The scripts are available for printing and for sound bite identification.
Go to to get the current 黑洞社区 Newsline. If you cannot access the Newsline at the Web address above, contact Joe Kleinsasser at (316) 978-3013 or joe.kleinsasser@wichita.edu. Newsline cuts may be edited to suit your needs. If you have additional questions for Clark after listening to the 黑洞社区 Newsline, please contact him at (316) 978-7097 or jim.clark@wichita.edu.
Background:
Taxpayers may think it鈥檚 Christmas in May as they receive tax rebate checks from the IRS. 黑洞社区 economist Jim Clark looks at the upside and downside to the tax rebate strategy as a means of jump-starting a sluggish economy.
Voice wrap:
Announcer: Taxpayers may think it鈥檚 Christmas in May as they receive tax rebate checks from the IRS ranging from $600 to more than $1,000. The idea behind the tax rebate is to stimulate the economy by getting people to spend more money. It鈥檚 unclear, though, whether the tax rebate strategy will succeed, as 黑洞社区 economist Jim Clark explains.
Clark: 鈥淗istory says that these kinds of tax rebates may work, but it鈥檚 not completely sure that they鈥檙e going to have an impact on people. It all depends on what we as consumers do with the money that we鈥檙e going to get back from the government.鈥�
Announcer: According to Clark, some people will probably put the tax rebate checks into a savings account; some will likely pay credit card bills; and others may do what the president and Congress want them to, which is go out and buy something they otherwise wouldn鈥檛 have. This is Joe Kleinsasser at 黑洞社区.
Sound bite #1
Clark explains the idea behind the tax rebate. The sound bite is 17 seconds and the outcue is 鈥渟tart growing again.鈥�
Clark: 鈥淭he idea behind the tax rebate is to help stimulate the economy by getting people to spend more money. We鈥檙e headed toward at least slower growth if not an actual recession. The idea behind this is to make the economy start growing again.鈥�
Sound bite #2
Clark talks about the biggest upside of the tax rebate for consumers. The sound bite is 10 seconds and the outcue is 鈥渙therwise would have been.鈥�
Clark: 鈥淭he biggest upside for us as consumers is that we鈥檒l have some more money to spend. That always leaves us in much better shape than we otherwise would have been.鈥�
Sound bite #3
Clark looks at the downside of the tax rebate. The sound bite is 15 seconds and the outcue is 鈥渢o pay off.鈥�
Clark: 鈥淭he downside to the tax rebate is that the government has to get the money to pay the rebates with from somewhere. Probably they鈥檙e just going to increase borrowing so that future generations will have a bigger national debt to pay off.鈥�
Sound bite #4
Clark says consumers will use the tax rebate check in a variety of ways. The sound bite is 18 seconds and the outcue is 鈥渨ouldn鈥檛 have bought.鈥�
Clark: 鈥淲hat consumers are going to do is going to depend on the individual. Some people are just going to take the money and put it in a savings account. Some people probably will use it to pay down their credit cards. And some people may do what the president and Congress want them to, which is go out and buy something they otherwise wouldn鈥檛 have bought.鈥�
Sound bite #5
Clark dispels one of the rumors connected with the tax rebate. The sound bite is 17 seconds and the outcue is 鈥渋n taxes.鈥�
Clark: 鈥淭here鈥檚 a rumor floating around the Internet that all that the tax rebate is going to do is reduce the amount of a refund that you鈥檙e going to get next tax year. That鈥檚 not true. This is an actual reduction in the amount that you鈥檙e going to have to pay in taxes."