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+--- Thread: On the WPA and its relevance to the current recession (/showthread.php?tid=68237)
On the WPA and its relevance to the current recession - Black Landlord - 12-14-2008
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/12/14/sunday/main4667688.shtml
Obama has already semi-dismissed the WPA as being a solution for a different time and a different set of problems, and I agree-- but interesting reading nevertheless.
Reading through this, I can't help thinking that our values have eroded such as a country in the last 80 years that you couldn't have a program like this simply because of the huge potential for abuse.
Re: On the WPA and its relevance to the current recession - Don Kiyoti - 12-14-2008
The WPA had it's share of graft and waste to be sure. But what treasures came out of it! A lot of the infrastructure in our state and national parks are WPA. I have very fond memories of Giant City State Park near where I grew up. http://dnr.state.il.us/lands/Landmgt/PARKS/R5/GC.HTM The lodge is a WPA project: http://giantcitylodge.com/about/. Many of the bridges and trails in the park are too.
Re: On the WPA and its relevance to the current recession - Wags - 12-14-2008
Its not only infrastructure in the parks, either. There are many highways, dams, bridges, levees, etc. that were built and we still reap dividends from most of them. Another project that had long term positive effects was the Civilian Conservation Corp.
I agree with BL that times are different now - we don't have 25% unemployment (yet) with no safety nets such as unemployment insurance and food stamps. I think the general concept of pumping money into long lasting infrastructure projects is still a good one that will get money circulating quickly. There is lots of potential for abuse but that doesn't mean we shouldn't proceed. Maybe we will have learned something from the massive war profiteering by Haliburton and the others and actually attempt some oversight this time.
Re: On the WPA and its relevance to the current recession - AlphaDog - 12-14-2008
I think one of the greatest achievements of the WPA was/is Grand Coulee Dam. It's still the largest hydroelectric producer in the U. S. and the fourth largest in the world.
I also have a little book I prize that was done by the WPA Federal Writers Project. It documents the history of a small community in Minneapolis - one in which my grandparents lived right after immigrating to the U. S. In terms of dollar value, the Writers Project probably didn't get much bang for the buck, but it was responsible for documenting some history that would have otherwise been lost, and the history of the Bohemian Flats book is just one. I don't expect to see any similar projects done now, but, as Wags mentioned, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of examples of things that wouldn't have been accomplished without the WPA and which continue to stand the test of time.
Re: On the WPA and its relevance to the current recession - swampy - 12-14-2008
Ir had to be a lot easier to accomplish great things back in that time. These days it can take 6-8 years just to get a currently existing highway resurfaced. The lead time alone, to clear EPA requirements for some new project today, takes years before the first shovel of dirt is turned.
There is very little hope for rapid injection of money into the economy with these and other "great" projects. How long does it take to get a nuclear plant from conception to production? We've red tapped ourselves into a box.
Re: On the WPA and its relevance to the current recession - AlphaDog - 12-14-2008
swampy wrote:
Ir had to be a lot easier to accomplish great things back in that time. These days it can take 6-8 years just to get a currently existing highway resurfaced. The lead time alone, to clear EPA requirements for some new project today, takes years before the first shovel of dirt is turned.
There is very little hope for rapid injection of money into the economy with these and other "great" projects. How long does it take to get a nuclear plant from conception to production? We've red tapped ourselves into a box.
I agree that there are many more obstacles now than there were back then, but, being optimistic, there might be some things that are ready to go. If I remember correctly, our state's governor identified several projects that are complete except for the little detail of the money with which to begin work. With proper planning (heh!), some of those could be done while the red tape on others is being cleared. They need to put an organized woman in charge!
Re: On the WPA and its relevance to the current recession - Mac1337 - 12-14-2008
Politicians better think past "roads and bridges". This ain't the 30s. People aren't hungry enough to go shovel dirt at 2am in 20 below weather.
Re: On the WPA and its relevance to the current recession - samintx - 12-14-2008
The "camps" set up with WPA today would be drug ridden and I'm not so sure the people would want to work at jobs that would be created by the WPA.
When I was a girl the CCC (conservation corps) dug a cow pond and small dam for my uncles cattle ranch. They camped out at the site and caused no trouble. I'm afraid with the way our society has evolved CCC and WPA would probably not work.
Many writers, artists and craftsment were helped by the WPA.
Re: On the WPA and its relevance to the current recession - Stizzealth - 12-15-2008
I can't see this working. Work ethic has deteriorated immensely over the past 80 years.
Re: On the WPA and its relevance to the current recession - JoeH - 12-15-2008
Dakota wrote:
Politicians better think past "roads and bridges". This ain't the 30s. People aren't hungry enough to go shovel dirt at 2am in 20 below weather.
However there are plenty of unemployed and underemployed construction workers around to build those "roads and bridges". And many of these projects have a training/local worker provisions that may get some people trained in a trade they can work in after this recession. Also the payroll for the workers in these projects will get spent on those workers' families and homes, bringing economic activity to areas around them as well.