Phil Riddle
editor@weatherforddemocrat.com
While the end of the economic recession has been heralded recently, unemployment, retail sales, construction and other key sectors of the nation’s economy are still suffering.
And respondents of this week’s www.weatherforddemocrat.com online poll say efforts of the Obama administration have done little good to ease the country’s economic woes.
More than 82 percent of those voting said “no” to the question, “Do you think the various government stimulus packages have improved the economy?”
The poll is not scientific in nature and reflects only the opinions of those who voted.
The balloting mirrors a survey done by USA Today about two months ago, which said Americans feel the flood of new programs are expensive and have resulted in little economic change.
The USA TODAY/Gallup Poll published in August found 57 percent of adults say stimulus programs are having no impact on the economy or making it worse.
Further, 60 percent doubted the stimulus plan would help the economy in the future, and only 18 percent said it had done anything to help improve their personal situations.
On the other hand, a Reuters report published about the same time as the USA Today survey said economic indicators showed then American business was improving and suggested the recession appeared to be easing.
According to the Reuters story, one report showed a nearly year-long fall in economic activity in the industrialized Midwest eased in July as new orders and production rose sharply.
However, a Federal Reserve policy-maker cited in the report warned the economy was still fragile.
Many analysts guessed in August the U.S. economy would return to growth some time in the third quarter.
To participate in this week’s poll, visit www.weatherforddemocrat.com and scroll to the bottom of the home page.
This week’s question — “In the just-released movie, “The Box,” people were offered $1 million to push a button on a box, which meant a person they’d never met would die. Would you push the button?”
