What’s the goal really?

The awesome Bush administration’s Stimulus package aimed, at helping the economy amidst the massive writeoffs bands and mortgage lenders are writing off, isn’t something that will help the economy. Sure, that $100-$200 rebate check (minus all operational costs and etc, more like a $50 o less check) would be nice but in the grand scheme of things, how many who receive the checks would reinvest into the economy by spending it? I know I’d rather put it to good use to pay off my debt instead - as I hope most sensible persons would do in these times of market volatility. How much would that do in the grand scheme of things to HELP the economy? Not too much. Breaking into the granular level is nice on a personal basis but if the aim is to impact the larger market, then the effect could have been better to spur that $140B into some massive government purchase or federal aide.

A simple breakdown:
Spend $30 billion on new computer machines. Intel (or AMD) and computer maker get orders to fulfill in addition of putting that order onto their revenue balance sheet (looks nice, doesn’t it?). To fill orders, the companies would have to either KEEP their workforce or else hire more if insufficient numbers on the workforce. These companies in turn, need parts and resources from other vendors who then now have the trickle effect of the demand and the deadlines to produce. Boom. More jobs created. More with stable jobs = more consumer spending. More consumer spending = economy keeps going.

Simple logic that teachers have long preached way back in high school or under. Rebates are nice at the personal level. But if the aim was for saving the economy, work from the larger angle please.

Approval ratings and political crap.

EDIT: Figure estimates have been released. Individuals are to be expecting roughly $600; married couples roughly $1200 and additional stipends based on number of kids up to about $300 per child. The fine details are still on the table. Checks are somewhere to be expected in May. Figures are larger than expected by my earlier estimates. The check sounds nice with the figure. I am wondering on how taxes will be paid on them.

My check is still going towards paying my car loan. Guess I am not going to be using it to ‘help’ out the economy much. I am UN-patriotic …by being financially responsible.