Dirt flipper jobs

Readers old enough to remember the Reagan years will recall that liberals often derided the expanding economy and increasing employment in the 80's by claiming Reagan’s policies were merely creating “hamburger flipper” jobs.

Fast-forward 25 years and we have a President Obama creating what we might well label “dirt flipper” jobs.

In fact, the recently passed stimulus package will not create jobs, but instead merely creates work – temporary work that will do little to help the economy in the long term.

At least a hard working hamburger flipper has the potential to work him or herself into a management position.

Kentucky will receive $3 million dollars from the stimulus package for three projects to clear trails and roads in National Forests blocked by fallen timbers. Workers will clear brush in the Daniel Boone National Forest and the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area.

Forestry officials claim 262 miles of roads and 287 miles of trails suffer blockages from felled trees and limbs, primarily due to the January ice storm.

Work could begin in the next few weeks.

So how many jobs will this $3 million create?

The work in the Daniel Boone area, accounting for about $550,000 of the $3 million, calls for six “person-year” jobs, which amounts to bureau-speak for six employees working one year.

But the Forestry Service wants to get the work done faster, so they will hire more people and finish up in less time.

They don’t say how fast they plan to complete the project, but let’s say they want to get it finished up in four months. That would employ 18 people for four months at the cost of about $30,500 per job.

Efficient eh?

And by the way, the folks at Daniel Boone will utilize a contractor already approved for work in the Land Between the Lakes in order to “speed the process.”

This project exemplifies the “job creation” touted in the stimulus bill. It amounts to nothing more than make work projects. Once completed, we find ourselves back at square one. The only way to sustain these jobs – spend more government money.

The stimulus package had little to do with creating jobs and a lot to do with funding pet projects and expanding the scope of government. Some people will clearly benefit, but at an equal cost to others. The economic math revelas no net gain. Keep in mind that every dollar spent by the government must at some point be taken from the private sector via taxation. Every dollar spent by the feds represents a dollar you and I no longer have to spend.

If you want true economic stimulus, let “We the People” keep more of our money. Let markets direct dollars to economic activity that the citizens value instead of projects driven by political considerations. Let the economy create real, permanent employment instead of temporary government make work “jobs.”

In the words of Ronald Reagan, "The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help.'"