Originally Posted by OldManOnFire

Today Obama announces:



Doing a little math, $210 billion over a ten year period equals about $21 billion per year. Now we don't know yet if he plans on spending $210 billion on labor only or for labor and materials?? Let's assume the best case that the $210 billion is only for labor. Compensation for jobs in construction and environmental industries will probably be a minimum of $40K annually. So if we divide $21 billion by $40,000 this program is designed to employee approximately 525,000 people. Yet his program says he will create 5 million jobs?? Okay...if we assume $40,000 annual pay and multiply this by 5 million jobs this equals approximately $200 billion per year??!! If it's a ten year program and the money is evenly spread, this will be a $2 trillion program...not a $200 billion program.

Someone please check my math and assumptions...thanks.

Further, Obama makes a gigantic assumption that the USA can remove itself from Iraq in the next couple of years. Yes we all desire this but Gates is already saying things are getting worse and not to pull out any troops. If Congress abides by their PAYGO policy, which goes like this...

"It shall not be in order to consider any bill, joint resolution, amendment, or conference report if the provisions of such measure affecting direct spending and revenues have the net effect of increasing the deficit or reducing the surplus for either the period comprising the current fiscal year and the five fiscal years beginning with the fiscal year that ends in the following calendar year or the period comprising the current fiscal year and the ten fiscal years beginning with the fiscal year that ends in the following calendar year."

...then this program cannot be funded using the Iraq occupation.

Finally, this is all about pandering, and I don't care which of the candidates does this. In this case it's Obama creating a fairy-tale scenario and playing to the weaknesses of so many who want better employment conditions. If so this is just as evil as insane-Bush and his 'fear tactics'.

And no matter if it's Obama or Clinton, all of us must pay close attention to what these people are saying to understand if their ideas have true merit or are just pandering for votes...

What do you think??

Originally Posted by DRS112

Me thinks that somehow they are guessing jobs will be created as spinoffs of this money...support industries...but who knows...

and yeah....you're right...it won't all be labor...otherwise they would be really low paying jobs...I'm willing to bet that it will be subisidies for already existing companies....

Originally Posted by bornright

The article states that 5 million green collar jobs will be created with 150 billion and 2 million infrastructure jobs created with 60 billion. One can only assume that he is counting it as 500,000 green collar jobs a year for the next 10 years and 200,000 created over the next 10 years.

So much for winning the confidence of the American people in his knowledge of running the country's economy.

Originally Posted by DRS112

That's pretty much my biggest disillusionment with the Democratic party...they pretend they can do things economically that can't be done....it's just pandering. But the R's haven't been much better. So much for showing fiscal restraint when the had control of all 3 branches of govt.

Originally Posted by RK77

Well I am definitely not an economic person, so someone will have to check me too but......

I think the government creates jobs by investing or incentivising the private sector in those areas.....not by paying salaries.

Hope that helps!

Originally Posted by RK77

I don't get concerned with what anyone there presently says about Iraq.

We can't leave cause it's getting better.

We can't leave cause it's getting worse.

All their can'ts is why obama is trying to bring a YES WE CAN sprirt to the white house!