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Data Shows that the Stimulus Package Was a Waste of Money

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You are referring to the TARP bailout funds... Which, is being paid back by the banks. This has nothing to do with that. They were two seperate things.
By the way, it was a democratic congress (and, President Obama supported) the TARP funds back in November of 2008.
Do you really think the 750 billion dollars has done its job?
- Michael

Michael Gaskin of CA 6:42PM January 04, 2010

You haven't old the whole story, just what was convenient to spreading your lies, bigotry and hate. The stimulus was started in the bush administration to bail out the fat cat republican banks. Of course it just made the rich boys on wall street richer and the boys on main street poorer. How can you just tell part of the story?don't you know bearing false witness is a sin?

Doug Dahl of OR 12:45PM January 03, 2010

Seems if the economy was set to lose vast jobs, and most economists I knew predicted 10% unemployment last Nov would be the fallout of the Bush years' excess and the crisis in 2009... Then if the stimulus saved jobs that would have been lost, it still may be swamped by the negative recession on net jobs. But the point is 10% unemployment would have been worse, maybe 12% or more, if a lot of state and local employees had been laid off, with ripple effects.
That said, some of the stimulus was plain pork, like the cash for clunkers rebates really were not strictly limited to high mileage, eco-friendly new vehicles, so were just a subsidized new car.

Jeff G of NY 3:12PM December 21, 2009

Which means more government shills and more Credit Card company harassment professionals are making out like bandits. As usual.

madashell of WA 2:46PM December 21, 2009

I didn't realize that December 2010 had come already. I don't get paid to jump to conclusions like Mr. Roff, so I'll withhold judgment until then.

Brian K of NC 10:56AM December 21, 2009

It's good to see someone in this magazine who counters Mortimer Zuckermans stupidity.

Uncle of WA 8:44PM December 20, 2009

Bess Crowley is the owner of Crowley Construction Corp, a certified woman-owned government contractor.
http://www.commerce.state.wi.us/bd/docs/BD-WBEAlphabeticalDirectory.pdf
So if you're a white or asian male, you cannot bid on those government contracts (although you will be taxed for the next ten years to pay for them.) Instead, you may do some remodeling on Mrs. Crowley's house.
Hit the nail on the head. She supports the policy because of affirmative action.

Test Test of NY 6:56PM December 20, 2009

So a few people got a few jobs for 787 billion dollars? And you call that a success, Mizz Crowley? You must be a democrat, right?

allen of MN 6:48PM December 20, 2009

"Ask the person who sold their home to one of my employees, or the company that sold a car to another one. Ask any of the suppliers to these road builders if this helped them. Ask the remodeler I hired to work on my home if he got any money because of the stimulus."
In the short term, some jobs were created for construction workers, government contractors, etc. But it cost all of us several times that amount. As one person pointed out 700 billion is the same as 200K for each of the 3.5 million Americans who lost their jobs last year. Using the government as an intermediary was not efficient. It never is.
Now we have to pay the stimulus back. You can stimulate your own income in a recession with a credit card, but you cannot accurately say that's "better than doing nothing."
You mention you have employees, and that your company benefited from the stimulus. Are you a minority government contractor?
If so, your perspective is biased, only because you like the idea of the government stealing from others and paying you based upon racial lines.

Test Test of NY 3:06PM December 20, 2009

Have you asked the thousands and thousands of Highway workers if they
think it was a waste of money. Perhaps you could start with the employees I hired, many who had families and had not had a job for almost a year.
Do you also think it is a waste of money to improve our roads and airports?
That it is a waste of money to keep them safe for everyone who uses our bridges that are falling apart after years of neglect ?
Thanks to Bush we have been wasting billions of dollars on the roads and
buildings in Iraq.
I have been reading almost daily about an employer who has not hired, and does not plan to hire. No one has interviewed the companies that not only hired additional employees, for well paying jobs, but also retained all their existing employees.
How did this help anyone except the highway workers and the owners?
Ask the person who sold their home to one of my employees, or the company that sold a car to another one. Ask any of the suppliers to these road builders if this helped them. Ask the remodeler I hired to work on my home if he got any money because of the stimulus.
The stimulus was a step in the right direction. After 8 years of Bush leading us in the wrong direction I am thrilled to have a new administration. One who at least is working on our problems, not creating them.

Bess Crowley of WI 11:24AM December 20, 2009