It's the Jobs stupid

[SHRED]

Of course the housing market will continue to slide.
Less and less people being able to afford the product.
We need(ed) a massive infrastructure jobs program for the blue collar working-class in this country along the lines of the FDR's era of the WPA and CCC.

Is the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 structured correctly?
In other words, when billions are handed over to the corporate sector is there enough oversight capabilities in the Federal government to make sure actual jobs are being produced?
We all know how paperwork, like taxes, can get skewed to claim one thing while another takes place.

Wouldn't it be better that the government hire directly?
Set up a WPA or similar?
Cut out the corporate middleman?

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[Dappleganger]

1. Excellent post!

Your third line says it best--we need a MASSIVE jobs program and trade overhaul to create things on US soil.

[SHRED]

2. good call on the trade (tariff) overhaul

[bigwillq]

3. K and R (nt)

[hfojvt]

4. that would sure defuse the Republican talking point

that Obama is moving us towards socialism

and yes, you can be sure that when you hand over unemployment checks to people that they spend them and that consumer spending helps to save jobs. You also can be sure that when you hire a construction company for a road project (you know, building infrastructure) that you are saving or creating construction jobs. The stimulus bill also gave money to the states, so they would not have to slash their budgets even more (which they do by laying off teachers and such). So, yes Virginia, the stimulus bill, is creating and saving jobs, especially government jobs.

[RockaFowler]

5. Great Post

:fistbump:

It's always been about the Jobs. As someone who is going through it personally - hubby is still out of work - he just wants a job for God's sake

[RBInMaine]

6. Votes aren't there to pass massive new public sector stimulus. We DO need the small business lend-

ing bill as soon as possible. Most jobs are created in the private sector, and that sector needs to start hiring again in larger numbers. Many firms are still waiting on credit, and others remain cautious as they continue to build their bottom lines. The stimulus we did get is the most we could get, and it definitely saved or created up to three million jobs. The problem is we lost over 8 million, and no stimulus was going to be able to replace all of it.