While I am quite enjoying seeing my president negotiate from a position of strength, there is a part of the fiscal puzzle I don't understand. Personally, I believe that increased governmental spending on aging infracture is overdue and vital to our long-term economic health. Given this point of view, I would prefer to see all of the Bush Tax cuts expire, including those for income brackets below $250 K. Things seemed fine in the 90s from my point of view. However, the increase in taxes on middle class families is widely predicted to cause a recession. Here's what I don't get. While I would enjoy keeping $2000 more of my salary to spend on things I like, it's not like the government wouldn't spend it after collecting it. So why is my own consumer spending more "stimulative" than government spending? Thanks in advance for an explanation I understand.