$2000, $600, $400 are just numbers on the "Dollar Daze Dart Board". Those who are in need of financial help to cover their mortgages, rent, food or insurance will need much more than any of those one-time sums. Toss on the grenade of economic suppression that affects half (at least) of our population (The chronically sub-rich), and our society is teetering. You do need to decouple the omnibus bill from the covid bill, however.

I strongly disagree with the premise of your third point. Indeed, state and local governments did react to the pandemic, but they weren't the cause of the economic woes. People were frightened and were already retreating to perceived safe places. We were facing an unknown virus that had the potential (and still does) to destroy our health care system while ravaging the population. In such situations, it is the proper role of the government to react. I would agree, however, that we can fault the federal government for largely ignoring the virus outside of promoting the private sector to develop vaccines. Likely thousands could have been saved if the federal response would have been more science-based.

I think I'm babbling. I do, however, respect your thoughtful viewpoints.
[Post edited by Newt at 12/28/2020 4:25PM]