles are giving all of us headaches.