New Consensus Sees Stimulus Package as Worthy Step By JACKIE CALMES and MICHAEL COOPER, New York Times - Published: November 20, 2009
…the White House and Congressional leaders are talking about a new “jobs bill.” But with roughly a quarter of the stimulus money out the door after nine months, the accumulation of hard data and real-life experience has allowed more dispassionate analysts to reach a consensus that the stimulus package, messy as it is, is working.

The legislation, a variety of economists say, is helping an economy in free fall a year ago to grow again and shed fewer jobs than it otherwise would. Mr. Obama’s promise to “save or create” about 3.5 million jobs by the end of 2010 is roughly on track, though far more jobs are being saved than created, especially among states and cities using their money to avoid cutting teachers, police officers and other workers…

In interviews, a broad range of economists said the White House and Congress were right to structure the package as a mix of tax cuts and spending, rather than just tax cuts as Republicans prefer or just spending as many Democrats do. And it is fortuitous, many say, that the money gets doled out over two years — longer for major construction — considering the probable length of the “jobless recovery” under way as wary employers hold off on new hiring…

See also Nov 19 post: Stimulus Under Scrutiny: Creating jobs but GAO & lawmakers skeptical of stimulus data, especially the last item in the post about how the implemention of the stimulus is transforming the way government operates, Recovery Act: Shifting Mindsets By John Kamensky, IBM Center for the Business of Government Blog, highlighted at the Nov 6 post: How the implemention of the Recovery Act is shifting mindsets & transforming government.