CNN.. Reich on CNN just called for reviving WPA of '30s

[billlll]

I say make it permanent.

www.njfac.org

Professor-quality site. Superb data.
Full employment is zero not "5%" rubbish.

[ejpoeta]

1. that is definitely what we need. we can do two things at once.... fix the infrastructure

in this country.... the failing bridges and roads and electric lines etc. and people can go back to work. here is the problem. instead of WPA which is what it should be, it would end up being funneled through contractors (because private industry can do everything better). they'll most likely steal money or something and pay minimum wage and we'll end up getting screwed. but we need to do something like the WPA. we definitely need it.

[txlibdem]

6. We can't trust businesses to do it - trickle down does not work

That was the problem with the "stimulus" plan (in quotes because it didn't do much to stimulate the economy). They gave millions to this business, millions to that business, another couple million to that business over there. No jobs were created as far as I can see, unless you count all the illegal aliens working on the road projects (that's all I see around here).

President Obama should bring back the WPA and fund it with a tax on the rich, on stock transactions and by closing the loopholes that the financial community now uses to rip off the American people as well as closing the tax breaks for businesses who are not creating net job growth - they lose their tax breaks, all of them, unless they create good paying jobs for American citizens. This will attack the problem from multiple angles.

WPA now, WPA today, WPA equals jobs for American citizens.

[RoccoR5955]

2. I've been saying all along that this is what we need.

WPA type projects could create jobs for energy independence as well as putting other unemployed people back to work.

[billlll]

3. private indus does everything WORSE... re to 1st re

Study about '04 found "private contractors" less efficient than gov employees at the next desk same office. I don't recall exact origin of study alas.

Private industry is all pushing ALL wages down to Mexico level. That is GOP goal.

Finland is Progressives goal. Co-op workplaces or gov workplaces. Either.

Mexico or Finland. The big choice.

[RoccoR5955]

5. NOT contracted out to private corporations.

That would only waste money, and cause unnecessary duplication of Management. We don't need more workers for managers, we need more jobs for workers.

The cooperative ownership thing sounds interesting. It works for a lot of things, it should work for everything here. The only thing is that the Cons would say it's socialist for the workers to own the means of production, and they would be correct. Not that there's anything wrong with this, it's just what they would say. We need to move to more a socialist system if we are to survive as a species, if you ask me.

[proud2BlibKansan]

4. Why is this in the education forum?

[YvonneCa]

7. Because their eyesight is as poor as mine and...

...the education forum is under the economic forum ? :7