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Maybe it’s due to where I live, but I’ve never understood throwing money in to roads and the like as stimulus. Construction crews are already busy all the time,

Maybe it’s due to where I live, but I’ve never understood throwing money in to roads and the like as stimulus. Construction crews are already busy all the time, and a company isn’t going to hire another 100 untrained workers to tackle an additional project and then fire them again. I remember one local road being resurfaced during the 2008 stimulus that was perfectly fine before. It was just an easy road for them to shut down.

mullingitover 6y ago
From what I understand, the biggest economic lever the government has to boost the economy is the humble food stamp. However, the second-biggest lever is building infrastructure. The reverse-lever for economic stimulus is tax cuts.
lotsofpulp 6y ago
There's plenty of long term work available that isn't a waste. Modernizing plumbing and sewage systems, running fiber connections to all homes, building public transit systems, etc. All of these would take decades and provide for long careers.
- refurb 6y ago
  Isn’t there a shortage of trade workers already? If the gov’t decides to fund a bunch of infrastructure projects, I don’t see a mad rush of people deciding to make a career in the trades.
  - lotsofpulp 6y ago
    Then increase the pay until they do.
    - refurb 6y ago
      The pay is quite good right now. A skilled welder willing to move around can clear $100K per year and it can go above that, especially if you run your own business. Lots of folks don't consider the trades "prestigious" enough.
      - lotsofpulp 6y ago
        Obviously it's not good enough. Bump up the pay to $500k, and it will magically become "prestigious" enough. I also wouldn't want to wreck my body for $100k if I can make $80k sitting in an office at a keyboard doing a Mon-Fri 8AM to 5PM and get to sleep at home every night. And work from home during a pandemic. Right now, society is taking advantage of people who have to sacrifice their bodies because they have no other options. If the supply of people having to sacrifice their bodies drops, then the price point has to rise to compensate for that.
        refurb 6y ago
        Well, the people not going into the trades don't have an $80k office job option. They're alternative is a $30k retail job and they still don't want to go into the trades. It's more than just money.
        lotsofpulp 6y ago
        If there is a shortage of them, clearly there is a more attractive alternative, even if it’s a $30k retail job. Money is the tool used to incentivize people to do things.

mullingitover 6y ago

From what I understand, the biggest economic lever the government has to boost the economy is the humble food stamp. However, the second-biggest lever is building infrastructure. The reverse-lever for economic stimulus is tax cuts.

lotsofpulp 6y ago

There's plenty of long term work available that isn't a waste. Modernizing plumbing and sewage systems, running fiber connections to all homes, building public transit systems, etc. All of these would take decades and provide for long careers.

refurb 6y ago
Isn’t there a shortage of trade workers already? If the gov’t decides to fund a bunch of infrastructure projects, I don’t see a mad rush of people deciding to make a career in the trades.
- lotsofpulp 6y ago
  Then increase the pay until they do.
  - refurb 6y ago
    The pay is quite good right now. A skilled welder willing to move around can clear $100K per year and it can go above that, especially if you run your own business. Lots of folks don't consider the trades "prestigious" enough.
    - lotsofpulp 6y ago
      Obviously it's not good enough. Bump up the pay to $500k, and it will magically become "prestigious" enough. I also wouldn't want to wreck my body for $100k if I can make $80k sitting in an office at a keyboard doing a Mon-Fri 8AM to 5PM and get to sleep at home every night. And work from home during a pandemic. Right now, society is taking advantage of people who have to sacrifice their bodies because they have no other options. If the supply of people having to sacrifice their bodies drops, then the price point has to rise to compensate for that.
      - refurb 6y ago
        Well, the people not going into the trades don't have an $80k office job option. They're alternative is a $30k retail job and they still don't want to go into the trades. It's more than just money.
        lotsofpulp 6y ago
        If there is a shortage of them, clearly there is a more attractive alternative, even if it’s a $30k retail job. Money is the tool used to incentivize people to do things.