In Tennessee, Baking Pie With Stimulus Funds

[Qutzupalotl]

Earlier this year, the unemployment rate in Tennessee's Perry County had skyrocketed to 27 percent. So Tennessee's portion of the stimulus package is going toward workers' wages at local businesses — like a bakery. Guy Raz talks with county mayor John Carroll.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=111464423

Listen to the story: illegal codeNPR.Player.openPlayer(111464423,%20111464411,%20null,%20NPR.Player.Action.PLAY_NOW,%20NPR.Player.Type.STORY,%20'0')
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What a great idea. You could pay people to work or pay people not to work. Which has the wider benefit?

[noamnety]

1. I heard that story earlier today

I have no problem with the stimulus funds being used for employment opportunities, but only if the jobs are in the public sector or for the public good. I don't think it's right for taxes to be used to give private business owners a free labor force. That's a pretty large gift of public funds to give to for-profit businesses.

[Qutzupalotl]

2. I hadn't thought of it that way.

I agree that it would be unfair to favor one business over another, but in a county where one large employer could do a lot with a little, it's better than nothing. They said they would have preferred what you favor (work for the public good), but didn't have anything in the works -- and this was a quick fix.

Also, a stimulus is a desperation move. I'd say it's okay to relax these ideals to fit the situation, in light of the dire need. I think they look for public good opportunities first, then look at local businesses as a second-tier option.

[noamnety]

3. It wouldn't have taken a huge imagination

to come up with a "public good" option.

The business had a kitchen approved for commercial cooking. Instead of paying the employees and business to sell junk food at a profit, pay the employees to prepare healthy food for meals on wheels, or for handout at the unemployment line, or providing full meals to families that qualify for free meals at schools - same business, same basic line of work, but serving the public in a nonprofit way. I could see even doing a 50-50 split on the hours so the owner is compensated for the use of their kitchen if a free kitchen isn't available. But making pies ... that's just not a public service, it's garbage leading to obesity. It could have at least gone to support local independent farms if a private owner was going to profit from it.

[Berry Cool]

4. Pies?? How can you say anything bad about pies???

Shame on you... :-)

Mmmm...pie. :9

[tomm2thumbs]

5. yum, pie