Have you benfited from the stimulus?

[ericgtr]

CNN has this poll on it's site.. here's where it stands:

No 72%
Not sure 15%
Yes 13%

I have been unemployed for the last several months and have finally found a job for a trucking company. This company is not receiving any stimulus money what so ever, but all of the green and government jobs in my state have opened it up to where other companies are taking other people who would've applied for this job, leaving that opening.

The point being that most will probably not attribute anything to the stimulus unless they think it was given directly to the company that's hiring them.

Edit: Typo

[REACTIVATED IN CT]

1. No, not personally but a friend was laid off

last year and is getting the 65% COBRA subsidy. She could not have afforded COBRA without it and could have lost her home id she had to be hospitalized uninsured.

[Bluzmann57]

2. Yes. Indirectly.

The company I work for has several contracts with companies which have recieved stimulus money and we are very busy as a result. I got this direct from a VP of our company.

[avaistheone1]

48. No, and I don't know anyone who has.

[Zynx]

3. Most wage earners got a small tax cut so of that 72% the vast majority are ignorant.

Anyone who lives within a public school district (ie everybody) also benefited. I think the administration needs to do a much better job selling it.

[Robb]

42. Yep.

Opinion polls about facts are always disturbing when they're this far off.

[high density]

4. Financially? Not directly outside of the small tax cut. Though I do see other benefits.

A major highway near me that I use from time to time was repaved with stimulus money. Our city's sewer system was also upgraded with stimulus funds. (Sexy!)

My 401k/IRA balances are likely higher than they'd be without the stimulus.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

5. Have you benefited from Bush?

0.0025%

[JuniperLea]

6. Yes

A lot of work has been thrown our way. Also, a lot of street improvements in So Cal, which equals less wear and tear on my car.

Edited to say the tax cut Obama gave me was eaten up by the increase Arnold gave me... still, had I not received the first, the latter would have been a lot harder to deal with, so yes, the tax cut helped too.

[laugle]

39. Hey, I don't expect

Obama to do the impossible, but maybe, he could keep a few of his promises........

[JuniperLea]

46. Which has he broken?

And how long did it take? How long would you expect it to take?

[laugle]

49. The better question would

be: how many has he kept?

[frazzled]

7. Depends on how you define benefit

I've benefited from the road repaving program here (America Recovery and Reinvestment Act sponsored) that makes Lake Shore Drive better to drive on. And then it gave some local people some jobs, which helps me in a really indirect way: hopefully, my property taxes or income taxes don't have to go up to help pay for increasing services for the unemployed. I could multiply this type of argument if I had a better handle on the various projects and investments.

But I don't think most people are aware of where the money has gone ... or what the potential impact could be for them if they are not directly involved through employment, oversight, etc. People really are thinking only of themselves in the most narrow way. I don't blame them for that, but someone has to make a cogent yet simple case for how the stimulus has helped.

[cyberswede]

8. My department has

Several researchers in my department received stimulus funds for medical research.

In addition, the University was able to prevent additional layoffs due to a large infusion of stimulus funds.
Unfortunately, they tell us that next year will require more belt-tightening, as there won't be stimulus $ to make up for shortfalls.

[Phx_Dem]

9. Indirectly, but two members of my family have directly benefitted.

[tridim]

10. Everyone in America has benefited from the stimulus

Considering the other option was another great depression.

Those numbers are unbelievable.

[Uzybone]

12. The "liberals" are laughing at it saying it was too small

and not promoting any good thing that has happened. Meanwhile the GOP call it socialism and reckless spending. Little wonder why almost no-one thinks they have benefited from it.

[depakid]

19. The people you derisively call liberals are looking at honest and object economic analysis

just as they did when the administration and the Dems screwed it up last January and February.

We warned about several things that were sure to come to pass- the failure to come close to closing the output gap (bound to create a jobless recovery) the failure to include (and actually to slash) aid to the state- causing them to have to slash services and raise taxes (real popular politically) at the worst possible time -and even cutting pandemioc preparedness funds on the eve of a pandemic.

See, unlike the cheer leading crowd (or the loony right) some of us actually believe that public policy should be designed to solve problems, based on the best available evidence and analysis.

And that the administration and Democrats in Congress owe it to Americans to fight for such policies.

[dave29]

27. and what are (were) your solutions to those problems

?

[depakid]

34. You can go back to the posts from January and February to see what they were at the time

though that's now spilled milk.

Point is that these instances (and many others) were readily foreseeable, based on rather solid information.

In terms of what to do now- I originally posted this bit back in early November (even then it was clear that Dems were headed for trouble).

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=433&topic_id=140533&mesg_id=140533

Still applies- though, as we expected, the political capital and urgency required for a second round of stimulus has dissipated.

Guess we'll have to wait and see what Dems can muster in terms of a jobs program, trouble is, they have very little lead time to produce tangible results.

[FrenchieCat]

11. My daughter is doing graduate research via money expended in the Stimulus package.....

and her husband found a job in her University's Medical research administration
when they moved from Boston for her to attend graduate school in MO; a job
that remained because so much money went into University medical research at WASHU.

My Step-daughter's nursery school which she owns received a $10,000 grant to improve her school,
which initially was cut, and then re-instated.

Also we got a tax cut and had to pay less in estimated taxes for 2009.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

33. My hospital hired 1.5 counselors for victims of domestic violence

I got a tax cut of $800.

[nradisic]

13. My business is up...

The last two years have been hard on everyone and no less on small business owners like myself. Our business has been up nicely since October for the first time in almost two years. I am cautiously optimistic now that government stimulus is obviously slowly permeating into all, corners of this country, it by bit as it may be.So, I feel that I have benefited in an indirect way.

[lynne]

14. No, I was laid off three weeks ago. eom

[thatsrightimirish]

15. they are fixing doyle drive with the money

thank god. that will save lives

[spartan61]

16. Didn't we, the middle class, get a tax break with the

stimulus money? Has everyone who received this forgotten?

[snake in the grass]

17. In a word...

...no. For me in my situation it's the same country as it was on the 19th of January, 2009.

[JoePhilly]

18. I checked my 401k ... so yea, I benefitied ... but there has been a more important benefit ...

One year ago ... every person I know was scared to death that their job might disapper the next day. Me included. Companies were laying off indiscriminately.

I've been a top contributor for years ... but I've been around long enough to know that if they lay-off an entire division, your individual performance means NOTHING.

So fast forward to today.

The people I know are NOT afraid that their job is about to disappear. The companies that I work with are NOT laying off in huge numbers indiscriminately.

My sister was laid off under Bush ... I had to send her CASH to help her with her mortgage. She got a job this summary, and she paid me back. I NEVER expected to see that money again ... not because of her ... she's great ... but the economy has been so terrible, I expected that she'd be underwater for a long time.

The job loss TREND is moving in the right direction, even though it is not positive yet ... yet ..... yet. Its been one year.

We on the left need to grow a SPINE!!!

Help each other when we can, as much as we can ... but we can not, can not, can not ... let the GOP back in office.

[AngryAmish]

20. Two roads on my way home from work were paved.

[JoePhilly]

21. My sons favorite teacher's job was saved ...

In May 2009, she was told her job was gone ... the school received stimulus money, and so she was brought back for the 2009-2010 school year.

The guy who runs my favorite bagel shop added workers because of nearby road improvements.

[ctaylors6]

22. Yes with the cobra subsidy after husband let go from firm

[Orsino]

23. We all have.

Everyone who has directly benefited has benefited the rest of us.

[CBR]

24. Yes. A firm I do some work for was funded to do training and

technical assistance for HUD stimulus programs. This resulted in at least 8 new hires and security for the rest of us.

[donco6]

25. I haven't, but -

we have a number of teachers paid from stimulus who would have lost their jobs without it. So that's a good thing.

[dave29]

26. my brother and best friend's brother found work

one due to stimulus (construction) other due to just looking for about a year (IT). Anyone who is currently working saw a small boost in their take home pay due to the stimulus. So that would be about 80-90% of the workforce.

[JVS]

28. Yup

[boppers]

29. Yes. Shaved an hour off my weekly commute time.

I loves me some fresh roads!

[golfguru]

30. Compared to Wall Street bankers...ummm not much

I am very angry at the 7 figure bonuses handed out on Wall Street
with tax payer money.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

32. For the last fucking time....

The bank money was the Troubled Assest Relief Program, passed in 2008 by the Bush Administration.

The stimulus money was the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, passed in 2009 by the Obama Administration.


Geez...

[firedupdem]

35. +1 n/t

[golfguru]

45. I get that point but is it true that any previously passed bill

can be reversed? Heck even the US constitution can be changed
so why not change stupid laws passed by Bush administration backing?

[taught_me_patience]

51. And your ignoring the purchase of MBS by the fed

at face value. This is another $1T aid to the banks. Also ignored is the AIG bailout, which was really a bailout for the counterparties of their swaps (Goldman, et al). Also ignored by your post is the 0% interest rate gift by the fed. The banks have received much much more help than just the "TARP".

[jpak]

31. Yes - and other family members too.

Thank you Pelosi, Reid and Obama.

:yourock:

[Clio the Leo]

36. Anyone watching the CNN special on the stimulus?

I found it strangely interesting that they were doing a program on it, wondering what their motivation was. I'm relegated to watching CNN on the weekends and the brief teasers they did on it seemed to be favorable to the President.

[slackmaster]

37. No, and I expect to be hurt by higher taxes that will be implemented to pay for it

:nuke:

[Lucky Luciano]

38. It has helped me. nt

[scheming daemons]

40. Whether they realize it or not, every American has been helped by the stimulus...

...because we're not in a fucking Depression right now because of it.

[Cali_Democrat]

41. I think almost everyone has benefited either directly or indirectly. nt

[jillan]

43. Not that I'm aware of.

[backscatter712]

44. Yes, directly.

Being on unemployment, my checks got a little larger thanks to the stimulus bill.

[greymattermom]

47. yes

Got an ARRA grant to support my research in brain injury and have hired 3 people.

[Kaylee]

50. Yes

My work is funded by government grants. Our grant was renewed and extended because of stimulus money.

[taught_me_patience]

52. Not one cent. n/t