BY POLLY KEARY, EDITOR

As the debate over the merits of President Obama’s massive stimulus package rages in the media and halls of power, people in the Sky Valley are wondering what, if anything, it has to do with them.

For organizations like Valley General Hospital, the Sultan and Monroe school districts, and Sky Valley’s cities, the answer remains unclear. Mostly, it seems, the stimulus package may simply act as a form of life support, shoring up the state budget enough to spare them the worst of expected budget cuts. For the county, the answer is also unclear. There may be money for roads; there may be opportunities for some jobs.

What emerges is that the clear winners are individuals, especially people who don’t earn a lot of money. Students, low-income workers, parents and seniors will soon get some, and some will get a lot, of extra spending money. Here is a beginning assessment of at least some of the meaning of the stimulus package for the people who live and work in East Snohomish County.

The stimulus and you  l  The stimulus and the Valley