Stimulus Creates Work Not Jobs - HUH?

[lame54]

http://crooksandliars.com/nicole-belle/week-steele-complains-stimulus-bill-c (for video)

From C&L:
In the "Can't See The Forest For The Trees" department, new RNC chairman (and clearly an MENSA-level economic specialist) Michael Steele bemoans the Stimulus Bill as it stands now. Why? Because it cuts out aid to those who need it the most (really, how will extending COBRA benefits to those poor saps who have lost their jobs recently help--that's just pork!)? Surely, you jest.

No, Steele objects to the Stimulus Bill because it doesn't offer jobs, it offers....wait for it...work. Say it with me now: WTF??

STEELE: But you've got to look at the entire package. You've got to look at what's going to create sustainable jobs. What this administration is talking about is making work. It is creating work.

STEPHANOPOULOS: But that's a job.

STEELE: No, it's not a job. A job is something that -- that a business owner creates. It's going to be long term. What he's creating...

STEPHANOPOULOS: So a job doesn't count if it's a government job? <..>

STEELE: ... That is a contract. It ends at a certain point, George. You know that. These road projects that we're talking about have an end point.

Okay, let me see if I follow this: we have historic unemployment levels not seen in decades and Steele thinks we should create jobs if they don't last forever...like in the private sector? Because those 600,000 layoffs last month alone and massive outsourcing in the private sector indicate such security for people...Steele continues this marvelous example of Republicanlogicspeak:

STEELE: As a small-business owner, I'm looking to grow my business, expand my business. I want to reach further. I want to be international. I want to be national. It's a whole different perspective on how you create a job versus how you create work. And I'm -- either way, the bottom line is...
STEPHANOPOULOS: I guess I don't really understand that distinction.
STEELE: Well, the difference -- the distinction is this. If a government -- if you've got a government contract that is a fixed period of time, it goes away. The work may go away. That's -- there's no guarantee that that -- that there's going to be more work when you're done in that job.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Yes, but we've seen millions and millions of jobs going away in the private sector just in the last year.
STEELE: But they come -- yes, they -- and they come back, though, George. That's the point.

They come back? Really?
So, the answer for Steele is to not put money in people's pockets right now (money that generally goes right back into the economy for needs--unlike those tax cuts for the wealthy) and not employ them now, because the jobs may be gone in a few years? Not to mention the implicit idea that we are unable to walk and chew gum and that by providing "work" in the stimulus bill will keep us from helping small business owners at the same time.

[Veritas_et_Aequitas]

1. .

[lame54]

2. you should see somebody about that

[leftstreet]

3. If govt jobs 'go away' why do we have so many f**king politicians?

Nice try, Steele, but you didn't exactly nail your talking point.

[4 t 4]

5. Tool !

[Tansy_Gold]

4. Steele is right, but he's also horribly wrong

Funding for infrastructure does indeed create "work," not jobs. And we do need to create jobs, stable jobs that people will have expectations of working at into the foreseeable future rather than a one- or two- or even five-year project that will come to an end when the road is built or the bridge repaired or the school modernized.

What he's horribly wrong about is that the puke plan does NEITHER. It does not create either jobs or work.

He's full of fucking shit, but Stephanopoulos is too ignorant to call him on it.

If Stephanopoulos or any of the other moron talking heads on TV had the economic sense the great goddess gave a squirrel, they'd be able to ask the difficult questions that would have an ignorant turd like St-st-st-steele st-st-st-stammering in his st-st-st-st-stewpot.

TG

[CJCRANE]

8. Yes the point is

that without the infusion of cash (created by this "work") many more small businesses will go under.

Surely it's better to keep them going in the short and medium term with "work" - that way they have a chance to plan for expansion/diversification in the future. If you allow them to go under then of course they have no future

[CJCRANE]

6. But while they are "working"

the people who receive the stimulus money will spend their disposable income on Main Street thus helping small business to survive and help other people to keep their "jobs".

2 + 2 really does equal 4 (not zero as the Repubs would have you believe).

[killbotfactory]

7. "Jobs are something business owners create"

My, how altruistic of them! Let's cut their taxes, and give them our firstborn for they are the source of all goodness and plenty! Let's build statues to the great and mighty owners of capital, and sing hosanna's to them for they are truly gods among men without which we are nothing.

[CJCRANE]

11. Of course leaving out the fact

that business owners can't and won't create new jobs if there are no customers with disposable income to buy their products or services.

[hankthecrank]

14. Yes lets throw some of the flowers we got from the iraq war at them

oh that's right we didn't get any

[bevoette]

9. FUCK michael steele

i have WORKED for my state for almost 25 years.

it is my JOB. it is my CAREER. it is a FAMILY.


and as an aside...i have seen half a dozen outsourcing endeavors to the vaunted 'private sector' firsthand...and if they haven't FAILED, they are mired in corruption and waste to the detriment of service, for both the public and the state employees. privatizing prisons, outsourcing IT infrastructure, human resources, massive software development 'projects' that are supposed to be oh-so-much better...it's BULLSHIT, and maybe 1 out of 10 works. meanwhile, millions and billions of public fund funneled off to cronies and companies with the best connections and deepest pockets.

so FUCK Michael Steele and the notion that only the private sector can create JOBS.


:mad:

[liberal N proud]

10. You can't change stupid

Obama needs to learn that the GOP is full of a different animal. A stupid animal that can not be dealt with.

[Parker CA]

12. Same delusional concept spouted this week that, "Government jobs don't create wealth."

Can't remember the puke who said it, there were so many talking from there asses, but it's just noise. These people should go to the workers whom are out of work and whom could get these "jobs" and tell them they aren't actually getting a job and that if they earn money it isn't really wealth.

Insane.

[malaise]

13. So all the people who are being sent home from businesses are

losing work and not jobs? Damn - someone should have told me.

[lame54]

15. Bushworld Goes on...

Only in Bushworld will Republicans argue FOR job security

They've been working for years to eliminate full-time status and benefits(including pensions).

The biggest employers are Temp Agencies


:wtf:

[malaise]

17. I think they're just trying to confuse people

Do they offer jobs or work in McWorld?

add

[TahitiNut]

16. So ... that's why we shouldn't PRIVATIZE government? Thanks, Mr. Steele.

It's clear that privatization of government functions (such as transportation and energy) leads to unemployment -- in part because the "ownership class" jettisons the laborers as soon as they can to collect more profits.

[mdavies013]

18. I think people are reading in to the answer too much...When he is saying that it creates work

he means that it is far different from the bailout. In the bailout...the rich bankers and all around assholes that created this mess got free money for nothing.

Under the stimulus plan...to get you hands on the money...you have to WORK. Yuck. I am sure the republicans can propose an expanded foreign worker program...farm the jobs out and get the money back to the rich as quickly as possible.

[drm604]

19. Mr. Steele, it's called a STIMULUS plan.

The idea isn't to directly create long term jobs. The idea is to create jobs NOW that will put money in people's pockets which they will then spend. This gets money flowing through the economy again.

Private businesses will hire people to help them meet the demand coming from the people employed by infrastructure projects. The people they hire will then also have money to spend, causing even more hiring. The whole economy ends up being stimulated and hopefully moves out of the rut it's in.

[lame54]

20. .