Last week the IRS announced that they want you to know that your rebate checks from the economic stimulus plan are almost in the mail.

These notices will go out to roughly 130 million households who filed returns in 2006, at a cost of $42 million. 

That is $42 million to tell you that your check is almost in the mail.  One purpose of sending these letters is to encourage people to file a return, so they can get free money from the federal government.  Given the documented potential for fraud in the tax system, this is an invitation for abuse.

Not to mention, I can think of countless ways of spending $42 million, say….paying down the deficit?

After three years of declining deficits, this plan will help increase the deficit, putting us back in the same situation we were in after 9/11.