Government Creates Jobs

We keep hearing the echo that government can’t create jobs…well most of us have the common sense to realize that when government spends money…well dagummit…it creates jobs! Two of the biggest most apparent and most applauded signs of job growth in the State of Wisconsin over the past 4 or 5 years is Oshkosh Trucks and Marinette Marine.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel recently published an article extolling the positive effects of building littoral ships for the Navy is having on Marinette Marine and the surrounding communities.

The shipyard has been rapidly expanding to meet demand for the new littoral ships that is is building:

Marinette Marine employs about 700 hourly paid workers and expects to double that in the next two years. Including administrative jobs, the company has been hiring 50 people a month.

Marinette Marine has favored local suppliers for their raw materials which has created something of a boomlet in the local economy.

About half of the combat ship supply chain is within 60 miles of Marinette, said Jerry Murphy, executive director of New North Inc., a regional economic development group in De Pere.

And it looks like they’ve created something of a local labor shortage:

To cash in on Marinette’s shipbuilding and work at other area boat builders, businesses have formed the North Coast Marine Manufacturing Alliance.

The group traveled to Racine recently to recruit skilled workers for shipyards and their suppliers.

Northeast Wisconsin Technical College is building a maritime industry training center so that companies aren’t stealing employees from one another. Several high schools also are training people for welding jobs

So the next time someone smugly denies that government creates jobs…just point to Marinette Marine and say, well yes they do. This bright spot in the economy wouldn’t exist without government investment and defense contracts.