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Washington Post: 8 questions on the stimulus package

A nice Washington Post overview that starts with the most obvious question: do we really need a stimulus package? Answer: a qualified yes, though taking on long-term debt for a short-term problem can hurt economic growth down the road. Also:

Where would the jobs be?

5. The Obama administration says that the vast majority — as much as 90 percent of the jobs — would be created in the private sector. The jobs would be heavily weighted to construction and manufacturing, which together would account for almost one-third of the new or saved jobs, according to the administration’s analysis. Both of those sectors have been hit hard by the economic downturn, with the construction industry shedding more than 600,000 jobs in 2008 and the nation losing nearly 800,000 manufacturing jobs in the same time period. The administration estimates that more than 600,000 of the jobs saved or created under the stimulus plan would be in retail and 500,000 would be in leisure and hospitality industries.

African Americans, Hispanics and workers with lower levels of education, who have suffered most during the downturn, would see the most substantial benefits. The Obama administration estimates that more than 40 percent of the new jobs would go to women.

Ah, jobs for women and minorities, no wonder the Republicans hate it so much (sorry, couldn’t resist).

4 comments | Permalink | Tags: ,
Tom Mangan posted at 6:53 am February 2nd, 2009 |

4 Responses to 'Washington Post: 8 questions on the stimulus package'

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  1. Dfos says:

    Tom:

    We are not really interested in your Political Views, Right or Left. Caterpillar is a Global Company and manufacturer a Global Proiduct.
    Caterpillar Tractor and the UAW have a contract agreement, I am sure Caterpillar will follow all of the rules, when the layoffs are issued.

    As for employment, the most qualified should be hired first. Social Engineering does not work in Manufacturing a product, like Bull Dozers.

    Permalink | Posted February 2nd, 2009, at 9:38 am
  2. admin says:

    Hey, I said I was sorry.

    Permalink | Posted February 2nd, 2009, at 9:54 am
  3. Dfos says:

    I saw your “Sorry”.

    If I could just make a quick statement, I estimate that 95%+ of the followers of this Caterpillar BLOG are Stockholders in Caterpillar Stock.
    We are not from the Elite Media position that believe Corporate America is the Evil or Cancer that is wrong with America.
    We are Capitalist, I am retired self employed Manufacturers Representative, and Caterpillar was my major customer for over 30 years. And wish for Caterpillar and other American Manufacturing Companies to succeed and remain profitable.

    That said, I have enjoyed your CAT BLOG and look forward to reading your information every morning,
    Thanks .

    Permalink | Posted February 2nd, 2009, at 10:09 am
  4. tom says:

    Dfos: I read the other day that being “pro capitalist” or “pro trade” is considered “liberal” in Europe.

    There’s a strong tendency across the news media to “side with the little guy” and assume “big corporations” are bad while little people are good. Neither is universally true but ever since David slew Goliath, the travails of little vs. sins of the large have produced good copy.

    Liberal bias is there and it’s unhelpful, particularly in wooing readers of a more conservative bent, but that’s not the real problem with the news media, elite or otherwise.

    The issue is structural: media people are storytellers; the necessity of squeezing the facts and perspectives into a narrative that makes sense to a broad audience forces compromises.

    I read a perfectly reasonable, thoughtful article about universal health care in the New Yorker the other day … the article was several thousand words and required perhaps an hour to read and digest. How often does a daily newspaper or network newscast use up that much time/space?

    Too much trouble for the media provider, too much investment of time for the media consumer.

    Permalink | Posted February 2nd, 2009, at 10:38 am

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