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Thread: Understanding the Stimulus Bill
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02-20-09, 08:41 AM #1Understanding the Stimulus Bill
Shortly after class, an economics student approaches his economics professor and says, "I don't understand this stimulus bill. Can you explain it to me?"
The professor replied, "I don't have any time to explain it at my office, but if you come over to my house on Saturday and help me with my weekend project, I'll be glad to explain it to you." The student agreed.
At the agreed-upon time, the student showed up at the professor's house. The professor stated that the weekend project involved his backyard pool. They both went out back to the pool, and the professor handed the student a bucket.
Demonstrating with his own bucket, the professor said, "First, go over to the deep end, and fill your bucket with as much water as you can." The student did as he was instructed.
The professor then continued, "Follow me over to the shallow end, and then dump all the water from your bucket into it." The student was naturally confused, but did as he was told.
The professor then explained they were going to do this many more times, and began walking back to the deep end of the pool.
The confused student asked, "Excuse me, but why are we doing this?" The professor matter-of-factly stated that he was trying to make the shallow end much deeper.
The student didn't think the economics professor was serious, but figured that he would find out the real story soon enough.
However, after the 6th trip between the shallow end and the deep end, the student began to become worried that his economics professor had gone mad.
The student finally replied, "All we're doing is wasting valuable time and effort on unproductive pursuits.
Even worse, when this process is all over, everything will be at the same level it was before, so all you'll really have accomplished is the destruction of what could have been truly productive action!"
The professor put down his bucket and replied with a smile, "Congratulations. You now understand the stimulus bill."
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02-20-09, 09:10 AM #6
Re: Understanding the Stimulus Bill
Originally Posted by Blakeman
The link packetshooter posted shows what projects various cities are getting money for. All of ours are badly needed infrastructure that will allow us to re-open currently closed bridges and to make some new mass transit lines.
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02-20-09, 09:11 AM #7Re: Understanding the Stimulus Bill
I will probably butcher this, but like Moto has tried to explain to me these days our economy is not based on production, but on cause and effect. If I have faith in the economy, and my personal finances, it will cause me to spend more money on things. The effect will be that whomever makes, ships, sells the items I buy will have more faith in the economy, and thus spend more as well. While I like the idea of new roads, buildings, water parks, whatever it does not cause me to feel any better about my, or the world's, economic situation, and does not cause me to want to go drive around just to enjoy the better roads. It might have a short term impact of providing new jobs, or at least sustaining existing jobs, to complete the projects, but once completed do these projects have the ability to keep money moving?
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02-20-09, 09:14 AM #8Re: Understanding the Stimulus Bill
The question is though will this rail car system produce new jobs, or cause the circulation of more money, after the project is complete? If you need to travel 20 miles you will use the system, and so will others, but if it were not there wouldn't you still travel teh 20 miles, just a different way?
Originally Posted by SoySoldier
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02-20-09, 09:15 AM #9
Re: Understanding the Stimulus Bill
Originally Posted by CivilWars
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