[burger]

The part I object to is direct payments to everybody.  Americans have a sense of entitlement that is not healthy in this environment.

It's not about entitlement.  It's about efficiency.  We do not have weeks and months to figure out how to verify current income.  Even if you could use payroll tax receipts or the like, there are millions of contractors, business owners, etc. who don't have payroll taxes taken out of their income.  

And it's the easiest thing in the world* to recoup excess payments to the wealthy by increasing their marginal taxes a bit next year.

*practically speaking and ignoring the politics

[burger]

The part I object to is direct payments to everybody.  Americans have a sense of entitlement that is not healthy in this environment.

It's not about entitlement.  It's about efficiency.  We do not have weeks and months to figure out how to verify current income.  Even if you could use payroll tax receipts or the like, there are millions of contractors, business owners, etc. who don't have payroll taxes taken out of their income.  

And it's the easiest thing in the world* to recoup excess payments to the wealthy by increasing their marginal taxes a bit next year.

*practically speaking and ignoring the politics