Sorry that's the wrong benchmark. The correct benchmark cannot be known but would be compared to what the private sector returns would have been had those resources not been diverted. Show me where govt spending reaps more efficient use of funds , labor etc than the private sector. Govt spending on public works is like digging yourself out of a hole, the 1930's PWA was a finely tuned vote buying machine and in that regard it was a smashing success. fdr damn near ruined the country and we still are suffering from his follies today.
I know you 'believe' what you wrote - - it is a repetition of something you read or heard before. What youre missing is the overall cost of such public works projects - - - in taxes, fraud, inefficiency, crony politics, extortion of workers & voters, etc Even greater costs come from the diversion of resources that could be better spent on projects found more economical and viable by the free market. (Who knows what project or invention may have been created to solve a greater human need if the funds weren't diverted elsewhere ?) Heres a report that details just one of these projects (the TVA or Tenn Valley Authority dam project) often applauded by those who haven't delved deeper into the realities: http://mises.org/books/tvaidea.pdf I think many people have the best of intentions regarding their views on public make work projects. They don't see that our overall economic catastrophes are created by central bank paper money printing and govt spending stupidity. They dont see that the price for all this must be paid sometime, that its just a matter of whether it will be quick and relatively painless (the 'depression' of 1920) or long and drawn out because of misguided policies (The First Great Depression of the 1930s). I don't know the poster above - whether he is open to educating himself on the subject - - or will just go along with his comfortable beliefs. So, after providing the link above - I leave it up to him to investigate further. I waste too much time providing well documented and reasoned materials to those unwilling to even study them. - - The classroom is closed. - -
I well I certainly wannabee free (financially independent) of the govt snare posing as a safety net these days. I'd also like it if a greater portion of society could recognize the insidious nature of govt dependence and do likewise.
they played that same game with the technology boom of the 1990's they were allowed to get away without much public discussion, comment, curtailing or otherwise what's needed is protectionism... what's needed are renegotiations or the trades programs, or simply do just like the other nations do... agree, agree, agree and do nothing, effectively doing both outcomes at the same time.... at some point in time, taxes aside, because they are only a percentage, not the whole, at some point in time an Americans first policy needs to be adopted by those elected to represent Americans (certainly not foreign interests)... isn't that what China has done with their currency? isn't that what Japan has done with their automobile manufacuring industry over the last 40 years? isn't that what just about all these other trade negotiated nations done with their agreements? where were all the long term sustainable manufacturing jobs that were projected from prior agreements? who's watching the hen house?, is there even a house left?, or is it in foreclosure too?
I well I certainly wannabee free (financially independent) of the govt snare posing as a safety net these days. I'd also like it if a greater portion of society could recognize the insidious nature of govt dependence and do likewise. [/QUOTE] agreed.... gbtcthio (god bless the child that has its own!) but for everyone else, we too, still have to care....
I think we can train a sleek, efficient team of thousands to dig trenches. And an equally competent group to fill them back up. We can steal a few trillion more from future generations to pay them, and voila, lower unemployment via public works.
Sure, just fund it with your massive trading profits and keep your hands of my tax dollars. Slight difference here: "Big corporations" are selling things people want to buy. Most TARP projects are totally wasteful and are trying to "fix" things that work fine. The ones I've seen appear to have cherry-picked the nicest locations to work...
Keynesian "General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money" as interpreted by politicians in a nutshell. Bravo! Yes, it's just as stupid when applied in real life as it sounds here.