Exclusive: Obama stimulus reduced our pain, experts say - USA Today

[JohnWxy]

http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/2010-01-25-usa-today-economic-survey-obama-stimulus_N.htm


President Obama's stimulus package saved jobs — but the government still needs to do more to breathe life into the economy, according to USA TODAY's quarterly survey of 50 economists.

Unemployment would have hit 10.8% — higher than December's 10% rate — without Obama's $787 billion stimulus program, according to the economists' median estimate. The difference would translate into another 1.2 million lost jobs.

But almost two-thirds of the economists said the government should do more to spur job growth. Suggestions included suspending payroll taxes for Social Security and Medicare, increasing spending on infrastructure, enacting a flat tax on income and extending jobless benefits.

The economists expect the jobless rate to remain in double digits until the third quarter.


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[DJ13]

1. The same "experts" that missed the coming housing crisis?

Those guys?

[liberal N proud]

2. But, but, but

It's not enough!


:sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm:

Not enough for the I want it all and I want it now crowd.

[dixiegrrrrl]

3. Ever had a real real bad toothache?

And put off going to the dentist by taking more and more aspirin until finally the pain got too great and you had to have the tooth pulled if you could not afford a root canal?
Well, that is what they are talking about in terms of "Obama stimulus reduced our pain:."
It did nothing to address the need for serious treatment of the problem, and every day that goes by, the solution to the problem gets more expensive, the pain, over all, gets greater.
No matter how many "experts" try to parse the issue.

[Skittles]

6. dixiegrrrrl NAILS IT

fucking bandaid solutions

[timeforpeace]

4. Neat fucking trick since only 21% has been spent. Calling BS on this.

http://www.input.com/corp/economic-stimulus.cfm

[bertman]

5. If we've still got 79% left why are they freezing spending? Can you explain that 'cause I don't know

[TexasObserver]

7. The Stim package did help, but we need a second one.

Krugman was right last year and is right this year. We needed a stim package twice the size we got last year, and this year we need another one. If we don't get it, the recovery (such as it is) will stall out in the summer. If the president takes the GOP bait and goes the other way, if he doesn't pass a second stim package and institutes budget freezes, he will seal the fate of his administration.

I hope the president realizes that he has to stop listening to Republican advisers or he will wreck his chances of having a decent (and perhaps solitary) first term.

Those who refuse to learn from history ... you know the rest.