According to CNN, here, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is “promising” a tariff dividend to households making less than $100,000 per year. In 2024, this was 57.3% of households. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, here, as of Nov. 12, 2024, there are about 132.2 million household in the US. This means about 74.67 million households earn less than $100,000. Giving each of them $2,000 would require about $149.3 Billion, plus enough for logistics and overhead.
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According to the Wall Street Journal, here, “The U.S. has collected tens of billions of dollars in tariffs.”
The Journal also quotes Pres. Trump, on Truth Social, saying,
People that are against tariffs are fools! We are now the richest, most respected country in the world, with almost no inflation, and a record stock market price.”
“A dividend of at least $2000 per person (not including high income people!) will be paid to everyone.”
The current rate of inflation, as of September, 2025, is 3.00%, according to “USA Facts,” here, and based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, BLS, here, which also states that inflation was up 0.3% in September. I’m not an economist, but 3% inflation is not “almost no inflation.”
Now, let’s do the math.
The “Car Assembler” calls the other guy a “Moron” … “Dumber than a sack of bricks.”
In Italy, Saturday, April 5, Elon Musk called for a “Free Trade Zone” between the EU and the USA. “At the end of the day, I hope it’s agreed that both Europe and the United States should move ideally, in my view, to a zero tariff situation, effectively creating a free trade zone between Europe and North America,” the tech billionaire told Matteo Salvini, the leader of Italy’s right-wing League Party.” (See USA Today and NBC News.)
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Vogtle nuclear plants 3 and 4 are now forecast to cost a total of $34 Billion. $30.34 Billion (USNews and GPB), plus the $3.68 Billion Westinghouse paid to the owners in conjunction with it’s bankruptcy filing (GTTSI), that’s $34.02 Billion, $14 per watt.
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On Dec. 21, 2012, I began an experiment in “Sustainable Capitalism” or “Sustainable Finance.” I put $16 Million imaginary dollars in equal imaginary investments in 16 energy companies, $8.0 Million in $1.0 Million investments in eight “Sustainable” energy companies, the other $8.0 Million in $1.0 Million chunks in fossil fuel companies.
As of the close of trading 54 months later,
This excludes the value of dividends and transaction costs, but including the bankruptcy or crash of three companies in the sustainable energy space …
As of the close of trading on June 21, 2017:
At 4 Years, 5 Months:
On Dec. 21, 2012, I put $16 Million imaginary dollars in equal imaginary investments in 16 real energy companies; $8.0 in the Sustainable Energy space and $8.0 in the fossil fuel space. Excluding the value of dividends and transaction costs, but including the bankruptcy or crash of three companies in the sustainable energy space,
As of the close of trading on May 19, 2017:
Energy Portfolios, 4 Years, 4 Months:
On Dec. 21, 2012, I put $16 Million imaginary dollars in equal imaginary investments in 16 real energy companies; $8.0 in the Sustainable Energy space and $8.0 in the fossil fuel space. Excluding the value of dividends and transaction costs, but including the bankruptcy or crash of three companies in the sustainable energy space.
As of the close of trading on April 21, 2017:
On Dec. 21, 2012, I put $16 Million imaginary dollars in equal imaginary investments in 16 real energy companies; $8.0 in the Sustainable Energy space and $8.0 in the fossil fuel space. Excluding the value of dividends and transaction costs, but including the bankruptcy or crash of three companies in the sustainable energy space,
As of the close of trading on March 21, 2017:
As of the close of trading on February 21, 2016:
In Comparison:
As of the close of trading on December 21, 2016:
On Dec. 21, 2012, I imagined $16 Million dollars in equal investments in 16 real energy companies; eight Sustainable Energy companies and eight Fossil Fuel companies. Excluding the value of dividends and transaction costs, but including the bankruptcy or crash of three companies in the sustainable energy space,
As of the close of trading on October 21, 2016:
On Dec. 21, 2012, I imagined $16 Million dollars in equal investments in 16 real energy companies; $1.0 M in each company in each of eight companies in the Sustainable Energy space and $1.0 M each of eight companies in the fossil fuel space. Excluding the value of dividends and transaction costs, but including the bankruptcy or crash of various companies in the sustainable energy space and coal industry.
As of the close of trading on June 21, 2016:
On Dec. 21, 2012, I put $16 Million imaginary dollars in equal imaginary investments in 16 real energy companies; $8.0 in the Sustainable Energy space and $8.0 in the fossil fuel space. Excluding the value of dividends and transaction costs, but including the bankruptcy or crash of three companies in the sustainable energy space, and one company in the fossil fuel space.
The big news this month is the bankruptcy filing of Peabody Coal (Bloomberg, here). Continue reading
On Dec. 21, 2012, drying off from Sandy, after the lights came back on, I put $16 Million imaginary dollars in equal imaginary investments in 16 real energy companies; $1.0 Million in each of eight companies in the Sustainable Energy space and another $1.0 in each of eight companies in the fossil fuel space. Excluding the value of dividends and transaction costs, but including the bankruptcy or crash of three companies in the sustainable energy space,
On Dec. 21, 2012, I put $16 Million imaginary dollars in equal imaginary investments in 16 real energy companies; $8.0 in the Sustainable Energy space and $8.0 in the fossil fuel space. Excluding the value of dividends and transaction costs, but including the bankruptcy or crash of three companies in the sustainable energy space …