James Bowers, dressed as Uncle Sam, asks people if they can "spare a trillion", as they walk past him in the rain outside the front of Federal Hall, near the New York Stock Exchange, October 28, 2009. REUTERS/Chip East
Posted on 11/12/2009 12:35:24 PM PST by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Not sure what to give Uncle Sam this Christmas? How about a nice, fat check to help whittle away at the $7.6 trillion national debt?
The U.S. Treasury Department accepts gifts, payable to the Bureau of the Public Debt. Just mail them to the attention of Department G, Post Office Box 2188, Parkersburg, West Virginia, 26106-2188. Make a note in the memo section that it is a gift to reduce the debt held by the public.
Yes, really.
It's all on the Treasury's website, at the end of the list of frequently asked questions.
Which raises a few more questions. Do people really send in checks? How much and what reasons do they give for voluntarily paying more than just their taxes? And why are the checks directed to a post office box in West Virginia?
According to Treasury spokesman Kim Treat, people do send checks. In the last fiscal year they added up to a little over $3 million, which was the highest total since at least 1996.
Some include notes. Common reasons for donating include a sense of patriotism and immigrants expressing their thanks to the United States for giving them an opportunity, he said.
The growing debt burden has become a more pressing political issue this year as the White House strains to pull the economy out of a deep recession and bring the jobless rate down from its current 26-year high of 10.2 percent.
The federal budget hole grew even deeper in October, according to monthly figures released on Thursday.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
What is that new math?
I thought it was at least 11 and soon to be 12 trillion..
Is it tax deductable?
James Bowers, dressed as Uncle Sam, asks people if they can "spare a trillion", as they walk past him in the rain outside the front of Federal Hall, near the New York Stock Exchange, October 28, 2009. REUTERS/Chip East
I contribute mightily every month by pay roll deduction.
ping
Totally untrue! Just give me a minute and I’ll post the REAL address to send that money to. Any identity with my PayPal account is wholly incidental, of course.
I adjusted mine so I don't.
About February of this year, I decided I was not going to give the thieving bastards another dime until 4/15/10.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.