Does spending the tax rebate check really help to ecomony?

I've read articles on how we need to spend this extra money to help the economy. I've also read comments from those articles where people can't wait to get it and alot complaining about having to wait till July. Sounds like alot of people already have it spent before they even get it. No wonder everyone is so broke! Doesn't anyone save money anymore? People spend like crazy (fast food, lotto, cars they can't afford, houses they can't afford) and then complain about how broke they are. Will this extra money really make a difference? Do people really need to be told to spend it??