This week, President Obama announced a number of initiatives to stimulate the ailing economy. But how is Philadelphia faring during these troubled times? Temple sociologist David Elesh, co-principal investigator on Temple's Metropolitan Philadelphia Indicators Project, looked at the Philadelphia region during the deepest part of the recession thus far. "Relative to other large metropolitan regions, Philadelphia didn't do so bad," said Elesh. "The Philadelphia economy is not as volatile as other areas. Historically, we don't grow as fast during times of expansion and we don't shrink as fast during times of contraction."