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Why We Shouldn't Wait For Stimulus Plan To Work

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MARSHA MERCER

Media General News Service

Published: February 14, 2009

As the $789 billion economic stimulus package headed to President Barack Obama's desk, the question on everyone's mind was, "Will it work?"

Even Obama couldn't say. While he's optimistic about his plan, he also has been candid about the uncertainty.

"I don't have a crystal ball. And as I said, this is an unprecedented crisis," he said at his first news conference Monday. "But my hope is that after a difficult year ... if we get things right, then, starting next year, we can start seeing significant improvement."

For everyone else, the question was subject to partisan interpretation.

Republicans said the package was still too porky and wouldn't solve the nation's economic problems. They complained it remained too costly — even though the compromise was smaller than either bill passed by the House or Senate.

Congressional Democrats heralded the jobs, tax cuts and help for families the package will create. They called it a triumph for the new president and the American people, even though the Democrats had to give up funding for education and cash-strapped cities and states.

Both sides cited competing economic analyses, and you can find an economist to tell you whatever you want to hear. Some say there's no need for any stimulus whatsoever. Others predict the current package will fail because it's too small.

Obama has promised transparency for how the money is spent at a new Web site, www.recovery.gov.

He outlined three criteria people can use to measure the success of his overall economic program, eventually.

Are jobs being created? He hopes the plan will save or create 4 million jobs.

Are people and businesses able to borrow money?

Are housing foreclosures slowing and housing values stabilizing?

The next day, he flew to Fort Myers for a town hall meeting to highlight the need for the plan.

Though the plan had not yet passed, two economically distressed people got help simply because he showed up to talk about it — and they became instant celebrities in the process.

Henrietta Hughes, 61, told the president she and her son are homeless and living out of their car. The wait for public housing is two years, she said. They need help now.

Obama responded, "We're gonna do everything we can to help you, but there are a lot of people like you." He added, "I'll have my staff talk to you after the town hall."

Before that could happen, the wife of Republican State Rep. Nick Thompson grabbed Hughes' hand and offered her the use of a house, according to a report in The News-Press in Fort Myers.

Julio Osegueda, 19, told Obama he has worked for McDonald's for 4 1/2 years and still doesn't have job benefits. The exuberant youth asked Obama if the stimulus package had anything for people like him. He said he wants to major in communications in college and maybe become a disc jockey.

Osegueda quickly got an offer to be the radio color announcer for the Fort Myers Miracle minor league baseball team on Opening Day in April. He told MSNBC's Keith Olbermann that he felt like "success is around the corner."

There's something simultaneously invigorating and disconcerting about the way media limelight can transform someone's circumstances. Remember Joe the Plumber?

Hughes and Osegueda got help not because they're more deserving than millions of others. They got help because individuals in their community suddenly saw their plight because the president was in town.

The media glare happened to spotlight these two of the millions of people in dire circumstances around the country who need help.

That's a lesson for us all. It needn't take a presidential visit — or nearly a trillion dollars — to create individual success stories.

The effects of Obama's economic plan won't be known for months or years. But every community has churches, community groups and agencies that house the homeless, feed the hungry and help people get back on their feet.

While we're waiting for the stimulus money to trickle through the economy, wondering if Obama's plan will work, we can help our needy neighbors.

Comment at mgwashington.com or e-mail mmercer@mediageneral.com.

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