we shouldn't be spending the money trying to recreate the jobs that were lost, instead we should be creating the jobs for the future. If we spend millions to save newspaper jobs, for example, when the stimulus money runs out the jobs will go away. However, it is unlikely that we won't need medical experts in a few years time. additionally, some short-term jobs such as infrastructure production will generate more jobs in the medium-term, as businesses propagate around infrastructure intersections. ww2 ultimately helped us out of the great depression because we spent money making tanks and bombs which were essentially a waste of money (since they get destroyed when used) which only created temporary jobs. The government paid people to essentially dig holes and fill them in, and occasionally people got killed in the process. Why can't we spend money to create jobs for something that WILL add long-term value? Pandemic flu preparations is one such investment. Although, as you claim, spending anywhere will create jobs, smart spending will create more jobs then dumb spending. Additionally, spending on proper investments will drive growth in the future in addition to short-term job creation. In my view the stimulus was optimized on these two criteria.