Should the US Government hire the unemployed?

[gspencer]

The US government can just "borrow" trillions more of US dollars back from industrial companies and individual people in China, India, Brazil, Pakistan, and other industrial foreign nations in order to hire unemployed US people to rake leaves, or play music in the park, or write poems, or perform in a play, or take a picture of a Crucifix in his urine, or pave roads, or teach school, or plant trees, or clean up the environment, or paint pictures.

These jobs will not be useful or contribute anything to correcting the basic USA economic foundation problem which is the foreign trade deficit and the Federal Government Spencding deficit. We most stop borrowing US dollars (back from foreign industrialized nations) to pay for government expenses and imported products.

 

[Oddball]

They already do.

Safe bet that 90+% of congressweasels wouldn't know their asses from a hot rock, if they had to go find real employment out in The World.

 

[Neubarth]

Though I am not fond of socialist solutions, sometimes it is necessary over a short period of time. This I know, paying them to work is far better than paying them to stay at home and collect those endless checks for being unemployed. That almost seems like a blanket endorsement for waste and inefficiency.

 

[The Rabbi]

Though I am not fond of socialist solutions, sometimes it is necessary over a short period of time. This I know, paying them to work is far better than paying them to stay at home and collect those endless checks for being unemployed. That almost seems like a blanket endorsement for waste and inefficiency.

The solution is to cut off unemployment checks at some reasonable time. Continued unemployment benefits have been shown to extend unemployment as people feel able to put off looking for work.
Government hiring people will hurt the economy as it takes workers out of the private sector.

 

[alan1]

Though I am not fond of socialist solutions, sometimes it is necessary over a short period of time. This I know, paying them to work is far better than paying them to stay at home and collect those endless checks for being unemployed. That almost seems like a blanket endorsement for waste and inefficiency.

Give then the "shovel ready" jobs.

 

[Toronado3800]

Should the US Government hire the unemployed?

IF the government can come up with something useful for them to do. Something so useful it's worth paying the interest on the deficit spending.

 

[Toronado3800]

Another thing in favor of it is if the government thinks the temporary stability of providing jobs out weighs the crime caused by ridiculous unemployment.

 

[xotoxi]

I think that we should get the unmployed to dig the Trans-American canal. No locks...sea level the whole way...NYC to LA.

That way, we wouldn't have to deal with Panama.

 

[sealybobo]

Another thing in favor of it is if the government thinks the temporary stability of providing jobs out weighs the crime caused by ridiculous unemployment.

Thru the Department of Homeland Security, I think the GOP looted the American tax payer.

Both sides are going to fund jobs, but what jobs? Defense contracts or pieceful inner city jobs to help combat poverty inside America.

I understand the argument for spending on defense. I wonder if righties understand the importance of spending inside America on poor Americans.

 

[Limey]

I understand the argument for spending on defense. I wonder if righties understand the importance of spending inside America on poor Americans.

Military expenditure provides jobs and stabilises the economy without empowering the workers. Social expenditures aren't as convenient. Whilst we can refer to the possible welfare gains from 'spending inside America on poor Americans', the consequences will be more substantial than we first think. Given the abundancy of working poverty, that empowerment can threaten the very nature of the Anglo-Saxon capitalism that is utilised in the US.

 

[Douger]

They already have a program for them.AND. The unemployable.
It's called the US Military.
Here they are hard at work defending your FreeDumb !
Indeed. YOUR tax dollars at work !
EastSouthWestNorth: The Human Pyramids of Abu Ghraib - Part I

Once the collapse is complete they'll be home to "keep the peace".Sarge and Howdy Fucking Doodoo will join them !

 

[editec]

Works projects could be useful IF the projects people do actually benefit this commonweal.

Thus far I see most of the bailout going to trying to stabilize banks to fight DEflation of assets.

And when you protect asset valuation who are you helping?

those with assets...in other words you are saving those who have savings.

So, for those of you who did everything right, worked hard, bought you homes, saved some money, invested fro your futures?

The government is trying to save you folks.

It's failing, of course, but that is a different discussion, isn't it?

 

[chanel]

The money will be wasted just like the stimulus. They will spend a half mil per job, for jobs that weren't even in jeopardy.

I work in a seasonal community where unemployment during the wintermonths has always been high. Most of these people don't want to work, nor do they have the skills for other employment. My guess is that half the money would be wasted on expensive permanent "training programs" for short term emporary jobs. Another bureaucratic boondoggle.

 

[Limey]

The money will be wasted just like the stimulus.

If you adopt a monopoly capitalist view of the economy, government waste is actually an integral method of maintaining macroeconomic stability

 

[Toronado3800]

The money will be wasted just like the stimulus. They will spend a half mil per job, for jobs that weren't even in jeopardy.

I disagree. Follow the money further. At worst if you just give GM 100 million dollars and they don't hire anyone you have helped GM become solvent again and save them jobs. In the long run they can sure waste it though.

Don't discount the trickle down aspect so quickly. If ABC Construction gets a stimulus contract to build a new bridge over the Mississippi obviously folks are either getting hired, working more hours, or not fired because of it.

Biggest problem is how long it takes to get anything done.

I work in a seasonal community where unemployment during the wintermonths has always been high. Most of these people don't want to work, nor do they have the skills for other employment. My guess is that half the money would be wasted on expensive permanent "training programs" for short term emporary jobs. Another bureaucratic boondoggle.

I also disagree with folks not having the skills for other employment.

If they're too lazy to get a job at Walmart fine, they're too lazy not unemployable.

My first "real" job was at McDonalds. I got it while 17 and unskilled to qualify for a shorter school day. Soon I found out just the ability to show up everyday, read, and do math had made me a darn manager. Tie, safe key and all lol. Hardest job of my life!