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October 15, 2009

The "Jobs Bill" That Decreases Employment

Justin Katz

In politics, every policy is critical to every social need, provided that the politicians desire the policies and the people are currently concerned with the need. So, President Obama declares cap-and-trade energy legislation to be "a jobs bill," even though it will cost the economy jobs overall, as a Heritage study shows. Ben Lieberman explains:

Sure, the president can visit wind-turbine factories and boast about the few hundred green jobs at each. But the billions of dollars in government subsidies to the wind industry siphon resources and jobs away from other parts of the economy.

Worse, the higher cost of wind-generated electricity and other alternatives kills even more jobs, especially in the manufacturing sector, which needs reasonably-priced energy to compete in the global marketplace.

The next decade looks bleak, indeed. Hopefully, American voters will see the error of their ways — and force American politicians of both parties to see the error of theirs — in time to repair the damage before the subsequent decade begins testing just how low our nation can sink.

Comments

I have yet to get a good answer from "progressives" as to why the government should not just "create" jobs for anyone who needs one. Hey, if it can create 1 job, or 10 jobs out of thin air, why doesn't it just create more until unemployment is 0%? They should be all for that, since according to them working is a fundamental right.

Posted by: Dan at October 15, 2009 5:42 PM

"Progressives" will color everything as a "a jobs bill". This is in honor of Ted Kennedy's deathless phrase "jobs, jobs, jobs".

We have had this debate before, so I will not go into the mythology of wind power. Let's just say that tidal currents are far more reliable. And they are not "union".

Posted by: Warrington Faust at October 15, 2009 7:14 PM

Wind power and solar power are both a joke, very inefficient and costly. Nuclear power is the answer.

Posted by: Dan at October 15, 2009 11:25 PM