The Stimulus May Have Worked

By Patrick Spain,  Newser User
Posted Sep 22, 2010 8:50 PM CDT Posted Sep 22, 2010 8:50 PM CDT
Promoted on Newser Sep 23, 2010 8:21 AM CDT
The Stimulus May Have Worked
In this photo taken June 23, 2010, assemblyman Adam Metzger prepares to mount the engine to the chassis on the 2011 GMC Sierra assembly line at the Flint GM Assembly in Flint, Mich.   (AP)

Jim Surowiecki, writing for the New Yorker, says that the Obama stimulus package worked surprisingly well. Yet, Surowiecki notes, Obama gets little credit for it because he did the economically, rather than politically, expedient thing. Rather than lump-sum tax rebates, which consumers tend to horde, he gave taxpayers a small break in every paycheck, which they spent—stimulating the economy. By giving money to the states to retain jobs, rather than create new ones, he maintained stability and reduced unemployment.

But both of these got Obama little credit with voters who, against pretty clear evidence, believe that the president has bungled the economy. Surowiecki concludes, “When Rome is burning, trying to put out the fire may cost you more than just sitting by and fiddling." Read the full article. (More Barack Obama stories.)

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