Time: How the Stimulus Is Changing America

[LuckyTheDog]

This is a great article:

Yes, the stimulus has cut taxes for 95% of working Americans, bailed out every state, hustled record amounts of unemployment benefits and other aid to struggling families and funded more than 100,000 projects to upgrade roads, subways, schools, airports, military bases and much more. But in the words of Vice President Joe Biden, Obama's effusive Recovery Act point man, "Now the fun stuff starts!" The "fun stuff," about one-sixth of the total cost, is an all-out effort to exploit the crisis to make green energy, green building and green transportation real; launch green manufacturing industries; computerize a pen-and-paper health system; promote data-driven school reforms; and ramp up the research of the future. "This is a chance to do something big, man!" Biden said during a 90-minute interview with TIME.

For starters, the Recovery Act is the most ambitious energy legislation in history, converting the Energy Department into the world's largest venture-capital fund. It's pouring $90 billion into clean energy, including unprecedented investments in a smart grid; energy efficiency; electric cars; renewable power from the sun, wind and earth; cleaner coal; advanced biofuels; and factories to manufacture green stuff in the U.S. The act will also triple the number of smart electric meters in our homes, quadruple the number of hybrids in the federal auto fleet and finance far-out energy research through a new government incubator modeled after the Pentagon agency that fathered the Internet.

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2013683,00.html#ixzz0xj5hXw5T

[Curmudgeoness]

1. "An all-out effort to exploit the crisis to make green energy...real"

Exploit? Wow, I guess we know which side of this issue the Time writer is on.

All I know is that if the government does not take a lead on green energy, it will not happen. This is the only way to reduce the costs to a point where individuals are able to afford it. And we really want it.

[arcane1]

2. It's actually a very positive article overall, not what I expected.

I can't imagine someone reading it and still thinking "the stimulus sucks"

[LuckyTheDog]

5. That part bothered me, too

But the overall tone of the article is positive.

[FredStembottom]

3. C,mon, grumpy, diappointed progressives (like me)......

...get some good news in you.
Can't hurt.
Credit where it's due.

[LuckyTheDog]

6. I agree

The stimulus, despite its many flaws, has been a very, very good thing.

[Scurrilous]

4. K & R

:thumbsup:

[JNelson6563]

7. Good news!

I'll take all I can get!

Julie