Questions for the Stimulus Deniers

Last night I had to drive 90 miles or so to an area airport to pick up kids. A co-blogger wrote to say he hoped the drive went well.

Yep all went well except for those damn non-existent stimulus jobs in the form of I-55 construction workers. Good opportunity to tell my girls: That's STIMULUS money slowing us down!

So I went to look for an image to accompany this post and look! There's a young white guy working in manufacturing! I thought all those jobs were gone. He works for Rice Signs of Auburn, Alabama, whose website brags that they manufacture "a full line of Aluminum American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Project Funding Signs."

I realize there isn't much innovation in making road signs. And that there isn't "added value" in rebuilding highways, except that those jobs increase the likelihood that moms in minivans will get their children home from the summer vacation safely.

But a job is a job in the ten percent unemployment world. And the stimulus money that was NOT in the form of TAX CUTS (one-third of the stimulus bill, thanks, GOP!) actually created some jobs. Imagine how many more make-work jobs could be paying people's rent if we didn't have to provide a tax cut for a billionaire every time we hired two workers.

Also, to hell with those who want to say the stimulus cost x number of dollars per job. You're including the tax cut in that number, you douchebag.

"Tax cuts create jobs" is a LIE. "Tax cuts increase revenue" is a LIE.

I want to know from every Republican member of the House: What are you doing for the unemployed people in your district?

I know the answer for one congressman: Eric Cantor held job fairs in his district made possible by the stimulus.

My congressman's "plan," [reduce regulation, increase offshore oil and onshore gas frack drilling, pass the Ryan budget and more free trade agreements] does nothing for the college grad who is out of work today, except convince him that government can do nothing for him. I expect that's their goal, and the fact that they are willing to increase human suffering and America's economic future to push that ideology is nothing less than sinful.