[Villages Kahuna]

Ultimately all the cash dumped into the economy as the result of the economic stimulus bill will accomplish the objective of kick-starting virtually every economic segment and business. But like lots of things that are the product of political negotiations, often there are unintended consequences. That’s probably not a reason not to have passed the stimulus legislation, just a temporary unintended consequence.

Part of the cause of the problem You observed might also be the refusal of Congress to pass reasonable minimum wage legislation. If Outback was paying $15 an hour rather than a much lesser amount, they would be having less difficulty getting employees. Of course another unintended consequence is that your steak would probably be more expensive. But at least you’d get reasonable service.