President Barack Obama, speaking before signing his historic stimulus measure in Denver, proclaimed it to be the “largest investment in our infrastructure since Eisenhower built the interstate highway system.” That may be so, but with most of the stimulus directed toward infrastructure, the news isn’t uniformly good. Just minutes before Obama spoke, Blake Jones, CEO of Namaste Solar Electric Inc., said “thousands of electricians and plumbers and carpenters...that have been laid off should consider joining us in the solar industry.” The increase in roads will be moderate, the falloff in nonpublic buildings steep. Those comments suggested the diverging fortunes of
The first place the Obama administration can triumph or mess up is the $825-billion proposed economic stimulus package�the new administration�s centerpiece plan. At question is whether a spending plan such as what the House of Representatives is now considering is a vital Keynesian solution to what ails the U.S. economy or a hindrance to a vibrant business rebound that won�t depend on massive government spending. The answer to that may be hidden in the fog of historical controversy about what really happened during the Great Depression. Photo: National Archives and Records Administration Bricklayer was one of millions employed by WPA
