Research

Recently, Christina Romer wrote an op-ed in The Seattle Times, discussing the administration’s plans for Stimulus II.  She promotes the “cash for caulkers” program as well as more infrastructure spending.  We’ve pointed out before the many problems with “cash for caulkers,” which is based on the failed weatherization programs in Stimulus I and the disastrous “cash for clunkers.” 

In her op-ed, Romer says that the President is “calling for new investments in a wide range of infrastructure, designed to get out the door as quickly as possible…”  We’ve seen this movie before.  Stimulus I contained “shovel-ready” projects that were supposed to put people to work right away. That, of course, turned out not to be the case. What we did see, however, were projects which were slow to get started and money being wasted on projects without merit. 

It is sad to hear that despite the fact that the stimulus failed to create jobs, it has not stopped the Obama administration and Congressional Democrats from pushing through Stimulus II, which is just more of the same failed policies.