In an example of the bailout math that’s taking place in city governments all across the country, Columbia S.C. has made a list and checked it twice.
According to city leaders, they’ve got about $250 million worth of projects that they would use federal bailout money on, creating 2,700 predominately construction jobs.
Basically, it’s a bunch of typical overpriced municipal junk with no measurable long-term benefit to the economy, but hey – that’s sort of how government interventionism works.
Just make sure the bureaucrats have plenty of favors to dole out while the rest of us continue to take it up the rear.
Anyway, for the complete list of projects and the construction jobs attached to them, click here.
Numerous other municipalities across the nation are sending similar bailout wish lists to Washington, which is all but guaranteed to grant them (with non-existent money, of course).
Yet there’s something about Columbia’s list that strikes us as particularly ho-hum.
There’s plenty of water and sewer stuff, “street-scaping” and of course the requisite “parks in low-income neighborhoods,” but seriously people … how in the hell is any of that going to create even one permanent job?
We know the City of Columbia manages its money about as well as Tyrone Biggums, but let’s think about this spending list for a second.
Even if South Carolina’s state capital is “broke as a joke,” should we really spend $250 million on 2,700 temporary jobs?
Plus – and we hate to be blunt about this – but there’s a lot of low income housing stuff in here (well, with the exception of $4.5 million for BridgePointe condos), which the last time we checked was what got us in this mess in the first place?
Seriously, Mayor Bob.
Just because the New York Times went and called your city the “face of the recession” is no reason to start throwing this kind of cash around on a bunch of worthless crap that won’t do anything in the long run to improve your job situation.
By david windham January 16, 2009 at 12:18 pm
very nicely put.
By Wes Wolfe January 16, 2009 at 12:23 pm
FWIW, Mayor Bob is not almighty, he just gets to be the face of city government. Certainly, there is plenty of blame to go around for the city council and unelected leaders.
By Off subject January 16, 2009 at 1:27 pm
I here Trey Gowdy up in the Upstate has finally started talking to contributors about running for AG and has purchased a website.
What are your thoughts, Sic?
By lulu January 16, 2009 at 1:41 pm
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=57818128368&ref=mf
Lots of breasts in SUPPORT of T Rav!!! :)
By Clapping Fetus January 16, 2009 at 2:23 pm
There is FAIL in the water in Columbia. That’s the only way I can explain it.
By StupidShouldHurtMore (SSHM) January 16, 2009 at 2:33 pm
Will (FITSNews, et al),
For many Americans, ANY job at this point is appealing. Putting 2700 workers back to work, even if only for 9, 12, maybe 15 months is far better than having those individuals directly on the public rolls (unemployment). If you do a little more homework, I’d suggest contacting Dr. Bruce Yandle at Clemson University for more details about the current economic situation.
Source: http://business.clemson.edu/about/about_Dean_Yandle.htm
If you lend him your ear, you’ll learn that the economy should start to turn around sometime in 2010. Putting people to work for 9, 12, or maybe 15 months puts them where? That’s right … a lot CLOSER to 2010 with (hopefully) money and savings in their pockets.
Then there is the fact that the bailout money will come in part in the form of income (you have to PAY those construction workers) … income which we tax … locally and statewide. That revenue stays here. Get with Dr. Yandle and crunch the numbers. Your inner-Reagan compels you.
- SSHM
PS: Dr. Yandle was Executive Director of the FTC during the Reagan Administration.
By justsaynotojoe January 16, 2009 at 2:44 pm
Mayor Bob is an amateur.
Check out what Little Joe wants for the Holy City
http://www.usmayors.org/mainstreeteconomicrecovery/stimulussurveyparticipantsdata.asp?City=Charleston&State=SC
By Mab January 16, 2009 at 4:52 pm
Hey David Windham…I like your gravatar — and the ready-to-tap angst it implies. We could DEFINITELY use some more of that around Cola-town.
By Fashizzle January 16, 2009 at 7:00 pm
Spending $250 million to create 2,700 temporary jobs comes out to just more than $92,500 per job. Since we know government estimates are always off, it is more likely each of this “created” jobs will cost the taxpayer more than $100,000.
This is just one more example of government charging up the national credit card and calling it income. This is a subsidized jobs program plain and simple. And for the record, that is unconstitutional.
By BIN News Editorial Staff January 17, 2009 at 12:40 pm
SSHM, Again, you expose another willie scam. Just keep in mind that he knows when he posts cr@p. You can tell, too. It’s every time he clicks “submit.”
By Mab January 17, 2009 at 7:50 pm
BIN, it’s obvious you have a vested interest in SC’s failed-and-failing-some-more public education bureaucracy/bank. Care to divulge what that interest is, exactly?