The best way to solve this economic problem is to bring jobs back.
all this stimulus package is going to do is spend tax payers hard earned cash on things we dont need.

Ted, Lake Orion, U.S.A.

I think it's obsurd that we, the American people, spent so much tax payer money crucifying Michael Vick for fighting stinking dogs but we'll allow our money to be used for killing unborn children. IMO there is no difference in this travesty and the girl from Florida who killed her little girl.

Mary, Beaumont, USA

I think the fastest way to help the economy is giving hard working folks tax breaks. This way, people can spend and help the economy in return. People who abuse the welfare system should be cutoff--don't give them our hard earn tax $$ so they can't sit on their lazy behinds and pop babies.

Duc, SC,

Low income women have a way to keep from making unwanted babies. It's called not sleeping around.

Jeff, Seattle,

I don't think that offering low income women a way to keep from making unwanted babies is a bad idea. Obama dropped it very reluctantly, and I think its a crying shame people are not willing to look long term and realize that we are going to pay a lot more for those kids.

Maria, Minneapolis,

Hey if they want to add useless items onto the Stimulus lets make the whole thing public! Do it hour by hour as it changes! Let the American people see who's adding "pork" and who's really trying to do something. We can infulence our State Senators -WE vote them in and we can vote them out!

SHARON W. , YORKANA, USA

If they want to have a stimulus, that's fine, but read the damn bill! There's more "pet project" spending in this than you can shake a stick at. Millions to move offices, millions to buy the government cars, millions to fund birth control, millions to WIC, the list goes on and on.

Chris, Toledo, USA

Saying that FDR's New Deal made the Depression longer than it otherwise would have been is a counterintuitive statement, not something we can (or should attempt) to answer. Comparing Obama's new stimulus package to communism is a sweeping an incorrect historical generalization.

A, NYC,

I voted for Obama but what ever happened to "pay as you go?"
The onliny tax cuts should go to small business, the ones that employ 80% of America. If indiviual tax cuts were the answer, this country would be rollng in jobs, money and prosperity after the tax cuts Bush pushed through. Its not

Kathy Butler, Wichita, United Sates

Obama wanted change. Now that his stimulus package got passed by the libs in congress, thats all we are gonna have.

Tony, Aloha, USA

Taxpayers unite. My husband and I are throwing in the towel and going on SS. Who is going to pay the taxes we once did? We own small businesses and no one in goverment wants to help us. We're done. Thanks to those of you who want to pull the wagon. We're angry and "not going to take it anymore"!

Rhonda, Harvard, Worcester

What happened to the idea of seniors living on
retirement and s. s not having to pay taxes on social security.

jay, kelso Wa 98632, united states

No more money for Banks or investment firms. If they collapse, let them go. Seems that when they get the money they spend like drunken sailors. Seems that the big wigs just never get it. So let em collapse!

Jeff, University Park, USA

I agree with James --- I'd rather see the people get the bail out money than these corporations. Million dollar office renovations, million dollar salaries ......... money poorly spent. The people are going to pay for it anyway eventually. Just give it to the people to spark the economy.

Sam, Jackson Michigan, USA

Look its easy cut every taxpayer 250,000 and let them pay off their house, buy new car JUST SPEND THE MONEY. You don't have to be a genius to figure that out. If you make less than 100,000 BIG TAX CUT, Over 100,000 I think you can pay your taxes just fine

James Ginn, Portsmouth, USA

what about college tuition and college students? is that included in Obama's stimulus package? I agree with Patrick from Dallas... gov't officials taking unnecessary trips that cost us millions of dollars... ridiculous!

Kat, Kansas City, USA

To Mark Manchester.. I am a single mother of 3 children. I am perfectly capable of working and after getting laid off a few months ago have yt to find a job. I am applying for 10-15 jobs per day. There is nothing out there. I never wanted a handout. I wanted to work to support my children, however

Tricia, maine, ysa

Mark Manchester I really feel sorry for you, your belief is so unreal there is alot of us on social security that worked and paid it in and alot of us, wishes with all our hearts we were not handicap or disable, so if you ever become handicap, I love for you to think of your remark, I pray for you

Mel, birmingham, usa

If our leaders continue to inform "We the People", that we must tighen our belts, then maybe they should set an example. By this I mean they should take a pay cut along with the American people. Plus maybe they should not fly all over the world spending Taxpayer money.

patrick micciche, Dallas, USA

Oh and by the way, FDR's "New Deal" and communist policies actually made the Great Depression cut deeper and last longer than it otherwise would have. This man and his crackpot ideas made millions of people starve- like Joseph Stalin. When I hear Hussein compared to FDR I get a chill up my spine.

Mark, Manchester, USA

To those who cannot/ do not work...Social Security and Medicare are in debt by over $60 TRILLION dollars. You all should THANK US for the handouts you get while we sell our soles to Chinese tyrants and Mexican druglords to support you. What's the difference between welfare and robbery? A badge.

Mark, Manchester, USA

300 milion people is not 300 million tax payers. How about a stimulus package that really helps the economy and not just floats a corrupt company for a few more months. I would guess about 150million are actual taxpayers.

ks, daytona,

Maybe making the house and senate econically responsible would help with our crisis. When was the last time the house and senate did not give themselves a pay raise? Stimulating the economy, getting budget under control might happen if House and Senate took a pay cut rather than raise.

dab, jacksonville, usa

it's ultimately our tax dollars that bail out the bad guys and while they are still living the good life, the rest of us suffer. Why can't all Americans deserve a bailout of at least $50,000. Talk about stimulating the economy. Bad guys down, new banks starting up!

peg, wichita, kansas

Like others I feel the need for some help with those of us that are either unable to work or beyond the age to work. We also need some help as everything we need to survive is costing so much more and there is no way to increase our income. Going into debt is a losing solution.

Lynne, Lima, USA

50,000 to each American to pay off old debts renegotiate mortgages and stimulate our failing economy. This is how it should be done

stnr, indianapolis, usa

I hope someone monitors how many contracts are awarded and how much money actually touches the hands of those associated with the Chicago machine!

Paul M, Ann Arbor, USA

i am totally disabled i can not work even if i wanted to so i will get exactly nothing from these trillions of dollars this seems unfair to me new bridges and lightbulbs do not excite me at all i can not drive either Tthis is just wrong

PAULA lord, greensburg, usa

``the greatest injection of federal money into the US economy since the Depression-era New Deal."

Maybe this will dispel the concept of ``jobs that no American will do" since there was no such job during the depression.

Kevin, Butler, PA, USA

So far they are talking 4.6 trillion for Wall Street and Main Street... You divide that up by the tax payers. As of 2007 there are 138 million tax payers in the U.S. Instead of giving it to big business... give it to us, that is $33,333.00 going to each citizen. We'll be paying it anyway.

Ryan Mercer, Speedway, IN, USA

The US made a fortune from Britain during WW2. This helped to finance massive factory investment that was free from bombardment. Post war production switched to consumer goods which heralded a massive boom. Nothing is going to help the US get out of this mess unless they invade Canada and Mexico

Harry H, London, UK

I still have not heard anything about taking to task those who are to blame for this cataclysm - bankers. When are we going to see some justice?

Ray, UlanBataar, Mongolia

How about bailing the little people out?! I have 20,000 in debt and my husband might not have a job come march are you going to help us?

Donna, LeRoy, USA

Alexey: The UK recently had the Bank of England quietly push through an amendment to the way that they have to report the amount of money they print. Basically they no longer have to which means its extremely likely the UK, like the US is about to start the presses in earnest. Hyperinflation..

Paul Sullivan, Chester, UK

Obama certainly has been reading his history books; this is the modern answer to President Hoover's plan to take America out of recession. While it worked then, hyperinflation is also a possibility with a plan such as this, and that, as I'm sure it is, needs to be considered.

G. James, Sydney, Australia

I would like to know who is going to supply this $1 trln. ? Or US government is just going to start printing machine?

Alexey, Moscow, Russia

Hey Jeannie, what a great idea, it would be easy, just print it and give it out! Duh!

Doug Bates, St. Albans,

Change? He's using 1930's tactics for a 21st century financial crisis. Very scary. This article is the only one to point out that the "crisis" is slyly being used to dismiss fiscal responsibility and implement enormously expensive programs which will have to be paid for at a later date.

Lou, Heidelberg, Germany

It's like Obama wants another Great Depression! When will people learn that printing money does not create wealth, it just redistributes it to the government's friends/the rich/those that are poor with their money or unproductive, from the poor/hard-working/productive/thrifty. Sigh.

Sam, London,

does anyone ask or care where this money will come from?is it ok to print money like newspaper or toilet role? markets are responding positively to the news but this massive inflation causing act will destroy and damage the economy even further.
should the governments be allowed to print money ?

ebbi britt, valencia, spain

It's funny; without all those speeches and the ecstatic campaign momentum, he's just another Washington croney.

Alex, London,

The only change Obama needs to make is for the US Govt to take back control of the money supply from the Federal Reserve Bank (fundamentally a private for profit organization) .To paraphase Thomas Edison "If the govt can print bonds surely it can print its own money"

Gareth, Taipei,

In order to rebuild what has become obselete there must be structural and fundamental change, Changing the infrastructure of a society begins with changing the way a society thinks. Thinking about rebuilding the infrastructure of our society may lead to rebuilding the infrastructure of our lives.

Steven, Baltimore, USA

Obama hasn't a clue that it is the private sector which creates long term jobs through investment and innovation, not government works projects. He needs to lower trade barriers, lower business and personal income tax rates, and put nuclear power plant licensing on the fast track. No more spending.

Martin, San Francisco, USA

Jeannie, time for some maths. The population of the USA is around 300 million people. $700 billion divided by 300 million is around $2300 per person. So, just to be clear, you are proposing a bailout package around 430 times bigger than the one on the table.

David McGregor, Fitzroy, VIC, Australia

Jeannie, Guilford, USA, Well said. I dont even need one million, half-a-million will do really. And out of that half-a-million, half can be given as "bunny" cards so that I dont hoard cash, this way spending will increase. Will "People's President" hear this?.

srini, Herndon, USA

Missouri could use some of that money for the I-70 corridor between K.C. and St. Louis. I've been riding and driving on I-70 since the age of 12 and am now 60, so it's about time to replace it. It sure beats sending our money to countries which hate us. Let them build their own bleeping highways.

Henry, Warrenton, Missouri

Another trillion to spur the economy. We just distributed a similar amount and it did nothing. So now we are going to borrow another trillion, or two, or three from the Chinese. If the Chinese choose to call in their loans at anytime the dollar and the country will collapse. God help us.

William, Stuart, Florida, USA

Mandate. What mandate. Fully 95% of Democratic and Republican incumbents were re-elected, and slightly over 50% voted for Obama, and slightly under 50% voted for McCain. What mandate?

William, Stuart, Florida, USA

How about helping out the poor americans with some of the money he is giving out. Give it to us instead of the rich and let us get america back on track. If every american got 1 million dollars we could buy houses and cars and what ever to get the economy going.

Jeannie, Guilford, USA

The budget has a deficit of 1 tril only this year. They want to spend another 1 tril. And this is on the top of 11 tril debt already. How US gonna pay all of this back? I doubt they ever will do. So the question is when this pyramid gonna collaps?

Igor, Krasnodar,

Since we are emulating the 1930's, when will we have a World War to bring us out of recession. Maybe we could escalate the two we have by racheting them up a little ? FDR and Carter as heroes, what a piece of work this man is !

Desmond Taylor, Houston, USA TX

This is not a good idea. We would be much better off investing in new technologies and education as opposed to bridges and roads. President-elect Obama means well but it is difficult to see what the long term benefit of many repaired roads would be. Much better to repair the broken education system.

Andre, New York, USA

The Honorable President-Elect has lost the plot.

What happens when the bridges and roads are fixed, and all the lightbulbs have been installed? Bread lines for the bridge-builders et all? The correct thing to do is foster innovation en masse.

Well, we get the leaders we deserve...

Eric, Boston, USA

Jim, bubbles are a natural consequence of investor psychology. No amount of political "system change" will alter that fact. We just have to live with them and deal with them whenever the cycle hits. Some further regulation is needed, but not so much as to stifle innovation.

Robin Laundon, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire

Wait a minute...

Bailed-out companies like AIG, Bear Stearns etc. with roughly 100 billions are not included here?
Also the 700 billions from congress are not included here?
And the FED's newly created 800 billions "quantitative easing" neither?
All that was just the beginning?

Peter, Berlin, Germany

I think that this is a step in the right direction no matter how you look at it. He's telling us exactly what he is going to do without going into super specifics. That is already something that is change in the way our president lets us in on whats going on.

Tim, tempe, USA

The emphasis is being placed on the creation of a third world debt level. However the system of financial controls and the stockmarket are the problems. Obama has not indicated changes to these systems. The short term $ stimulus will not solve the system problems. They need political system change.

Jim Wills, Brisbane, Australia

Lets hope Obama's plan to save the auto industry is not a plan for the future that never was.

kevin, Redlands, ca.,