Expensive Jobs

White House officials proudly reported this morning that over 640,000 jobs have so far been created under the $787 billion Federal Stimulus Package. "There is no doubt jobs are being created and saved" said Earl Devaneey, chairman of the Recovery Board. (I imagine Obama's is one of the jobs hoping to be saved.) Some dispute those numbers saying the number of jobs created is less than the administration claims. But let us for a moment take the administration at its word. That comes out to well over $1,000,000 a job. Many of the jobs created are temporary; their existence is predicated on continued federal funding if they are to continue past the "recovery." I assume that the federal government is counting on the taxes collected from these new jobs to help staunch the bleeding at the treasury. Even still, the net loss to the government is staggering, especially given the nature of many of the jobs created. The administration can say what it will about the recovery it is seeking credit for. But $1,000,000 a job, to my mind, is not a bargain. Nor is it something to brag about.

With economic recovery well under way, the administration can now focus on its health care goals. I am surprised the administration has not concluded that the best way to provide national health care and aid the economy would simply be for the federal government to hire every one in the country without a job or health insurance. That would be the surest way to provide health care to all as well as dramatically reduce unemployment. Money certainly doesn't seem to be an object.