I believe that as soon as people start getting the checks they are going to put it away in savings accounts or cds. But eventually i think they are going to spend it in the near future. That is what americans just do, they spend.

After sending the IRS a balance due on my 2007 tax return that is three times the amount of the $1,200 rebate, you can bet that the $1,200 is going right back where it came from--in the bank.  However, there are plenty of stupid people out there who will just blow the rebate check.  So, I do think the tax rebates will have some positive effect.  I mean, "everyone" has just got to have a new 60 inch flat-screen TV, right?  But then I guess the tax rebates will be helping China's economy more than ours.

What this should be called is what it is... more debt.  Our government has NO money.  To borrow more, when the US no longer has the income to pay it back, is absolute economic stupidity.  And this is after Bush agreed to bail out the big banks for writing bad mortgages.  Another asinine move, no?  This BS is getting deeper and deeper.

Why isn't our government required to balance their books?  Thats right... they write the laws. Silly me...

You gottabe kidding me! A different name would affect how I spend the money? The person who wrote this must be bored or uninspired. Amercian's will spend it on what they CAN spend it on, no matter what the naming convention. Things like a TV, clothes, home improvement, credit card bills, our increase in taxes. And its most likely the taxes, energy bills, credit card debt. If it weren't why the *&#$ would the govt need to send us money in the first place? Can I have the time I spent typing this back please? Kthnx!

I would love to whip my butt on my check and send it back to George..

This is all crap...the only economy that will be helped by this give away  program is China..might as well send the $162 billion directly to Chine..We dont manufacturer anything here anymore and that is our problem..oh yeah it will help our  trade deficiet too..and of course the government has no money so we will have to borrow the money from China anyways..

Nafta is pure evil and this is our gain from Clinton signing this  document with China..repeal nafta or tax the crap out of all imports. I would rather pay higher prices and keep Americans employed  than finance China and the rest of this planet..Its America first not second or third or last like GWB thinks...

Forget rebates - if the Govt. wanted to stimulate the economy I think the best solution would be to subside the rising cost of gas which I further believe is one of the key factor that has negatively impacted the economy.

. . . or WAS IT?! (ominous music here)

@av801: Surely you're not suggesting that the average American's behavior is governed completely by a rational process. You know better than that.

Please do your research before writing stuff like this.  The 2001 tax rebate had nothing to do with 9/11, unless W. knew it was going to happen.  The rebate was created by the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 that was passed on June 7, 2001.  People got their rebate checks that summer, long before 9/11, so it was not "an effort to prevent a 9/11-linked recession."

What a joke! Suggesting that giving the stimulus payment a different name would cause claimants to save or spend is irrational.