It also cuts down on fuel consumption, auto repairs, insurance costs and all sorts of other things for the everyday citizen. Heck, billions were pumped into failing banks and corporations. This just seems to be the right thing to do.
They should have done something like this with the housing market like let the homeowners borrow the money at a very low rate, pay the bank note off and keep their homes. That way the banks would prosper and so would the homeowners. Just imagine it ....