Americans Plan to Save, Not Spend, Tax-Rebate Checks, Poll Says

Excerpts:

The stimulus plan Congress approved this month may provide less of a jolt to the U.S. economy than intended, as most Americans plan to save rather than spend their tax rebates, a Bloomberg/Los Angeles Times survey shows.

Only 18 percent of respondents said they will spend their rebate on purchases, while slightly more than three in 10 said they prefer to use the money to pay off debt, and a third said they'll pocket it.

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By a margin of 44 percent to 33 percent, Americans said the Democratic Party would do a better job than the Republicans at restarting economic growth. Among self-described independent voters, the margin was 37 percent to 28 percent.