It looks like a compromise over the child tax credit in the stimulus was reached, the income threshold hasn't been removed, but it's been temporarily lowered to $3000 from $8500, according to the Center for Budget and Policy priorities. 90% of the benefits of lowering the the threshold will go to the bottom two-fifths of Americans, the people who are most likely to spend money if they get it.
I should add that this kind of policy is important because it helps incentivise on the books employment--many of the people whom this policy would benefit end up working jobs that pay off the books, like construction. Encouraging people to work on the books has other benefits as well, such as prompt payment of child support.
Off the books employment includes extra-legal forms of collecting income as well. I'm not suggesting that someone considering committing a crime to make money is going to hinge their decision on the child tax credit, but the extra money might help them avoid making such a decision in the first place. The fact is that when people are short money, they'll find other ways to get it, it's important that the government is encouraging them to do so in a productive manner.
-- A. Serwer
