Do we need another WPA?

[Robert Oak]

Over on The Economic Populist, economic bloggers New Deal Democrat and Bonddad are recommending a new jobs program on the level of FDR's New Deal WPA.

From Do We Need Another WPA?

Regardless of when this recession ends, the malaise of working and middle class America will not be relieved until wages increase, and employment rates return to a robust level. Since unemployment is a lagging indicator, the news on that score is grim. Almost every analyst believes that there will be another "jobless recovery" such as those that followed the 1990 and 2001 recessions. Even after GDP bottomed and those recessions technically ended, there was an average 17 month increase in unemployment of .9% (or a 15% percent increase in the rate) followed by a 13.5 month decrease back to the rate at the "bottom" of the recession. If that pattern holds true again, then even if this recession bottoms shortly, unemployment will be 10.1% by July, rise to 11.3% by December 2010, and take until at least early 2012 to decrease back under 10%

The post has great analysis, with charts, graphs, showing why the United States must focus on the U.S. labor force, U.S. workers to truly have an economy recovery.

This is a bold policy recommendation so I hope you all read their analysis and support this idea. I firmly believe without a focus on income, U.S. citizens, U.S. workers, labor, jobs, we won't have a recovery at all. The American worker has been simply squeezed to the point of no return.

Raw link:
http://www.economicpopulist.org/?q=content/do-we-need-another-wpa

[Captain Hilts]

1. If it teaches people valuable and useful skill sets, yes.

FDR and ER: And how!

[Robert Oak]

3. Americans already have the skills, education

That is a corporate lobbyists talking point in order to justify their labor arbitrage agenda (offshore outsourcing, age discrimination,etc.).

While the focus is on K12, the reality is the U.S. has the best higher educational system in the world and also the blue collar workers also have advanced skills in manufacturing. We also work longer than most industrialized nations.

So, don't drink the Kool-aid and buy into this idea that America doesn't have the most advanced skilled workforce in the world...we do and it's all about wage arbitrage, squeezing labor by multinational corporations that's in play.

But yes, the WPA did have massive training in addition to jobs. but the focus is on income, which is Keynesian economics (but it must be tied to the domestic labor force, i.e. U.S. citizens, perm resident workers). They are showing how income, i.e. U.S. wages is directly correlated to a real economic recovery on a macro economic scale.

[Captain Hilts]

5. During the era of the military draft, hundreds of thousands of people were PAID to learn skills

by the government - electronics, engineering, mechanics, languages, medical skills, etc. and that just doesn't happen any more. People have to PAY rather than BE PAID to learn them.

How many people do you know that are being paid by the government to learn a valuable skill?
How many people do you know that are trying to find the money to learn a skill or get an education, or who dropped out of either because of money?

In the 40s, 50s and 60s, the country could afford to pay people - mostly men - to learn these skills. It should do so again.

[Robert Oak]

6. paid skills training

also, pretty much into the 1990's, this was routine that employers paid for training. Everything from on the job training to internships/coops (paid), to paying for college. Now they dump all of that onto the potential employee.

[Danascot]

11. Great point

Here's a related article from Barbara Ehrenreich:

Trying to find a job is not a job

Keeping the unemployed busy is an exercise in denial — and social control.

In most parts of the world, from Paris to Beijing, mass unemployment brings the specter of mass social unrest. Not here, though, where 13 million people have accepted joblessness with nary a peep of protest.

Many reasons — from Prozac to Pentecostalism — have been cited to explain American passivity in the face of economic violence. But the truth may be far simpler: In America, being unemployed doesn’t mean you have nothing to do but run around burning police cars. Unemployment has been reconfigured as a new form of work.Nowhere is this clearer than in the white-collar world, where the laid-off are constantly advised to see job searching as a full-time job. As business self-help guru Harvey Mackay advises: “Once you’re fired, you already have a job. The job you have is tougher than the last one. It’s more demanding.” How demanding? He says you need to “plan on 12 to 16 hours a day.”

Picture it: People across America rising at the usual time, suiting up in full corporate regalia and setting themselves down at their laptops to fiddle with resumes, peruse Monster.com and pester everyone on their address lists for leads.

…more…

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-ehrenreich3-2009may03,0,4064609.story

[OHdem10]

2. yes

[Robert Oak]

4. rate it up if you want to see this policy happen

Make others aware that such a thing existed and it is possible today. Thanks.

(I was shocked to read this post actually and thought, wow, that's really outside the box, good idea!)

[Jeep789]

7. Exactly

Jobs are the solution. Until people are no longer worried about being able to make a living, they will not be willing to spend freely.

[KoKo]

8. YES! In our family travels up and down the East Coast we see the WPA's works!

They still stand. Roads, Bridges, US Park Sites, Museums and the rest who are our National Treasures. Libraries who recorded history of the 19th Century with first photographs and recordings of past America...dialects and culture, music and heritage from other countries.

We need a WPA...and with attention to the ARTS to record our vanishing 20th and soon to be vanishing early 21st Century culture.

It's important. Without Federal Funds there won't be any record for future generations. This is something that individual Private Donors can never do. It has to be sweeping...and inclusive. It has to be Government that does it...

[KoKo]

9. And Roosevelt's "Civilian Conservation Corps" Thousands of Jobs...Great Works that still stand!

Civilian Conservation Corps
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



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CCC workers constructing road, 1933.

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a public work relief program for unemployed men, focused on natural resource conservation from 1933 to 1942. As part of the New Deal legislation proposed by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR), the CCC was designed firstly, to aid relief of high unemployment stemming from the Great Depression and secondly, carry out a broad natural resource conservation program on national, state and municipal lands. Legislation to create the program was introduced by FDR to the 73rd United States Congress on March 21, 1933, and the Emergency Conservation Work Act, as it was known, was signed into law on March 31, 1933.<1> The CCC became one of the most popular New Deal programs among the general public and operated in every U.S. state and the territories of Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. While FDR is given credit for the idea of this Program, in truth the suggestion came from Republican Senator James Couzens, of Michigan who was given the idea, in a letter from a constituent, Archibald Sun of Detroit, Michigan.

(Note: General mccarthur had George C. Marshall organize the Corps. Later, during World War II, General Marshall became the Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army. As Secretary of State under President Truman he created the "Marshall Plan" for economic recovery in Western Europe.)

Members lived in camps, wore uniforms, and lived under quasi-military discipline. At the time of entry, 70% of enrollees were malnourished and poorly clothed. Very few had more than a year of high school education; few had work experience beyond occasional odd jobs. The peace was maintained by the threat of "dishonorable discharge." There were no reported revolts or strikes. "This is a training station we're going to leave morally and physically fit to lick 'Old Man Depression,'" boasted the newsletter of a North Carolina camp.
CCC camps in Michigan; the tents were soon replaced by barracks built by Army contractors for the enrollees.

The total of 200,000 black enrollees were entirely segregated after 1935 but received equal pay and housing. Secretary of the Interior Harold Ickes pressured Director Robert Fechner to appoint blacks to supervisory positions such as education directors in the 143 segregated camps. The separate Indian Division was a major relief force for Native Americans.

Initially, the CCC was limited to young men age 18 to 25 whose fathers were on relief. Average enrollees were ages 18-19. Two exceptions to the age limits were veterans and Indians, who had a special CCC program and their own camps. In 1937, Congress changed the age limits to 17 to 28 years old and dropped the requirement that enrollees be on relief.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civilian_Conservation_Corps

[able1]

10. Absolutely. It's a proven idea. EOM

[lib2DaBone]

12. Yes! Create Day Labor Pools. You show up...work and get paid that day...

Put America back to work RIGHT NOW.

Rebuild our rail lines and terminals. Pound for pound.. mile for mile... nothing hauls more freight more efficiently than rail.

Rebuild inner ciity water lines, underground electric and create communitues where people can walk and bicycle to stores. The day of happy motoring for America is over.

I don't beleive in global warmng or peak oil.. but I do believe in the unfettered greed of the oil companies and our elected officials.