Economy needs jobs as well as rebates

If President Bush and Congress truly want to stimulate the economy you'd think they'd prefer a plan that helps people earn a regular paycheck over one that hands people a single rebate check.

You would, unfortunately, be wrong.

Lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives last week cut from a proposed economic stimulus package a provision that would invigorate the economy in Baker County, and in hundreds of other counties across Oregon and the West, considerably more than mailing rebate checks to taxpayers will do.

That deleted provision would have continued the federal county payments program, which is due to expire this fall.

That program, which started in 2001, in essence reimburses counties for the drastic decline in public land logging revenue they're endured over the past 15 years.

If Baker County loses its share of about $825,000 per year, then the county almost certainly will have to lay off workers from its road department.

We're pretty sure those workers value their jobs more than they value a rebate check for $600 or $1,200.

We're also convinced that merchants fare better when their customers earn a consistent income as opposed to receiving a one-time refund that's likely to have an exceedingly brief effect on the economy.

To be clear, we support the rebate plan. We like it when the government gives back to taxpayers some of the dollars they've earned.

But in this case the government can afford both the rebates and the extension of the county payments program.

County payments total about $1.6 billion — barely 1 percent of the proposed $150 billion stimulus package Congress is considering.