It’s been only six weeks since President Barack Obama signed his US$787 billion stimulus bill, but the plan is already “working.” According to an in-depth analysis of 17 separate projects across the United States (yes, 17) the cash handouts have created jobs, stimulated local economies, and triggered infrastructure improvements that never would have occurred without Washington’s money. State highway departments were the quickest to the shovel, tapping their own wish lists and those of local governments. But most stimulus money (for education, energy efficiency, mass transit, police) has yet to be committed. And although it’s still unclear how many jobs each project is creating—or the long-term ramifications of such massive government spending—one California contractor has already made up his mind: “It has been a godsend.”