4 ms·

The problem is that government doesn't have low hanging fruits any more. There are enough highways. Building more doesn't yeld that much GDP and you don't need

by lukasm 11y ago

The problem is that government doesn't have low hanging fruits any more. There are enough highways. Building more doesn't yeld that much GDP and you don't need that many workers.

jayess 11y ago
Spending on make-work projects would probably be GDP negative at this point. The diminishing returns on such projects have probably completely diminished. Everyone has roads, electricity, plumbing, etc.
- vinceguidry 11y ago
  I recall reading an article about how lots of suburbs underbuilt on infrasstructure and now need new investment, but can't muster up enough political will to impose the taxes needed to pay for it.
  - JBReefer 11y ago
    A lot of suburbs shouldn't exist, and aren't willing to pay to take of even the basics. It's a ticking time bomb.
- maxerickson 11y ago
  We could get rid of lead pipes. (which is relatively specialized work that is happening anyway; it isn't all that specialized, but digging with a machine is incredibly more effective)
  - jayess 11y ago
    Getting rid of lead pipes would do little. Flint is a special case because the city did not add the proper anti-corrosion chemicals to the system when they switched water supplies. Probably every old city in the nation still has lead pipes, but most have properly coated the pipes with treatment so there is little to no lead leaching into drinking water. Of course there are exceptions, but it's not widespread.
imgabe 11y ago
Railways, maintenance, public transit, electric grid upgrades and expansions, there are a ton of public works projects that could be done.
- aeorgnoieang 11y ago
  But how much of that can be done by unskilled laborers? And will any public sector unions allow it to be done? Why not just funnel the money to the existing government agencies? I'd imagine it might be possible to require that they hire new employees too.
  - gohrt 11y ago
    no need to split hairs. block grants to state and local public works is essentially the same as a national WPA, for purposes of the article.
aaronbrethorst 11y ago
Not true at all. American infrastructure desperately needs to be rebuilt. http://www.infrastructurereportcard.org http://www.infrastructurereportcard.org https://hbr.org/2015/05/what-it-will-take-to-fix-americas-crumbling-infrastructure https://hbr.org/2015/05/what-it-will-take-to-fix-americas-cr... http://www.vice.com/read/america-is-collapsing-a-brief-look-at-the-us-infrastructure-meltdown-130 http://www.vice.com/read/america-is-collapsing-a-brief-look-... http://www.cbsnews.com/news/falling-apart-america-neglected-infrastructure-60-minutes/ http://www.cbsnews.com/news/falling-apart-america-neglected-... http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/19/opinions/blumenauer-renacci-infrastructure/ http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/19/opinions/blumenauer-renacci-in... http://www.nssga.org/case-missed-60-minutes-falling-apart-americas-neglected-infrastructure/ http://www.nssga.org/case-missed-60-minutes-falling-apart-am... http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/american_prosperity_consensus/2013/10/american_prosperity_consensus_is_crumbling_infrastructure_the_most_important.html http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/american_prosperity... https://www.yahoo.com/news/america-s-crumbling-infrastructure-katie-couric-explains-170349892.html?ref=gs https://www.yahoo.com/news/america-s-crumbling-infrastructur... http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/the-us-economy-is-under-threat-because-of-its-neglected-infrastructure-10125082.html http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/the-us-economy-is-under-...
- jayess 11y ago
  * Courtesy the American Society of Civil Engineers
- lukasm 11y ago
  There are many projects that need to be done, but they won't hire 10% of the workforce and product massive GDP. The gold mine main deposit is gone and you have to drill in other directions.
bsder 11y ago
How about declaring high-speed (Gigabit plus) Internet access a human right and running fiber to everyone? That would likely cause our GDP to explode.

by lukasm 11y ago

The problem is that government doesn't have low hanging fruits any more. There are enough highways. Building more doesn't yeld that much GDP and you don't need that many workers.

jayess 11y ago

Spending on make-work projects would probably be GDP negative at this point. The diminishing returns on such projects have probably completely diminished. Everyone has roads, electricity, plumbing, etc.

vinceguidry 11y ago
I recall reading an article about how lots of suburbs underbuilt on infrasstructure and now need new investment, but can't muster up enough political will to impose the taxes needed to pay for it.
- JBReefer 11y ago
  A lot of suburbs shouldn't exist, and aren't willing to pay to take of even the basics. It's a ticking time bomb.
maxerickson 11y ago
We could get rid of lead pipes. (which is relatively specialized work that is happening anyway; it isn't all that specialized, but digging with a machine is incredibly more effective)
- jayess 11y ago
  Getting rid of lead pipes would do little. Flint is a special case because the city did not add the proper anti-corrosion chemicals to the system when they switched water supplies. Probably every old city in the nation still has lead pipes, but most have properly coated the pipes with treatment so there is little to no lead leaching into drinking water. Of course there are exceptions, but it's not widespread.

imgabe 11y ago

Railways, maintenance, public transit, electric grid upgrades and expansions, there are a ton of public works projects that could be done.

aeorgnoieang 11y ago
But how much of that can be done by unskilled laborers? And will any public sector unions allow it to be done? Why not just funnel the money to the existing government agencies? I'd imagine it might be possible to require that they hire new employees too.
- gohrt 11y ago
  no need to split hairs. block grants to state and local public works is essentially the same as a national WPA, for purposes of the article.

aaronbrethorst 11y ago

Not true at all. American infrastructure desperately needs to be rebuilt. http://www.infrastructurereportcard.org http://www.infrastructurereportcard.org https://hbr.org/2015/05/what-it-will-take-to-fix-americas-crumbling-infrastructure https://hbr.org/2015/05/what-it-will-take-to-fix-americas-cr... http://www.vice.com/read/america-is-collapsing-a-brief-look-at-the-us-infrastructure-meltdown-130 http://www.vice.com/read/america-is-collapsing-a-brief-look-... http://www.cbsnews.com/news/falling-apart-america-neglected-infrastructure-60-minutes/ http://www.cbsnews.com/news/falling-apart-america-neglected-... http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/19/opinions/blumenauer-renacci-infrastructure/ http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/19/opinions/blumenauer-renacci-in... http://www.nssga.org/case-missed-60-minutes-falling-apart-americas-neglected-infrastructure/ http://www.nssga.org/case-missed-60-minutes-falling-apart-am... http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/american_prosperity_consensus/2013/10/american_prosperity_consensus_is_crumbling_infrastructure_the_most_important.html http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/american_prosperity... https://www.yahoo.com/news/america-s-crumbling-infrastructure-katie-couric-explains-170349892.html?ref=gs https://www.yahoo.com/news/america-s-crumbling-infrastructur... http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/the-us-economy-is-under-threat-because-of-its-neglected-infrastructure-10125082.html http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/the-us-economy-is-under-...

jayess 11y ago
* Courtesy the American Society of Civil Engineers
lukasm 11y ago
There are many projects that need to be done, but they won't hire 10% of the workforce and product massive GDP. The gold mine main deposit is gone and you have to drill in other directions.

bsder 11y ago

How about declaring high-speed (Gigabit plus) Internet access a human right and running fiber to everyone? That would likely cause our GDP to explode.