Buy valtrax….

Everything I saw in the stimulus bill was no more stimulating than any bill requiring new resources to be allocated would be. We wouldn’t call the above bill a “stimulus” bill, but a reform bill of some form–so I don’t call the Feb 2009 bill a “stimulus package” most of it when to the public sector to one-time contract services and materials from the private sector. Plus although the government can spend for construction in the middle of a recession, new construction for private businesses, who have to make revenue before building, is undertaken when the recovery is assured, and inventories are low and new demand justifies investment.

There was no more stimulus to the economy than any normal spending bill passed by Congress. Not a stimulus bill.

Could one of the people complaining about the “dishonesty” of the graph, make an “honest” one?

Chris_Balsz on November 6, 2009 at 10:37 PM

To make an honest one, you’d have to substitute two other trend lines for Obama’s guesses in white and grey.

So, you leave the red line (which is reality), and you put another line in showing the aggregate amount of inflated dollars from the stimulus inflicted upon the economy.

You could have a green line reflecting automobile sales, and a yellow line reflecting home sales, and a cyan line representing foreclosures.

Our economy’s health is best represented by the turnover in large durable goods such as cars and houses.

What is most interesting about the red line is the slope, which, aside from the anomaly in June/July, is almost constantly 10/11, One hopes it will level off soon, or in about 9.2 years we will all be unemployed.

DaveS on November 6, 2009 at 4:52 PM

I do not think Mr. Obama has the power you think he does — at least not in June. Just mentioning healthcare caused a knee in the curve?

No, I figured it out. The beginning of June is when I began buying my 4th of July fireworks.

Chris_Balsz on November 6, 2009 at 10:37 PM

This is a lot more honest.

Not as slick, granted, but more honest.

How much longer will Congress allow that red line to run before recalling what’s left of Porkulus?

I think it’s obvious by now that they are “all in” on Porkulus.

MSM headlines next November— 60 Democrat representatives were unexpectedly voted out of office by an electorate throwing a tantrum!

While i’ll admit the money being spent on job creation is being done in a less than ideal manner…was there another option?

Yeah.
Don’t spend it.
Have 10% unemployment and a stronger dollar.

It was clear that, in the wake of the financial meltdown, free capital wasn’t going to create jobs and growth in the short term.

So, destroy the dollar? Because that’s what shovelling currency out a helicopter does.
The “alternative” was not to do it.

We can argue at the margins over whether it coulda been less here or more there (and lets not forget the stimulus was 1/2 TAX CUTS),

Excuse me. A tax cut is a reduction in the rate at which the federal government exacts revenue from personal or coporate income, or, the elimination of a federal exaction altogether. So if there is no income, a tax cut provides exactly no benefit.

Rebates for homebuying, cash for clunkers, etc., are NOT tax cuts. They are welfare for doing something. Even if your costs to do it zeroed out, and you made no profit, you still get the goodies.

Now, what’s the percentage of tax cuts in the stimulus again?

but I find it hard to believe that the unemployment rate is a direct result of failed Obama policy.

Meaning a trillion dollar increase had no direct effect on the economy? Really?

Where can I get some of these stimulus funds? I’ll make up some liberal sounding program and just wait for the government checks to start rolling in.

Jeff from WI on November 6, 2009 at 5:05 PM

Do you know how to find housing for pimps and prostitutes?
I think there’s big grant $$ available for that.

The Bush recession is over. The Obama recovery has begin.

Bleeds Blue on October 29, 2009 at 9:32 AM

Saw this on another thread and almost laughed my ass out of my chair.

Bythe way the actual unemployment number is now at 17.5%, if we can believe ANYTHING out of the bozo regime.

Go to http://www.bls.gov and search for U-6.

Statistical justice NOW!

Why would anyone think it would work in the 00s?

ernesto on November 6, 2009 at 5:52 PM

I think you’re over-simplifying it quite a lot. Businesses aren’t computers that simply crunch numbers; they are run by people, and those people do not have confidence in our economy. That lack of confidence, in my opinion, is being caused by an erratic and leftward-lurching government. Every piece of legislation so far introduced in this legislative year is harmful to the economy and hostile to business. That fact, in conjunction with the startling rate of increase of the deficit and debt, the unprecedented increase in the money supply, and the apparent unwillingness of the government to take serious corrective steps (preferring instead to blame the previous administration and continue blundering on), points to further economic and fiscal trouble ahead. Remember, the coming devaluation of the currency is going to spike up interest rates, which is going to play havoc with investment valuations (if you are not familiar with the Capital Asset Pricing Model, you should become so).

You mention consumer spending. A rational consumer isn’t going to go on a spending binge when the very real possibility of being laid off looms on the horizon. Those who aren’t laid off are going to face the double whammy of big tax hits and high inflation (and its consequent bracket creep).

In any event, as has been repeatedly proven in failed economic “stimulus” after failed economic “stimulus”, wealth creation isn’t based on spending, it is based on value creation (ie. production and investment).

We can argue at the margins over whether it coulda been less here or more there (and lets not forget the stimulus was 1/2 TAX CUTS), but I find it hard to believe that the unemployment rate is a direct result of failed Obama policy.

ernesto on November 6, 2009 at 4:42 PM

It’s a result of Obama fascism. When the Capitalists suddenly realize that all the rules have changed – and that they now have a hostile government that will not allow them to take profits – then you get what we have now.

You’ll get even worse once the Capitalists realize that Capitalism is dead.

We’re in a fascist economy now – the Capitalists realize that they are now allowed to make only the profit that the Democratic party believes they should make – and not a penny more. The Executives on Wall Street are demonized by this White House and their pay has been limited. Bond holders of auto-companies were demonized by this White House – and their money was basically confiscated and given to the Labor Unions. All across America – small businesses are bracing for new tax hikes. All across America – the rich people who produce the jobs for the rest of us are bracing for new tax hikes. Power companies are standing by for punitive cap and tax penalties.

It’s fascism … It’s OBAMA

Is that the unemployment graph or NASA’s next launch tragjectory?

What’s going to happen come next year when the government is going to be short on the taxes they are going to unexpectedly going to be short on. Are they going to pull a CA and take 10% more out of our paychecks. Scary times we are in.