"Economic Stimulus Package was a big fat lie"

For 6 months I waited with baited breath. (baited?, bated?) I called the I.R.S. numerous times and never got a real human being or absolute confirmation that I'd get the 300 dollars.

. I kept getting mixed messages from different sources over the next few month; such as:

  Because I'm on disability I'll get nothing

 i'll get 300

 i'll get 600

  I finally confirmed that I'll get 300. I regularly checked my mail even though my check was supposed to be direct deposited. I considered this money a birthday present from President Bush since it was due to arrive around my birthday. I treated myself to 2 days in a new jersey hotel, knowing I'd get reimbursed.

Finally, on July 5 I got an engraved envelope in the mail with the words "stimulus payment" on it. I opened it up, and it said that "You will receive your $300 dollar check by July 5th;

 but if you don't receive your check within 6 weeks of that date (governnment doublespeak) then give us a call.

I called my bank account twice within the next 24 hours to see if the money was deposited. It wasn't.

On Monday, July 7, 2008, I received an envelope with the return address: "Dept. of the treasury" I opened it up and it said "the federal government has garnished your 300 dollar stimulus payment since you never paid off your student loans!"

Cruel and unusual punishment to string poor people along like this and then whack them at the last minute. I wonder how many other millions of Americans in debt this has happened to? I think this deserves a letter to the editor.