The Obamanation

Originally Posted by classicman

....There is no way that paint & rumblestrips can help these places. A far more comprehensive plan was needed to stimulate these industries.

I dont think it was ever the intent of the stimulus program to save dying factories that cant compete in the global economy...but to stimulate the replacing of those jobs and retooling of those industries with jobs in new technologies and growth industries...but that takes more than 6 months.

The short-term "shovel ready" paint and rumble strip jobs, as well as the public sector jobs (police, teachers, etc) that may have been saved accomplished much of what was expected...to keep people employed and to keep money flowing in the economy.

Teachers or painters or rumble strip layers who are employed are likely to spend money that they would not spend if unemployed.....which helped keep other people employed and helped keep the economy from tanking completely. Many (most?) economists have said that the stimulus program (and the TARP) contributed to ending the recession. How much it contributed is subject to differences of opinion.

More than half of the stimulus "jobs" funds is to start the process of restructuring the economy with jobs in alternative energy, technology (eg building a broadband infrastructure) and other emerging or growth industries. And most of these funds are still in the process of being awarded. That is why it was envisioned as a 18-24 month economic stimulus program.

IMO, that is comprehensive....a mix of quick fixes and longer-term (but still with a sense of urgency) economic restructuring.

How else would you have made it more comprehensive?

added:
For the record, I dont think it was a great plan.

I do think it was a necessary plan and didnt hear any better options.