Based on the current stimulus plan, predict how long this recession will last

[Quixote1818]

Poll question: Based on the current stimulus plan, predict how long this recession will last

The choices are based on when job growth becomes a net gain from where it was when the recession started.

[rwheeler31]

1. We are going in the right direction ,I am optimistic.

[Quixote1818]

2. Lets just hope it doesn't take more than 24 Months or we could have large losses

in the house and senate.

[baldguy]

3. The New Deal cost $500 billion in expenditures.

But we didn't come out of the Great Depression until we spent $2 trillion for WWII.

The reason it lasted so long was because we didn't spend enough soon enough.

[Quixote1818]

4. $500 Billion then is a hell of a lot more than $800 Billion now

Though the Great Depression was about 3 times larger than our current recession and Hoover let it go for several years. I think we are getting this downturn faster than the one that created the great depression but is is big enough?

[sandnsea]

7. Unemployment was 9.9% in 1941

We'd have been fine without WWII. The truth is that we need government to push the technology curve. If Bush had pushed any new technology when he took office, we wouldn't be in this mess today. They wouldn't have need to create the mortgage bubble and our economy wouldn't have collapsed. That's what is wrong with Republicans. They don't know where new growth really comes from. It's come from government projects since the Old National Road was built that expanded growth into Ohio.

[Quixote1818]

8. Think if we had invested one trillion into alternative energy instead of the Iraq war

We would be kicking the worlds ass right now and be selling our technology to everyone else. We could have used a lot of the money to help car companies make the transition from Oil to other cleaner and more abundant fuels. We would be cleaning up the environment and one hell of a lot of jobs would have been created!

We would have won the war without firing a shot.

[wuvuj]

13. The fix was in?

I was on a stock trading forum apparently moderated by someone from Texas pre Bush. The guy said that he was sure Bush would win and to get ready to invest in the defense and oil sectors.

Instead of what could have been...we have nothing but holes to dig out of...and a planet going down the tubes. And the same dummies with even more money to buy up stuff at distressed prices and keep anything positive from being done.

The WHEEL is out of balance with wall street...defense...oil...big pharma/health making it WOBBLE a lot. Trim the DEAD WEIGHTS?

[backscatter712]

5. We got about half of what we need.

Economists were saying we needed about 1.2-1.4 trillion dollars of stimulus. We got $790 billion, some of it in rather inefficient tax cuts instead of proper stimulus.

My guess is that instead of the second Great Depression, we'll have a lesser, but still long and miserable recession. 24 months sounds about right.

[Ichingcarpenter]

6. The coming Energy Bill will be the next stimulus plan

That will have include a lot of infrastructure and green jobs.

30-50 months.

[cliffordu]

10. Ding Ding Ding, We have a winner!!!!!!!

I want a trillion dollar "moon landing" energy program.....

[Urban Prairie]

9. Only in Michigan will there be little chance of recovery

Its deepening depression in some areas, will have to become a recession first, and perhaps future water shortages in arid states might force some people and businesses to relocate to the Great Lakes region.

I am not very optimistic about the economic future of my state.

Will we have a 21st century version of a Henry Ford?

Not likely.

[Demeter]

11. With Current Response---Longer Than I'll Live

and I expect another 50 years of living.

[wuvuj]

12. Rate of descent has not stopped....

We will need to see a month where job losses are reduced from the previous month to even begin to get to the end of it?

Net gain from recession start? ha...ha...ha Obviously more than 4 years...at least 5....the LOW will be out 3 yrs from now? Need the more serious recessions to be graphed.

Employment is a lagging indicator...but tell that to someone living in their car.

The stimulus is supposed to make that GREEN line start to level off some.