75 years ago: Roosevelt administration plans works programs to create jobs

[Jim Sagle]

From WSWS:

With unemployment in the US at nearly 22 percent in 1934, the Roosevelt administration indicates its intention to expand major public works projects in order to provide jobs.

Harold Ickes, secretary of the Works Progress Administration (WPA), says that he believes the administration will seek $5 to $6 billion for a new round of public works, and that this could provide jobs for up to 3.5 million men, and indirectly as many as 8 million others. The WPA speculates that this might end unemployment in the US.

Ickes says that several hundred thousand men could be put to work immediately by removing highway grade crossings over railroad tracks. Ickes also says that rural electrification, such as that underway by the Tennessee Valley Authority, should be advanced.

Another world is possible. Or is it?

[anonymous171]

1. If only we hadn't given all of our money away to the banks.

:banghead:

[Jim Sagle]

2. It wasn't given, it was taken.

[Hardrada]

3. Michael Moore tried to get some of it back!

[Bitwit1234]

4. I have said this all along.

If the government gave all that money to the CEO's of the banks so they could retire in luxury, why couldn't they hire people to repair roads, bridges, schools and the rest of the stuff broken in this country.

They could even hire people for the pharma business. Let them find new drugs, and the US get the profit money not the drug companies who are being fueled by US Money. Then we have the electronic business, energy business. How come we don't hire our own people to fix these problems. Just think you could put lots of people back to work.

You don't have to fund them for good, just have a good honest AMERICAN borrow the money to run these business and then make sure they repay the loans. That would get us back on our feet and help our industry and not keep funneling money to corporations in this country. Who just set them selves up for collecting all the money.

[bvar22]

5. THAT is a "Democratic Party" I could believe in.

I have nothing but contempt for "New Democrats".
They are merely Republicans who have change their packaging.