Viewpoint: Bonding bill will add jobs, improve infrastructure

TBA b.
Woodbury, MN     03/15/2010 12:39 PM

Mark D. I do not disagree that the republican party failed big time. They left their values and principals at the door under Bush. Shame on them. However, you mention that red states are faring poorly under republican leadership and I would challenge you to show me cities/states that have been under democratic leadership/power for decades that are faring better. I think of detroit (have you seen the photos?) that is in utter ruin from progressive policies, CA going bankrupt under progressive leadership, The vacating of New Jersey-which now has hope of surviving w/ a conservative check in the system, oregon digging its own grave under the PERS (public employee retirement system), the N.E. states all swimming in debt-and run by democrats for eons. Conservative polices are not perfect, but then man is not perfect and therefore society cannnot be perfected. But when you increase the control of govt which is the dream of progressives, you decrease the freedoms of man. We are at a tipping point. As much as you would like to see european socialism come to the US, it cannot work here. It goes against the grain of Americanism and we are just too big. Besides, i would challenge you to point out a country in europe that is wildly successful under socialism,even the best case senario is just treading water. Seems to me that greece is on fire with others close behind. As TTC points out, we must stop the spending and that means cuts, and to pay off our mess and not leave it to the next generation that means tax hikes. And i'm not talking little tax hikes, it will be painful. I would like to think that a majority would support an endeavor to shed the debt so that our children and grandchildren will not be burdened by it. I think that is something we can all rally around, but it requires liberals to understand that govt MUST be cut. Business has to become lean and efficient in hard times, so must govt.

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Jack M.
Prescott, WI     03/08/2010 12:07 PM

Uh oh. Linda thinks Sarah Palin would have America in a better spot than Obama.

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TT C.
Woodbury, MN     03/08/2010 9:14 AM

Greetings to Marc D., the only blogger who, in my view at least, can make a decent, reasoned case for his point of view. Not that I agree with everything he said. But he is civil: someone with whom one could have a decent, challenging discussion (so far as I can tell). However, I find what I consider to be several weak points in his argument. Higher taxes and more regulation are not the answer if you want a truly dynamic, productive economy. Of course, it goes w/o saying that gov't (firefighters, etc.) provide a valuable service. And infrastructure is important. Unfortunately, however, it seems that the current state bonding bill is full of pork (low priority projects probably intended, arguably, to get politicians re-elected). And good infrastructure depends on a good economic base: it just doesn't happen by itself in a vacuum. Also, the assertion that people in gov't could do better in the private sector: that's a stretch. Some could but most I expect would earn about the same in the private sector as they are earning in the public sector, plus the security that they usually have in the public sector (that's worth quite a bit). But the most critical point: because gov't does some things well (often because it is impractical or even impossible for the private sector to do the job), it does not follow that gov't should provide health care and other functions that can and should be private sector and individual responsibilities. As to lower taxes and lower regulation being the prime (if not the sole cause) of the present economic downturn, don't think so. Existing regs were often not enforced (it's well known that regulators often get lax in performance of their duties or, worse, get in bed with their regulatees). And please don't forget the role of the Fed in feeding the bubbles that burst in 2007, the same mistake that the Fed made during the roaring 20's. Finally, Marc aren't you concerned about the enomous debt that gov't is piling up (like adding about $10 trillion to the federal debt in the next decade with the probability of about $1 trillion per yr in interest payments alone). To say nothing about Medicare, Medicade and Social Security. Marc the situation we are in now is not "business as usual": the old bromides about the rich getting richer and Keynesian pump priming don't cut much ice anymore (or at least I think that there is good reason for thinking that they don't).

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Marc D.
03/07/2010 11:54 PM

I'm pretty sure the notion that the Republicans excel at economics has been completely demolished by the fact that they had a chance to put their desired policies in place--lower taxes, less regulation--and the results are clear: the biggest economic downfall since the Great Depression, which comes on top of nearly a decade where "economic success" resulted in increased wealth for those who already had it, while the middle class actually lost earning power. If lowering taxes was simply the answer to everything, then Mississippi and Alabama should be economic power houses. They are not. Instead, states that invest in education, transportation and quality of life are doing the best at creating jobs: and all of those things require taxes. Government jobs are real jobs: firefighters are doing real jobs, police are doing real jobs, teachers are doing real jobs, the public works employees who plow and fix our roads are doing real jobs, and yes, the accountants, IT staff, and human resources professionals that support these people are doing real jobs. They do real work, often for less pay than they could get in the private sector, and are generally dedicated to doing good work for the people they serve. Their salaries are spent on the same things people in the private sector spend their salaries on: mortgages, transportation, groceries, the host of other goods and services that drive our economy, and yes, taxes. Government bonding for important capital projects is nothing new: spending a portion of our budget on the annual payments for these long-term projects is wise spending. The infrastructure created plays an important role in our state, and yes, while that infrastructure is being created, jobs are created to do the work. People in the construction industry have been particularly hard hit by the recession, with unemployment rates upwards of 40%. Putting these people to work through building infrastructure is a good thing. And it makes particular sense to do so while interest rates are low, as it means that the annual payments will be far lower. Since these projects represent important community needs that will likely need to be built no matter what in the next few years, it makes sense to spend money on these projects now, when the interest rates are low and constructions costs are low, rather than later, when these things will cost more money. When unemployed people are put to work on projects like these, the additional money they will have will be spent on goods and services that will help other businesses in our state, making it more possible that those businesses will be able to hire more people, which can lead to a positive reinforcing cycle of job growth. That is smart economics.

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Linda S.
Woodbury, MN     03/07/2010 5:35 PM

If Rep. Swails wanted to be truly bi-partisan she would defer to the judgement of Republicans who lead in the area of successful economics while reminding us of unment needs of the vulnerable which is where the Democrats exel. The Dems should not preach about bi-partisanship when what they really mean is 'do it our way or no way'.

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TT C.
Woodbury, MN     03/07/2010 4:05 PM

Hey bunky (Joe). Go back and read what you said. Apparently you have a very short memory. Worse, you insist on digging your hole a little deeper by throwing out some more silly rhetoric about right wing extremists. It seems that anyone who doesn't agree with you is either uneducated or a right wing nut. It must be nice to live in your kind of tight little mindless world. As to "offering solutions", I think that R.B. did a reasonable job of doing just that.

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Joe S.
Woodbury, MN     03/07/2010 3:32 PM

In response to TT. I don't recall mentioning that I am particularly well educated. In fact, I have barely a high school education. I am a hard-working person who believes that Marsha is doing a great job. TT's response concerns me because he, like other extremist right-wing "regressives", he merely shouts at dissenting opinions and mocks the opinions of others who do not believe in their views. Perhaps TT should offer solutions rather than simply highlighting perceived problems.

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Joe S.
Woodbury, MN     03/07/2010 3:19 PM

In response to TT. I don't recall mentioning that I am particularly well educated. In fact, I have barely a high school education. I am a hard-working person who believes that Marsha is doing a great job. TT's response concerns me because he, like other extremist right-wing "regressives", he merely shouts at dissenting opinions and mocks the opinions of others who do not believe in their views. Perhaps TT should offer solutions rather than simply highlighting perceived problems.

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R B.
Woodbury, MN     03/07/2010 2:11 PM

Most people, Ms. Blank included, it seems, understand that only income producing businesses really create jobs. Apparently, our current legislature does not. Income producing businesses create permanent jobs and tax revenue for the state. The government is not an income producing business, therefore, the jobs it "creates" simply drain our budget more, and then, when the "valuable" project is finished, those jobs go away. Reducing Minnesota's corporate tax rate is the only real way to bring viable businesses back to Minnesota and lower our ever-rising unemployment rate. No business, family, or government can truly thrive until it implements a budget that pays for its "needs" and saves its "wants" until they are truly affordable.

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TT C.
Woodbury, MN     03/07/2010 12:42 PM

Oh the horror of it all: apparently only "educated" people like Joe S. and Rep. Swails and "progressives" are qualified to understand the mystery of governing. Too bad for the rest of us pitiable troglodytes.. Of course, we have heard it all before, the anointed progressives are the only educated people in the universe: the rest of us, by definition, are too stupid to get it. Wonder if any of our broad-minded nicey liberal interlocutors will step forward to condemn Joe's arrogance? Don't hold your breath.

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