Too little in return for stimulus plan

The $789-billion stimulus package being rushed through Congress is a decidedly mixed blessing. We welcome lawmakers' focus on the recession, and we agree that the federal government can and should deliver a sizable jolt to the moribund economy. Among the final bill's provisions are several with a strong record of stimulating spending, such as extended unemployment benefits and increased investments in highways and public transit. We also welcome farsighted proposals for promoting broadband Internet access, high-speed rail and a modernized electrical grid. But the version worked out by the White House and congressional leaders serves as a case study for the time-worn notion that haste makes waste.

February 13, 2009