Open thread for night owls: Infrastructure investment would create a vast number of well-paying jobs

[doxydad]

Every dollar spent building roads, bridges and other infrastructure projects adds about $1.80 to GDP. Meanwhile, a dollar of corporate tax cuts contributes just $0.40 to the economy. [link:http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/04/10/1291115/-Open-thread-for-night-owls-Infrastructure-investment-would-create-a-vast-number-of-well-paying-jobs|

[Niceguy1]

1. tax cuts are bad

But relying on infrastructure isn't all that great... the stimulus infrastructure only kept people working who were already employed. ..a good thing, but it didnt help those without jobs.

A good plublic work program..like in the 30's.. buy a bunch of shovels and rakes and clean up our national parks..free room and board, it worked then. Why not now?

[Jesus Malverde]

2. Fair trade including a tax on dirty manufacturing would be more effective

There is no reason for american corporations to invest in America, when they can pollute and have access to cheap labor.

Free trade is anything but.

[doxydad]

5. swing and a miss

You missed the point. You can't fix infrastructure in other Countries. Got nothing to do with fair trade...at all.

[Jesus Malverde]

6. You're missing the point.

American corporations are investing billions in infrastructure, it's just in places like china, vietnam, etc.

Until they have a reason to invest at home, they won't and without the corporations building factories heck if we need new roads to get people to work, trains to move goods or airports.

The infrastructure we have now is perfect for a service economy.

Next time you preface something with the term "open thread", you should keep an open mind to the responses. Evidently you meant closed thread...

[KG]

3. americas infrastucture is in shamefully bad shape. but it was easier to sell hi speed rail than

fixing collapsing sewer systems...

[A HERETIC I AM]

4. i heard an excellent way of stimulating job growth a while back.....

Refurbish/remodel/repair the schools of this country.

Work like that is similar to house building, in that it not only creaates the jobs for the skilled trades working on the houses, but it also gives work to the carpet makers and flooring industries, shingle and roofing products, furniture makers, cabinet makers, publishers, etc. etc.

Unfortunately, building bridges and roads doesnt create that many jobs for people that dont have the skills, but many of the other industries I mentioned above have a long history of in-house training programs for their product lines.

[Ghost in the Machine]

7. K&R... so I can find it later when I have time to respond.... n/t