Quote:
Originally Posted by AeroGuyDC
We have millions out of work, and our infrastructure is in tatters.
Would you support this type of program again to help jumpstart America and get it caught back up with the 21st Century?
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No, it's cost-prohibitive.
Quote:
Originally Posted by AeroGuyDC
The program was generally considered a success, and the raw truth is that many of the niceties we love and enjoy today came from the WPA program.
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I'm not exactly enjoying the football stadium built by the WPA for Lockland High School. Sure, I enjoy Fairview Park and Bellvue Park and the lovely stone retaining walls they built. And I have driven over some of the bridges.
The program was not a success and it caused more harm than good.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fox Terrier
In 1935 the top tax rate was somewhere around 70% (I think).
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That's been debunked.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Enigma777
Obama's been pushing this program for years because it makes total sense.
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It makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.
Quote:
Originally Posted by AeroGuyDC
If you wouldn't support a revived WPA, then tell us why not?
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1] It fails the Keynesian Test.
The theory behind Keynesian spending is that government specifically targets those sectors of the economy where Capital is being underutilized in order to stimulate those sectors. There is no evidence that infrastructure Capital is being underutilized.
The fact that the infrastructure might require repair, or that infrastructure workers are idle is not proof that Capital is being underutilized. Note that Capital for 8-track tapes/tape-players and buggy whips are highly underutilized.
2] My past comments still stand valid: every administration has failed to formulate a cohesive "energy" plan for transportation.
Gasoline prices were high because you had 49 oil refineries, but only 17 producing gasoline. Now you have 46 oil refineries and only 16 produce gasoline. The supply of gasoline is therefore constant and unchanging, so that as demand continually increases, the price continually increases.
Unless and until an Administration creates a coherent "energy" plan for transportation, no one will build a new refinery to increase gasoline supply, and no investors will put up money to finance it.
Witness the failure of electric cars, hybrids, natural gas cars etc etc etc.
Before spending $TRILLIONS on infrastructure which may not even be necessary or viable, it would be wise to develop a long-term plan.
3] Highway/road infrastructure is a losing game with a lose-lose scenario. You don't have the money to repair it now, and future costs will be prohibitive and create even more of a drag on your economy.
4] The 1930s are not analogous to today. A WPA would not help the laid off data-entry operator and single mother of two who has no training or qualifications or certifications or licenses to operate any of the equipment necessary for infrastructure repair. For the same reason, it will not help the laid-off MBA working part-time at McDonald's.
5] It would only benefit union members who are already trained, qualified, certified or licensed, and working in some capacity, even if it is less than 35 hours per week.
6] Money would be better spent on a plan to shift 85% of your over-the-road trucking to rail freight. As I said 7 years ago, it would create several million jobs that cannot be exported, and the jobs would range from lowly yard ape to senior executive with everything in between.
It would also help extend the life of your infrastructure and reduce your continual fruitless pointless repair costs.
It would also reduce demand for diesel, allowing production of gasoline and increasing the supply of gasoline to help meet continually increasing demand.
Once 85% of your freight was shipped by rail, it would lead to the develop of mass public transportation by private business, which would create even more jobs, plus avoid wasting money on lines no one really wants.
Finally, I find it both amusing and disgusting that global warming nutters would even consider spending money on highway/road infrastructure.....talk about hypocrites.....
Not supporting...
Mircea
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