The Realist Idealist

My $600 Bush-proffered economic stimulus hit my bank account a couple weeks ago and ever since I’ve been trying to figure out how to spend it.  Actually, “give” it, is probably a better way to think about it.

A quick run through of my living room will reveal a glaring emptiness (actually there are two large books there, but for the sake of story telling…) in my bookshelf where a flat-screen TV might go, and I’ll be honest:  in the last couple months I’ve thought about finally biting the bullet and owning a TV again.  $600 would do just the trick. BUT…

I’m more or less opposed to the whole concept of the stimulus in the first place to do what it purports. It seems hardly right to me to make sure Samsung and Best Buy see a piece of the stimulus, when I know there are thousands of great organizations out there who can use it more.  Or when I know my local community needs it more.

I decided this week that I’m going to take part in the $100 For Justice campaign, and also give to the organizations on whose boards I serve.  From there, I’m still taking things more slowly.

For ideas of your own, Britt Bravo at Have Fun * Do Good did an excellent round up of ideas. And the Idealist.org blog did a piece this morning which highlighed a few more.

Where will your economic stimulus go?