How realistic is it that the 'stimulus' plans Obama has proposed will create enough jobs

[bigtree]

. . . to offset the massive wave of layoffs and provide the 'stimulus' to the economy he expects?

In other words, how will that money, spent on 'green jobs' and infrastructure spending' actually work its way into the market at a rate which will buck up the economy enough to support existing jobs, much less create more outside of those areas that are invested in?

My thinking is that, in order to provide 'stimulus' which will put money into the economy and preserve faltering businesses, there has to be some effort to put money where consumers and workers can access it and spend it.

If there's going to be any significant, positive jolt to the economy it won't come from money buried in future projects like 'green' technology' or bridge building. It needs to be put in a form where average Americans can reach it and spend it, and it can't be some paltry amount either.

I look at the way that Paulson decided to forgo his original plan to buy up mortgage debt because of how long it would take to structure those bailouts and how he determined that he had to get money flowing fast. So, he gave the money directly to the banks to spend as they pleased. He had enough confidence in the banks that they would make the right investments to get credit flowing again.

But, banks did spend the money given, but not necessarily in places where the money would immediately trickle down to the places in the economy that most Americans rely on to survive. The credit market is still in jeopardy.

If we're going to pull ourselves out of the economic hole, we'll have to start by encouraging job and wage growth. Sure, new investments in new technology will provide some future benefit and should be part of the effort, but with the economy going down so fast and existing jobs drying up at a faster rate than we can rescue them, there needs to be some effort to get cash in the hands of consumers so that they can spend their dollars in the businesses which their communities depend on to survive.

We need another stimulus check for average Americans. If they can trust banks to spend the billions they're throwing at them, they can trust Americans to spend money where it will benefit their communities.

We need another bailout for average Americans and we need it now. It won't do much good to just ease credit if these community businesses fail because folks out of work and whose jobs are threatened don't have any money to spend on them.

[aquart]

1. No. We won't spend if we don't have jobs.

Guaranteeing several million jobs will guarantee a million others that support those jobs. The checks...didn't do a damn thing last time and they won't again.

The only thing that can help is JOBS. Not banks. JOBS.

[kentuck]

2. Jobs is the solution.

A one-time stimulus is only that. A job continues to support the economy.

[bigtree]

4. well, there really isn't much which will save the jobs that we have

. . . in the private sector, the small businesses which make up most of the businesses in most communities, without consumers having cash to spend and pay their bills right now. The longer we wait to put money into consumer's hands, more of these small businesses will just collapse. In my town and in the surrounding ones, many businesses have been advantaged by tax breaks and the like, but those won't make any long term impact unless consumers have something to spend in these businesses.

That ability by consumers to spend money in these stores and enterprises is almost flat. The after-Thanksgiving sales were a disaster. As the economy sinks further, that ready-cash is just not materializing in consumer's pockets. There may well be jobs coming, but in the interim, there needs to be something done to encourage or enable consumers to patronize these businesses (buy cars, supplies, food, etc.) or we'll be looking at an economy which will not return.

I think that too much aid is being considered for businesses and institutions which rely on consumer action to evolve. Whether we're talking about a rebate or a tax cut, there has to be some way to get cash into consumer's hands in the SHORT TERM.

I really can't understand the reluctance to do that while at the same time dumping money in the laps of the major industries who have huge lobby abilities and to just dismiss the positive effect of doing the same for average American consumers.

[leftofthedial]

3. the biggest version of his plan would replace the job losses this year

but until we get honest about the true magnitude of unemployment and underemployment in this country, we won't solve the problem.

Actual unemployment BEFORE this year's huge spike, was probably near 15%. All the DC insiders are comfortable pretending that it was 5%.

So, in effect, the government has institutionalized a base rate of about 10% unemployment. That is a huge drain on everything but the equally artificial "productivity" numbers.

[dem91203]

5. Real Jobs

W hat is needed is 150 infrastructure rework and repair projects started across the country . Roads, bridges dams intra state and inter state freeways must be included. Simple checks as hand outs will fail to meet the need of our economy for real time actualization. Long term job creation (a few years) is what will work. The intra state freeway system is such a project. Millions of jobs now !!

The addition of current wind turbine electricity generation facilities can add tens of thousands new jobs in the next 2 years using current tested technology

The big question is are we the people ready to let go of the past and move aggressively in to the future

[bigtree]

6. the economy needs money right now

Local businesses are at the tipping point because people are cash poor right now. Those jobs you advocate are certainly important and necessary, but there will be a lag time in an economy which is almost flat.

There needs to be an influx of cash. We've seen the effect of the Treasury's attempt to do that by padding the bank's accounts, but many just bought more banks. We need a way for cash to start immediately flowing into businesses, small businesses, local businesses now, before they completely collapse. We can't wait for these longer term programs to take effect before we act to directly give folks back some of the money they've contributed from their paychecks so that they can help save these small businesses. When they're gone, it'll just cost more to get them back. And we can't just keep encouraging them to borrow.