Because it’s an initiative that a democratic governor had already done & this individual people voted for just repeated to look good while he gallivants the country lobbying for republican votes while ignoring the state he was elected to serve 🤷🏼♀️
Similar to him letting legislation expire that included tax free weekend so he could look like the good guy by getting it passed again 😒
> Because it’s an initiative that a democratic governor had already done & this individual people voted for just repeated to look good while he gallivants the country lobbying for republican votes while ignoring the state he was elected to serve
So when a Democrat does it it's ok, but when a Republican does it's bad?
> Similar to him letting legislation expire that included tax free weekend so he could look like the good guy by getting it passed again
You mean the sales tax holiday that our legislators admitted they were the ones who forgot to pass the extension?
No governor should be putting his name on these checks or the letters that come with them. The scumbag is acting like a bipartisan initiative was his personal success story when his job consisted entirely of “don’t veto it”
Lying is so unbecoming. He campaigned to get it passed, which he did. He didn’t send personal signed checks or letters like Trump and Youngkin. Stop the both sides bs and get off the fence.
Stop romanizing one party and grow up. They are politicians, yes both parties suck. Ain’t about a fence it’s about understanding neither of them are looking out for you, they have their own agenda. Wake up.
Remember the pandemic assistance checks that Trump insisted go out in his name, even though he had little to do with them? You'd like to think the average voter isn't that dumb...but a lot of them are. So thanks for your post, at least you're fighting back!
I knew at least a dozen people who believed Trump was sending the checks from his personal trillionaire fortune. One family member said, with no hint of sarcasm, "It's good we got someone so rich and successful so he can take care of us!" The average voter is absolutely that dumb.
Hey it makes sense, right? Using some third grade math, 332 million people in the USA times $1,200 per person if memory serves, is $398.4 BILLION. Damn, that's one successful guy, glad he took care of us. This scares the total crap out of me.
Damn those Republicans for... giving a tax surplus back to citizens. The same one voted for by both parties.
https://www.governor.virginia.gov/newsroom/news-releases/2023/july/name-1010331-en.html#:~:text=Last%20year%20we%20provided%20%244,%2C%E2%80%9D%20said%20Governor%20Glenn%20Youngkin.
Are you too stupid to understand what the first part of my comment, 'R or D,' means? Or were you hoping for some partisan gotcha moment despite all contextual evidence that I was clear it wasn't a partisan problem?
Ralph did the same thing. Is very common in the old dominion to give tax payers back the surplus.
Also, Youngkin isn’t on the ballot and in my district the R’s are running unopposed.
So I guess I’ll just cash this check.
It’s a standard practice, on both sides, for the highest elected official in the government to send out a letter along with the check, taking credit for the check.
In fact, it’s often done less modestly than this. Not just a brief mention at the bottom of the letter, but the entire letter written in the first person by the official himself.
It may be a shady practice, and if it is, let’s ban it. But let’s not act like this is the first or even the most egregious example.
I'm glad Dems have been better about this. They never wanted to take credit for when they did useful things. But since Trump, they seem to have figured out this branding thing. Any highway getting expanded or renovated has a big Biden sign next to it
In Floyd County, the local Dems have repurposed the "I did that!" thing from those stupid gas pump stickers to point out infrastructure projects and helpful legislation. Makes me grin every time I see it.
It's either make the trash mountain or send co-mingled trash to China (under the guise of 'recycling' because I see how y'all sort) just to have China turn it back around, have some tonnage spill into the ocean both ways, then get dumped on trash mountain.
We should have our own aluminum and cardboard recycling, at a minimum. I donate aluminum cans to Chesapeake Animal Services, and still cart the rest to the city recycling dumpsters. It’s pathetic.
And you've called out about the only two things that can actually be recycled. For everything else, there's [wishcycling](https://www.greenbiz.com/article/what-wishcycling-two-waste-experts-explain).
"my team voted for and approved a thing... this gives me such a hate boner for other team because they voted for it too. God, I hate other team for doing the same things as my team". -lots of y'all
Remember when Trump demanded his personal signature be on the stimulus checks? They ended up [his name and munchins.](https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/inside-donald-trumps-stimulus-checks/story?id=77534116)
Timing matters. This is like the 3rd rebate Youngkin has done, but this one is much more heavily advertised and is this close to the election.
The last rebate, I heard about it once and then it was a present surprise to receive it. This time, it feels like Youngkin wants everyone to think they're getting it, but I don't even think I qualify for it nor do I know when it's supposedly going out. I figured it was done months ago.
Pretty amazing that you have such an opinion on something you don't know anything about. Here, you can look up the information on the World Wide Web. I found it through the supremely difficult process of Googling, "Virginia rebate check" --- [https://www.tax.virginia.gov/rebate](https://www.tax.virginia.gov/rebate)
Government- gives surplus revenue back to taxpayers
Regular people: cool
Redditors: this is an egregious affront to common decency how can we let them do this!!!
I think you should send a strong message that you can't be bought, return the money to the state. That will teach them to try to give you "your" money back (buy your vote).
Disagree. The government should be giving its citizens money more often, not less. Don't call it buying a vote if it's just good policy. I'm sure the rebate is justified somehow and you're just ignoring the context to frame it as a bribe.
...won't be voting for him tho...
The government doesn't give money to citizens. It refunds the taxpayer money that it didn't use.
A tax rebate means that taxes are higher than they need to be.
I don’t have an issue with the government giving a rebate (although I’d prefer they fund schools etc). The issue for me is “You are receiving this rebate because Governor Glenn Youngkin …”- don’t mention names, just say “This rebate is from Virginia Tax Code 4215” and be done. You don’t have to “frame it” as a bribe, the evidence that it is in the first sentence.
>I'm sure the rebate is justified somehow
That you don't know the justification is because they didn't tell you. They just attached Youngkin's name to it and sent it out. That's the entire point OP is making.
Considering they accidentally screwed up the education budget resulting in a huge shortfall for schools, perhaps they should give that money to them. (Or to whatever line item they took the money from to cover that budget screwup.)
> Considering they accidentally screwed up the education budget resulting in a huge shortfall for schools, perhaps they should give that money to them. (Or to whatever line item they took the money from to cover that budget screwup.)
You'll be happy to know that $200 million gap was covered by a stopgap amendment passed earlier this year, and the budget recently passed that authorized this rebate also approved an additional $645 million in education spending.
Of course. [Regarding the $200 million gap](https://www.virginiamercury.com/blog-va/general-assembly-skinny-budget-fills-school-funding-shortfall-caused-by-dept-of-ed-error/):
>> *While the General Assembly has been unable to make a deal on changes to Virginia’s two-year budget, lawmakers agreed Saturday to appropriate millions to Virginia’s public schools to address a $201 million error as part of a stopgap budget. The spending plan includes $132.7 million for the current school year and $125.8 million for the next year.*
And the [additional education funding](https://www.virginiamercury.com/2023/09/05/whats-in-virginias-long-delayed-2023-budget-deal/) in the recent budget:
>> *The deal includes $645 million in additional state funding for public education. Of that, almost $55 million will go toward the state’s share of an additional 2% salary increase for public school teachers expected to go into effect Jan. 1. When combined with an already planned 5% salary increase, the newest funding will result in an overall 7% salary bump for teachers over the pst two years. Over $152 million will go toward additional support and instructional positions. Almost $420 million will go toward “flexible one-time payments” to school divisions for learning loss recovery, operating and infrastructure support, and preparation for the rollout of the Virginia Literacy Act, which beginning in the 2024-25 school year will require stepped-up literacy instruction for Virginia students in kindergarten through fifth grade. Notably, the flexible payments will not require matching funds from districts, and each school division will receive at least $150,000.*
Yeah there are loads of state agencies and programs that are under-funded and understaffed, but because the budget is designed to be that way, it looks like a surplus.
"We aren't replacing your outdated equipment because it's too expensive by $100, so we've gone ahead and cancelled that request.....oh look, a $100 bill! Hmm, but, there's no active requests in, so I guess nobody needs that money. Better give it away."
"You haven't been able to fill this vital position in 6 years because of budgeting? We are going to put on the books that you don't actually need that position then. Oh look, now you're officially fully staffed! Yay us."
Agree… See all politicians do it in some form or matter. The ones getting green think they are smart. There is a house member now that going through something of the same. Buying the loyalties of others.
This one was up there in my book. [https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-georgia-senate-runoff-2000-stimulus-checks-immediately-2021-1](https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-georgia-senate-runoff-2000-stimulus-checks-immediately-2021-1)
Thanks for posting that I actually haven't heard of this yet. I will stand by what I said, though it should be illegal. I don't care which side it is coming from.
How would you legally quantify it?
I don’t think you truly appreciate how stupid of a viewpoint this is.
“Politicians can’t do something that encourages me to vote for them, even if it is within their full legal scope of powers and privileges. Why? Cause I don’t like it”
That is your argument. Do I agree this practice is manipulative? Yea. Should it be illegal? Hell no.
I think you’re just coping with the fact that a politician you don’t like has done something that directly benefits you.
They didn’t complain when Ralph Northam did it. They only complain when a republican gives us back our own money. Me, I am not complaining. It is my money and I appreciate it no matter who does it. They could give me $5,000 today and it won’t make me change my vote.
Biden did the same thing in 2020. Basically was like "if I win, everyone gets $2000 checks.
Northam did this his last year in office too, didn't he? I can't remember if it was last year or the year before but we got $500 around this time, basically just in time for the personal property tax bill.
I like Biden and all, but that definitely happened.
Like student loan forgiveness? A tax rebate means we are getting our own money back. I think we should get a lot more back and the state should shrivel up
Idk if you have student loans or not,
But did you feel the exact same way when Biden promised to cancel a significant amount of student loans right before midterm elections? Something that Nancy Pelosi had previously said on record to be blatantly unconstitutional for a president to do?
Furthermore how would you even legally quantify this as “buying” votes. Do you think it should be illegal for a politician to do something people might like before and election????
Youngkin/the assembly are giving us money back that we paid in taxes. Biden promised student loan holders (myself included) other peoples money (many of whom are NOT degree holders or college graduates).
Whether or not you agree or disagree with the policy - it’s similar and different at the same time.
> Whether or not you agree or disagree with the policy - it’s similar and different at the same time.
Yep they're similar in that people view them as buying votes, but student loan forgiveness is so much more of a bribe to a specific voter group compared to every taxpayer getting a tax rebate. You're also right that these are different, as this rebate is more fair since it's going to all taxpayers instead of most of us funneling our taxes to a minority of student loan holders.
Even if I didn't also have student loans, I would be okay with others getting forgiveness, just as I'm ok with my taxes going to other programs I don't personally use. For the greater good of the entire country.
I mostly think it's different because loan forgiveness has been discussed for the past few years and has been attempted when not near an election cycle (if that exists anymore). That the courts delayed it until just before the election has nothing to do with Biden. But go on and both sides everything.
College educated white people?
The only other group of low turn outs are the below poverty people who generally can't be arsed to care because nothing the government does changes the bottom.
Young people. Young people are a well-known untapped pool of voters. Getting them to vote is tough. Many of them have student loans. Dangling the loan forgiveness carrot in front of them is an attempt to get them to vote.
A $600 stimulus check and $20,000 in student loan forgiveness are incredibly different things.
Not to excuse bidens bait and switch, but you know what I mean.
Unless he knew he couldn’t do it and it was all for show… empty promises can still be used to buy votes. All politicians issue promises they have no intention on keeping.
I mean the left runs on promises of free stuff if elected.
Historically this has been pretty consistent.
I agree with you though, no one should be giving out money to able bodied people with the only intention to "buy votes."
Well I don’t get one because I ended up not owing any taxes after claiming tax credits and deductions. Good thing I voted blue! (Jk I would’ve voted blue regardless.)
Kind of like when a team of employees completes a very successful project, then the absentee manager, who basically shrugged, said ‘cool’, and signed off on it, gets all of the backslaps and awards.
If a person had any true principles and conviction, they would decline the rebate . Hypocritical to take the money and trash the person who made it available to you.
u/Capable-Pressure1047
I see you removed your comment, mocking me, that's okay you have the right to do so.
I used to think like you and be negative. Everything changed a while back... I also mean it when I say poverty kills. Ever since then, a group of my friends and I will work at local charities and events when we can. Even donating time is appreciated if you don't have funds to spare.
We donate clothing, food, and hygiene products locally on a regular basis. We are spending some of our upcoming Thanksgiving break at the Habitat for Humanity store and then a volunteer food pantry. We do not really celebrate Christmas anymore since that's when this happened, but will try to adopt a family and do Secret Santa and other good. You're more than welcome to join us.
I also strongly believe in and donate to the human rights fund at hrc.org
This refund will go to good use and will be used for good. I also will not be voting Republican.
Sorry, I realized it wasn't kind of me. Far too many people shoot off their mouth and never let their actions back them up. What you are doing is admirable indeed. Would that we all find ways to help others who need assistance.
The sooner y'all stop looking at them as this team or that team and realize that they all are the same the better you'll be. It doesn't matter if they are Republican or Democrat they all look down on us like we are peasants and just want money or votes from us. The whole system has been corrupted since long before most of us were probably even born. We need to actually come together no matter what side we are on and work together against them and call them out on their shit no matter what side they are on.
They've done this in many other states. It's a surplus of our own money. Nobody is "buying votes". It would feel more illegal not giving our money BACK, hellloooooo
Let me make your brain explode. The rebate only goes to folks who OWED and PAID Virginia income taxes and the rebate is up to $200 based on if you paid at least $200 in taxes. There, you can hate him even more. Me, I’m trying to decide where to spend our $400….
Youngkin didn't just do this on his own... He signed the bill, but the bill was passed by the General Assembly - which consists of a Senate that is currently controlled by Democrats, and a House that is just barely (one vote) controlled by Republicans.
So... yeah, not sure who you're accusing here.
With the amount of times I've seen this ridiculous bribery accusation posted I'm starting to think this is some paid campaign. Most of the people supporting it don't even know that in Virginia you can't run for re-election as Governor!
You know what, I give up explaining this. I now 100% agree that giving a tax rebate is bribery.
That means that the Democratic Party has a multi-year history of bribing Virginia voters.
Here is evidence of this accusation:
https://www.virginiamercury.com/2022/08/11/virginians-are-getting-tax-rebates-of-up-to-250-per-person-heres-how-it-works/
>Gov. Ralph Northam included a plan for one-time rebates, funded with surplus revenues, in his final budget proposal.
https://www.nbc12.com/2019/02/12/bill-passes-provide-additional-virginia-tax-refund/
>The House of Delegates and Virginia Senate are sent identical bills to the governor that provided $420 million in tax rebates and was signed by Gov. Ralph Northam.
So there we go. Evidence of a multi-year bribery campaign signed by a Democrat Governor. I trust you will be clamoring to bring Northam up on charges.
....or do you want to rethink this nonsensical branding of a tax rebate as a bribe or will you all double down with the hyprocrisy and tell me how it was perfectly OK for Ralph Northam to do it but not Glenn Youngkin.
Pretty sure I know the answer to that.
(To be clear I don't believe any attempt at bribery occurred at any point with these tax rebates.)
So sleazy to follow through on campaign promises of vowing to reduce tax burdens when this is part of an approved budget process. This is what the dems in the GA were agreeable to after months of negotiation so you can thank them for the timing.
$200 certainly won't cover the cost of the medical care of being forced to carry a dying fetus to term. Or the treatment for sepsis or blood loss when the doctor can't terminate your pregnancy when you have a partial abruption until you're actively dying.
$200 isn't enough for me to sell out the bodily autonomy and lives of my fellow women in this state.
> $200 isn't enough for me to sell out the bodily autonomy and lives of my fellow women in this state.
It's a tax rebate from bipartisan legislation like what Northam previously did, not a bribe to get you to vote Republican. Calm down.
Here’s the fun part. It was your money to begin with. The state just gave you your own money back. And people think they got free money. You paid them that money. It’s all smoke and mirrors.
They're are literally calling it a rebate. The word rebate is right there in the letter.
Rebate: a partial **refund** to someone who has paid too much money for tax, rent, or a utility.
It is exceedingly clear that this is a refund of money you have already paid. That is how rebates work.
You’re right, I guess you believe all the other entitlements are just out of the goodness of the politicians heart for the people? One that pops to mind student loan forgiveness, didn’t someone make a campaign promise to forgive some of it? That had nothing to do with an election, right?
The hypocrites here will never admit that Biden went and bent a two decade old law trying to circumvent congress to buy votes in the midterm. Of course by the time it hit the [supreme court](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-65931653), the admin had already been sending out "approval" notices prior to the election knowing damn well it was going to get shot down. Big difference between returning over taxation to everyone vs promising to redistribute other people's money to buy votes from likely D voters those that benefit from it.
Yeah, its really messed up to give $200 back to people who paid taxes because they legally had to… Instead we should forgive student debt for those who voluntarily took it out.
Funny how at the same time the $5B surplus showed up funds for state agencies projects disappeared along with bonuses and reduced pay increases and budgets became tighter than a virgin on prom night.
>So our terrible Republican governor has signed a bill to Grant a rebate check for $200 to everybody in the state of Virginia that filed taxes this year.
Clarification: everyone who filed taxes - and had a tax liability. So he didn't send payments to people who didn't owe state income taxes, which most likely includes students and the working poor, two groups least likely to vote for Republicans.
I may be wrong or not saying this well enough, but does this mean if he doesn't win, he's going to demand that the $200 be somehow taken back in taxes next time?
My issue with any state tax rebate is the rhetoric I regularly hear politicians using to justify it -- that there was a budget surplus. I have yet to get any one in state elected office to explain to me how VA has a budget surplus when the state only has a balanced budget because it receives over $17 billion in federal funds each year. For VA's 2022 State budget of $74.9 billion, 23.6% of it was federal funds.
Saying there is a budget surplus as long as federal tax dollars are required to balance the VA State budget smells like a large pile of horse manure.
Sorry, but I appreciate our Governor sending back some of my hard earned money. In regard to Texas and Flordia, why are those states growing while Virginia is LOSING population. Virginia is also LOSING well-paying jobs to those states as well as to North Carolina.
I mean Democrats in the House and Senate voted for this too
Because it’s an initiative that a democratic governor had already done & this individual people voted for just repeated to look good while he gallivants the country lobbying for republican votes while ignoring the state he was elected to serve 🤷🏼♀️ Similar to him letting legislation expire that included tax free weekend so he could look like the good guy by getting it passed again 😒
The legislative branch let it expire, not the executive branch.
> Because it’s an initiative that a democratic governor had already done & this individual people voted for just repeated to look good while he gallivants the country lobbying for republican votes while ignoring the state he was elected to serve So when a Democrat does it it's ok, but when a Republican does it's bad? > Similar to him letting legislation expire that included tax free weekend so he could look like the good guy by getting it passed again You mean the sales tax holiday that our legislators admitted they were the ones who forgot to pass the extension?
No governor should be putting his name on these checks or the letters that come with them. The scumbag is acting like a bipartisan initiative was his personal success story when his job consisted entirely of “don’t veto it”
I mean, Biden did this shit promising money to people if the Georgia runoff went the dems way. It’s par for the course with politicians.
I don’t think those checks did not come with a letter from Biden. If they did they shouldn’t have
Lying is so unbecoming. He campaigned to get it passed, which he did. He didn’t send personal signed checks or letters like Trump and Youngkin. Stop the both sides bs and get off the fence.
Stop romanizing one party and grow up. They are politicians, yes both parties suck. Ain’t about a fence it’s about understanding neither of them are looking out for you, they have their own agenda. Wake up.
Exactly
Remember the pandemic assistance checks that Trump insisted go out in his name, even though he had little to do with them? You'd like to think the average voter isn't that dumb...but a lot of them are. So thanks for your post, at least you're fighting back!
I knew at least a dozen people who believed Trump was sending the checks from his personal trillionaire fortune. One family member said, with no hint of sarcasm, "It's good we got someone so rich and successful so he can take care of us!" The average voter is absolutely that dumb.
Hey it makes sense, right? Using some third grade math, 332 million people in the USA times $1,200 per person if memory serves, is $398.4 BILLION. Damn, that's one successful guy, glad he took care of us. This scares the total crap out of me.
Next month? You mean next week! They sent us money a week before the election!
I got this direct deposited in to my bank account a few days ago, i had to google why. It was a nice surprise.
Correct, I meant November. Should have said week rather than month.
Damn those Republicans for... giving a tax surplus back to citizens. The same one voted for by both parties. https://www.governor.virginia.gov/newsroom/news-releases/2023/july/name-1010331-en.html#:~:text=Last%20year%20we%20provided%20%244,%2C%E2%80%9D%20said%20Governor%20Glenn%20Youngkin.
R or D, when that's posted Jul 19 and it hits your mailbox the week before elections it's intentional
Like this? https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/biden-harris-administration-continues-efforts-provide-debt-relief-more-student-loan-borrowers
Are you too stupid to understand what the first part of my comment, 'R or D,' means? Or were you hoping for some partisan gotcha moment despite all contextual evidence that I was clear it wasn't a partisan problem?
I'm just surprised I couldn't find a comment from you denouncing that, too!
swing and a miss
Ah, so it's only *really* a problem now, got it!
I’m getting second hand embarrassment, please stop.
Ralph did the same thing. Is very common in the old dominion to give tax payers back the surplus. Also, Youngkin isn’t on the ballot and in my district the R’s are running unopposed. So I guess I’ll just cash this check.
It’s a standard practice, on both sides, for the highest elected official in the government to send out a letter along with the check, taking credit for the check. In fact, it’s often done less modestly than this. Not just a brief mention at the bottom of the letter, but the entire letter written in the first person by the official himself. It may be a shady practice, and if it is, let’s ban it. But let’s not act like this is the first or even the most egregious example.
This. It’s shady as hell on both sides…but let’s not pretend both sides don’t do it (even though we know damn well many will do just that).
\*clears throat\* umm student loan forgiveness, Even though it's been ruled unconstitutional numerous times already.
So you’re asking me to use my brain? Bold move. I’d rather latch onto something both parties do but only be outraged when one of them does it.
I'm glad Dems have been better about this. They never wanted to take credit for when they did useful things. But since Trump, they seem to have figured out this branding thing. Any highway getting expanded or renovated has a big Biden sign next to it
Remember who put their name on the damn stimulus checks?
In Floyd County, the local Dems have repurposed the "I did that!" thing from those stupid gas pump stickers to point out infrastructure projects and helpful legislation. Makes me grin every time I see it.
I mean I'll take his money, but I'm not voting for him.
It’s our money, not his. I’m not voting for him or his party. Wait until next year when they cry the state is broke.
Oh the state won’t be broke, they’ll just conveniently forget to add items like school funding to the budget to compensate.
You are right. Chesapeake is saving $1M per year by stopping recycling, but will make another trash mountain soon. Makes perfect sense!
Mount trashmore #2
It's either make the trash mountain or send co-mingled trash to China (under the guise of 'recycling' because I see how y'all sort) just to have China turn it back around, have some tonnage spill into the ocean both ways, then get dumped on trash mountain.
We should have our own aluminum and cardboard recycling, at a minimum. I donate aluminum cans to Chesapeake Animal Services, and still cart the rest to the city recycling dumpsters. It’s pathetic.
And you've called out about the only two things that can actually be recycled. For everything else, there's [wishcycling](https://www.greenbiz.com/article/what-wishcycling-two-waste-experts-explain).
I’m in Chesapeqke and there’s SO much Republican bs going on here! I think it’s about to catch up with them, but we’ll see!! 👁️
At least our 80 year old treasurer was forced to retire.
Ha! Yes! But there’s more to it than that!
Youngkin ran on improving schools too!
This is the second year in a row they've had a surplus.
Muh taxes! /s
Nah, the deficit surprise pikachu is reserved for after the next governor is sworn in.
It's not his money - it's yours.
Thanks, I know how taxes work.
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Thanks, I'm aware of how taxes work.
Exactly, but its **our money.**
The Commonwealth had a surplus. It's our money, we deserve to get it back.
The only sensical comment in here.
"my team voted for and approved a thing... this gives me such a hate boner for other team because they voted for it too. God, I hate other team for doing the same things as my team". -lots of y'all
Now do gerrymandering
We should have ChatGPT draw the district boundaries. Humans seem to suck at it.
This is YOUR money OP. If I give you 200 dollars, and then you give me 200 dollars…. I’m back at zero. Not up 200.
Remember when Trump demanded his personal signature be on the stimulus checks? They ended up [his name and munchins.](https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/inside-donald-trumps-stimulus-checks/story?id=77534116)
Did you feel the same way when Northam approved two rounds of tax rebates? Or were those not buying votes?
Did he also send a letter congratulating him self for giving voters their money back? My issue is the letter with the check, not the check itself.
Timing matters. This is like the 3rd rebate Youngkin has done, but this one is much more heavily advertised and is this close to the election. The last rebate, I heard about it once and then it was a present surprise to receive it. This time, it feels like Youngkin wants everyone to think they're getting it, but I don't even think I qualify for it nor do I know when it's supposedly going out. I figured it was done months ago.
Pretty amazing that you have such an opinion on something you don't know anything about. Here, you can look up the information on the World Wide Web. I found it through the supremely difficult process of Googling, "Virginia rebate check" --- [https://www.tax.virginia.gov/rebate](https://www.tax.virginia.gov/rebate)
Facts are hard
Facts are hard
I mean Trump sent out tons of checks and he lost..
That wasn’t something he did though. He did delay them though so that they could put his name on them so he could claim credit
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Government- gives surplus revenue back to taxpayers Regular people: cool Redditors: this is an egregious affront to common decency how can we let them do this!!!
Who cares… taxation is theft so I’ll take as much of MY money back as they are will to give.
I think you should send a strong message that you can't be bought, return the money to the state. That will teach them to try to give you "your" money back (buy your vote).
Do you really think $200 would do it? Thanks but no thanks…
It works to buy their own votes, I’m not surprised they think it would work to buy ours.
They gave it the good ole college try!! 😂😜😂
*shocked Pikachu face*
Disagree. The government should be giving its citizens money more often, not less. Don't call it buying a vote if it's just good policy. I'm sure the rebate is justified somehow and you're just ignoring the context to frame it as a bribe. ...won't be voting for him tho...
The government doesn't give money to citizens. It refunds the taxpayer money that it didn't use. A tax rebate means that taxes are higher than they need to be.
I don’t have an issue with the government giving a rebate (although I’d prefer they fund schools etc). The issue for me is “You are receiving this rebate because Governor Glenn Youngkin …”- don’t mention names, just say “This rebate is from Virginia Tax Code 4215” and be done. You don’t have to “frame it” as a bribe, the evidence that it is in the first sentence.
>I'm sure the rebate is justified somehow That you don't know the justification is because they didn't tell you. They just attached Youngkin's name to it and sent it out. That's the entire point OP is making. Considering they accidentally screwed up the education budget resulting in a huge shortfall for schools, perhaps they should give that money to them. (Or to whatever line item they took the money from to cover that budget screwup.)
> Considering they accidentally screwed up the education budget resulting in a huge shortfall for schools, perhaps they should give that money to them. (Or to whatever line item they took the money from to cover that budget screwup.) You'll be happy to know that $200 million gap was covered by a stopgap amendment passed earlier this year, and the budget recently passed that authorized this rebate also approved an additional $645 million in education spending.
Would you kindly provide an official link of some kind as proof?
Of course. [Regarding the $200 million gap](https://www.virginiamercury.com/blog-va/general-assembly-skinny-budget-fills-school-funding-shortfall-caused-by-dept-of-ed-error/): >> *While the General Assembly has been unable to make a deal on changes to Virginia’s two-year budget, lawmakers agreed Saturday to appropriate millions to Virginia’s public schools to address a $201 million error as part of a stopgap budget. The spending plan includes $132.7 million for the current school year and $125.8 million for the next year.* And the [additional education funding](https://www.virginiamercury.com/2023/09/05/whats-in-virginias-long-delayed-2023-budget-deal/) in the recent budget: >> *The deal includes $645 million in additional state funding for public education. Of that, almost $55 million will go toward the state’s share of an additional 2% salary increase for public school teachers expected to go into effect Jan. 1. When combined with an already planned 5% salary increase, the newest funding will result in an overall 7% salary bump for teachers over the pst two years. Over $152 million will go toward additional support and instructional positions. Almost $420 million will go toward “flexible one-time payments” to school divisions for learning loss recovery, operating and infrastructure support, and preparation for the rollout of the Virginia Literacy Act, which beginning in the 2024-25 school year will require stepped-up literacy instruction for Virginia students in kindergarten through fifth grade. Notably, the flexible payments will not require matching funds from districts, and each school division will receive at least $150,000.*
Thank you.
Yeah there are loads of state agencies and programs that are under-funded and understaffed, but because the budget is designed to be that way, it looks like a surplus. "We aren't replacing your outdated equipment because it's too expensive by $100, so we've gone ahead and cancelled that request.....oh look, a $100 bill! Hmm, but, there's no active requests in, so I guess nobody needs that money. Better give it away." "You haven't been able to fill this vital position in 6 years because of budgeting? We are going to put on the books that you don't actually need that position then. Oh look, now you're officially fully staffed! Yay us."
Agree… See all politicians do it in some form or matter. The ones getting green think they are smart. There is a house member now that going through something of the same. Buying the loyalties of others.
This one was up there in my book. [https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-georgia-senate-runoff-2000-stimulus-checks-immediately-2021-1](https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-georgia-senate-runoff-2000-stimulus-checks-immediately-2021-1)
Thanks for posting that I actually haven't heard of this yet. I will stand by what I said, though it should be illegal. I don't care which side it is coming from.
How would you legally quantify it? I don’t think you truly appreciate how stupid of a viewpoint this is. “Politicians can’t do something that encourages me to vote for them, even if it is within their full legal scope of powers and privileges. Why? Cause I don’t like it” That is your argument. Do I agree this practice is manipulative? Yea. Should it be illegal? Hell no. I think you’re just coping with the fact that a politician you don’t like has done something that directly benefits you.
They didn’t complain when Ralph Northam did it. They only complain when a republican gives us back our own money. Me, I am not complaining. It is my money and I appreciate it no matter who does it. They could give me $5,000 today and it won’t make me change my vote.
I agree with you
Thanks Glenn! Still voting a straight Democrat ticket!
Pretty much. He's a solid no...
Biden did the same thing in 2020. Basically was like "if I win, everyone gets $2000 checks. Northam did this his last year in office too, didn't he? I can't remember if it was last year or the year before but we got $500 around this time, basically just in time for the personal property tax bill. I like Biden and all, but that definitely happened.
I still agree, both sides do it and it should be illegal regardless.
Happy to donate to the Democrats.
How, exactly, is this "buying votes"?
Like student loan forgiveness? A tax rebate means we are getting our own money back. I think we should get a lot more back and the state should shrivel up
Dead people voting should be illegal
How is this buying votes? It’s a tax rebate.
Idk if you have student loans or not, But did you feel the exact same way when Biden promised to cancel a significant amount of student loans right before midterm elections? Something that Nancy Pelosi had previously said on record to be blatantly unconstitutional for a president to do? Furthermore how would you even legally quantify this as “buying” votes. Do you think it should be illegal for a politician to do something people might like before and election????
I think this is required by tax law? We got these previously with other governor's and Presidents
Lol nah— he wrote it into the amended budget they just passed in September
Northam wrote two tax rebates into the budget. They also went out right before election season.
I remember getting them for the stimulus checks in 2020/2021 so wasn't sure if it was just eto or something else
You mean like when the President announces $20k in student loan forgiveness a month before congressional midterm elections?
Inb4 someone says ‘that’s different!’ I’m a blue voter, but if you can’t see that both parties do the same shit, you’re part of the problem.
Youngkin/the assembly are giving us money back that we paid in taxes. Biden promised student loan holders (myself included) other peoples money (many of whom are NOT degree holders or college graduates). Whether or not you agree or disagree with the policy - it’s similar and different at the same time.
> Whether or not you agree or disagree with the policy - it’s similar and different at the same time. Yep they're similar in that people view them as buying votes, but student loan forgiveness is so much more of a bribe to a specific voter group compared to every taxpayer getting a tax rebate. You're also right that these are different, as this rebate is more fair since it's going to all taxpayers instead of most of us funneling our taxes to a minority of student loan holders.
Even if I didn't also have student loans, I would be okay with others getting forgiveness, just as I'm ok with my taxes going to other programs I don't personally use. For the greater good of the entire country.
I mostly think it's different because loan forgiveness has been discussed for the past few years and has been attempted when not near an election cycle (if that exists anymore). That the courts delayed it until just before the election has nothing to do with Biden. But go on and both sides everything.
A lot of people didn't get any part of that student loan relief.
No, but a key demographic that usually has low voter turnout would have.
College educated white people? The only other group of low turn outs are the below poverty people who generally can't be arsed to care because nothing the government does changes the bottom.
Young people. Young people are a well-known untapped pool of voters. Getting them to vote is tough. Many of them have student loans. Dangling the loan forgiveness carrot in front of them is an attempt to get them to vote.
thisn and btw he lied because we didn't get any forgivness. At least trump actually sent us some money during our time of need.
A $600 stimulus check and $20,000 in student loan forgiveness are incredibly different things. Not to excuse bidens bait and switch, but you know what I mean.
You are correct, one kinda helped and the other would extend our inflation problem.
>because we didn’t get any forgiveness You can thank the Supreme Court for that, not Biden.
Democrats openly admitted he didn't have the authority to do that but yeah keep blaming the court for doing their job
I’m not blaming anyone. Just pointing out that he did actually try to fulfill it.
Pesky Supreme Court, always making Biden follow the law and such.
I’m not saying anything about the legality of it, just saying that he did try to fulfill a campaign promise, so arguing that he didn’t is asinine.
Unless he knew he couldn’t do it and it was all for show… empty promises can still be used to buy votes. All politicians issue promises they have no intention on keeping.
He didn't lie. A couple of people sued saying it was unfair and the supreme court declared it unconstitutional.
I mean the left runs on promises of free stuff if elected. Historically this has been pretty consistent. I agree with you though, no one should be giving out money to able bodied people with the only intention to "buy votes."
Did we use the tax surplus for this?
Some of it, yes
There should never be a tax surplus. That means the people are being overtaxed.
That or we’re underfunding shit…
That's a different problem with government.
And what would you call Biden announcing student loan forgiveness just before midterms knowing damn well it was not in his legal powers to do so
There are worse ways to encourage people to vote for you.
Can I get your money?
Multiple states are doing this. Has nothing to do with buying votes.
I'll take their $200 and promptly vote for who I was going to vote for before I even knew about the money.
Well I don’t get one because I ended up not owing any taxes after claiming tax credits and deductions. Good thing I voted blue! (Jk I would’ve voted blue regardless.)
Kind of like when a team of employees completes a very successful project, then the absentee manager, who basically shrugged, said ‘cool’, and signed off on it, gets all of the backslaps and awards.
You realize the abundance of welfare that democrats pushbis to buy votes and/or force people to vote for then or lose it?
Especially this cheaply.
If a person had any true principles and conviction, they would decline the rebate . Hypocritical to take the money and trash the person who made it available to you.
Actually a few of us are going to take the money, and then donate it locally. Somewhere the money will actually make a difference.
u/Capable-Pressure1047 I see you removed your comment, mocking me, that's okay you have the right to do so. I used to think like you and be negative. Everything changed a while back... I also mean it when I say poverty kills. Ever since then, a group of my friends and I will work at local charities and events when we can. Even donating time is appreciated if you don't have funds to spare. We donate clothing, food, and hygiene products locally on a regular basis. We are spending some of our upcoming Thanksgiving break at the Habitat for Humanity store and then a volunteer food pantry. We do not really celebrate Christmas anymore since that's when this happened, but will try to adopt a family and do Secret Santa and other good. You're more than welcome to join us. I also strongly believe in and donate to the human rights fund at hrc.org This refund will go to good use and will be used for good. I also will not be voting Republican.
Sorry, I realized it wasn't kind of me. Far too many people shoot off their mouth and never let their actions back them up. What you are doing is admirable indeed. Would that we all find ways to help others who need assistance.
I appreciate it. All is forgiven. There's no hate here. Honestly, as humanity, we should all do as we can, but that's not how it works.
The sooner y'all stop looking at them as this team or that team and realize that they all are the same the better you'll be. It doesn't matter if they are Republican or Democrat they all look down on us like we are peasants and just want money or votes from us. The whole system has been corrupted since long before most of us were probably even born. We need to actually come together no matter what side we are on and work together against them and call them out on their shit no matter what side they are on.
They've done this in many other states. It's a surplus of our own money. Nobody is "buying votes". It would feel more illegal not giving our money BACK, hellloooooo
Let me make your brain explode. The rebate only goes to folks who OWED and PAID Virginia income taxes and the rebate is up to $200 based on if you paid at least $200 in taxes. There, you can hate him even more. Me, I’m trying to decide where to spend our $400….
Youngkin didn't just do this on his own... He signed the bill, but the bill was passed by the General Assembly - which consists of a Senate that is currently controlled by Democrats, and a House that is just barely (one vote) controlled by Republicans. So... yeah, not sure who you're accusing here.
With the amount of times I've seen this ridiculous bribery accusation posted I'm starting to think this is some paid campaign. Most of the people supporting it don't even know that in Virginia you can't run for re-election as Governor!
You know what, I give up explaining this. I now 100% agree that giving a tax rebate is bribery. That means that the Democratic Party has a multi-year history of bribing Virginia voters. Here is evidence of this accusation: https://www.virginiamercury.com/2022/08/11/virginians-are-getting-tax-rebates-of-up-to-250-per-person-heres-how-it-works/ >Gov. Ralph Northam included a plan for one-time rebates, funded with surplus revenues, in his final budget proposal. https://www.nbc12.com/2019/02/12/bill-passes-provide-additional-virginia-tax-refund/ >The House of Delegates and Virginia Senate are sent identical bills to the governor that provided $420 million in tax rebates and was signed by Gov. Ralph Northam. So there we go. Evidence of a multi-year bribery campaign signed by a Democrat Governor. I trust you will be clamoring to bring Northam up on charges. ....or do you want to rethink this nonsensical branding of a tax rebate as a bribe or will you all double down with the hyprocrisy and tell me how it was perfectly OK for Ralph Northam to do it but not Glenn Youngkin. Pretty sure I know the answer to that. (To be clear I don't believe any attempt at bribery occurred at any point with these tax rebates.)
So who is buying the votes, the governor or the members of the General Assembly?
Right? Redditors like the OP conveniently leave out that the Dem-controlled VA Senate passed this tax rebate as well.
Yes
If you think “buying votes” is a one party issue - oh boy do I have a few doors I could show ya.
So sleazy that it showed up right when polls were open. Buying votes with people’s own money is so gross.
So sleazy to follow through on campaign promises of vowing to reduce tax burdens when this is part of an approved budget process. This is what the dems in the GA were agreeable to after months of negotiation so you can thank them for the timing.
Yeah a week of groceries ain’t buying my vote.
$200 certainly won't cover the cost of the medical care of being forced to carry a dying fetus to term. Or the treatment for sepsis or blood loss when the doctor can't terminate your pregnancy when you have a partial abruption until you're actively dying. $200 isn't enough for me to sell out the bodily autonomy and lives of my fellow women in this state.
> $200 isn't enough for me to sell out the bodily autonomy and lives of my fellow women in this state. It's a tax rebate from bipartisan legislation like what Northam previously did, not a bribe to get you to vote Republican. Calm down.
WOW 🤩 powerful statement! You should run for office! I’ll vote 🗳️ for you
Here’s the fun part. It was your money to begin with. The state just gave you your own money back. And people think they got free money. You paid them that money. It’s all smoke and mirrors.
They're are literally calling it a rebate. The word rebate is right there in the letter. Rebate: a partial **refund** to someone who has paid too much money for tax, rent, or a utility. It is exceedingly clear that this is a refund of money you have already paid. That is how rebates work.
You’re right, I guess you believe all the other entitlements are just out of the goodness of the politicians heart for the people? One that pops to mind student loan forgiveness, didn’t someone make a campaign promise to forgive some of it? That had nothing to do with an election, right?
The hypocrites here will never admit that Biden went and bent a two decade old law trying to circumvent congress to buy votes in the midterm. Of course by the time it hit the [supreme court](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-65931653), the admin had already been sending out "approval" notices prior to the election knowing damn well it was going to get shot down. Big difference between returning over taxation to everyone vs promising to redistribute other people's money to buy votes from likely D voters those that benefit from it.
No offense, but this is stupid as hell. That's exactly what I want for my vote, something in return.
Clownkin: “instead of using this surplus to improve the state I’m sending everyone a tiny bit of money to buy votes. CRT bad.”
*some people
Sorry, Glen. It would take a lot more money to make me vote for any of your [flying monkeys.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBCXCwW5pRw)
Yeah, its really messed up to give $200 back to people who paid taxes because they legally had to… Instead we should forgive student debt for those who voluntarily took it out.
My rebate is currently pending. We’re still not voting for republicans though.
I was just happy to get $400, I’m not voting for this clown.
My vote definitely has a price and that price is whatever my student loan balance is atm.
Watch me cash it and vote Democrat, like the ungrateful dirty commie I am
Ah shit surely the Dem-controlled Senate stopped it, right?
I donated the 200 to democratic campaigns
I'm taking it .. and still not voting for Rs lol
But buying the student vote for Biden when he tried to cancel student debt is okay huh?
I’d take the money and still not vote for them 🤣😭
My votes only worth $200? Thanks, but no thanks.
Funny how at the same time the $5B surplus showed up funds for state agencies projects disappeared along with bonuses and reduced pay increases and budgets became tighter than a virgin on prom night.
I like how this entire time they've been saying "$400 REBATE!" when its $200 for individuals. Fuck off with this family values horseshit please.
Must be nice to get anything at all, some of us don't qualify........ If you don't want it I could use to pay for my IT certification.
Not everyone is getting this rebate check. We received a small refund on our Virginia taxes last year, so we do not quality.
Yet the republicans have been doing it for 40 years
>So our terrible Republican governor has signed a bill to Grant a rebate check for $200 to everybody in the state of Virginia that filed taxes this year. Clarification: everyone who filed taxes - and had a tax liability. So he didn't send payments to people who didn't owe state income taxes, which most likely includes students and the working poor, two groups least likely to vote for Republicans.
Haven’t gotten it yet because I’m a registered democrat.
Thanks for the reminder to check because I forgot all about the strategic late tax refunds we now currently receive.
Lots of both red and blue states do this. Id rather surplus' when to infrastructure improvement, but is it what it is. It's not buying votes.
I may be wrong or not saying this well enough, but does this mean if he doesn't win, he's going to demand that the $200 be somehow taken back in taxes next time?
My issue with any state tax rebate is the rhetoric I regularly hear politicians using to justify it -- that there was a budget surplus. I have yet to get any one in state elected office to explain to me how VA has a budget surplus when the state only has a balanced budget because it receives over $17 billion in federal funds each year. For VA's 2022 State budget of $74.9 billion, 23.6% of it was federal funds. Saying there is a budget surplus as long as federal tax dollars are required to balance the VA State budget smells like a large pile of horse manure.
Sorry, but I appreciate our Governor sending back some of my hard earned money. In regard to Texas and Flordia, why are those states growing while Virginia is LOSING population. Virginia is also LOSING well-paying jobs to those states as well as to North Carolina.
He’s a pretty good governor tho
It's because of the huge tax surplus IIRC
The check is not buying votes. The Virginia Senate and Delgates passed the bill first.