Yesterday’s Milwaukee Journal Sentinel featured a front page article on a South Korean who is currently a professor at the University of Wisconsin in Madison.
Jae “Jim” Park received one of South Korea’s highest honors for his work reclaiming polluted waterways in his home nation. An amazing and worthwhile endeavor on the part of Professor Park and the nation of South Korea.
But what was glossed over in the article was the fact that this project was a key economic stimulus factor for South Korea. This rapidly growing nation recognizes that economic recessions aren’t ‘cured’ via cutting government spending…recessions best respond to investments in key infrastructure improvements. I wish some people in Washington DC and Madison were paying attention!!
The project is part of South Korea’s “Green New Deal” policy to stimulate the economy after the 2008 worldwide financial crisis. The project aims to achieve national water security and flood control, while revitalizing the ecosystem.
Oh, I see. Sort of like what we were promised when they sold the original stimulus package to us – about bridges & infrastructure.
btw: how the heck are you doing!
Can’t complain. Busy with work & the cold season is rough with a 9 month old. Got a little burned out on politics as well. Just tired of blind followers of R & D and trying to discuss/defend the principle behind one specific policy by somebody without being attacked for everything else he/she does.
I’ve also been making a conscious effort to not bother with “discussions” that…aren’t. When it’s clear there’s no interest in considering other views I’m learning to save my breath. Unfortunately, that has seemed to be the case quite a bit lately around here. Never with you though.
LOL…thanks…but I’ve found myself getting a little more snarky lately. Trying to not go there.
The feds made a fatal mistake…they gave it to the states to do. Shoulda done it themselves. But I can’t imagine what a freakin’ mess we’d be in if they hadn’t had that package…as mismanaged and inadequate as it was.
I’m a firm believe in the role of government in building & maintaining infrastructure. That was precisely where stimulus type spending should have gone. There are without question plenty of good projects that could have put people to work and generated good economic activity AND been responsible uses of public funds in order to benefit the most people.
Not at all what we got. Instead we got politics and the usual pork -0 and all defended by the “any spending is good spending” even if we dig a hole & fill it back in garbage – despite the fact that the broken window fallacy should be common knowledge by now.
I don’t know that I share your optimism that it would have all been worse without what we did. Worse or not, I think it would all have been shorter had the federal government done nothing at all.