Stimulus needs

Friday night as I start to write this there is a report that the Senate has reached a possible $780 billion compromise on the Stimulus plan. If it is passed there will have to be consultations with the house leadership to arrive at a plan acceptable to the majority in both houses.

The Senate seems to have cut out much of the pork which was in the House bill. Some will come back in, I would not be surprised if the final bill is near $830 billion.

Under present day circumstances pork is acceptable if it means the creation of large numbers of jobs on a project that has positive public implications.

Ideally the money should be directed at short term peak by creating work for the maximum number. The jobs should be probably weighted slight on unskilled labor, Skilled workers can be retrained intro similar occupations if their work experience can not be utilized. Money flowing into the hands of those not used to hoarding (saving) will stimulate the production of goods. It is a snow ball effect.

The best way to do this is PWA projects, such as rebuilding roads, bridges and etc., needed public buildings including schools. Hospital of course. Education per se should have a low priority for the moment, but should be planned for in the not too distant future. Initially, education does not impact on the flow of money. Later on the impact is in the creation of new technologies.

We tend to lose sight that Plainfield (for example) is not the world, nor is the world Plainfield. Yet what is good for Plainfield will impact upon the country's economy just as the state of the country's finances impact on our city.

My pet project would be a complete revitalization of our street system. I do not mean repaving all, that should be prioritized for the most heavily used according to the degree of disrepair. However an extensive repair of damaged pavements by cutting out bad areas and hot patching with proper sealing of all streets should be the goal. Additional equipment and more individuals who could be trained would be needed. More workers, more available cash infusion into the economy with an increase of basic local values. This means that a quick report on possible monetary needs must be generated and submitted ASAP when called for by the dispersing authority.

On the subject of roads, it was a pleasant surprise today to find that over 90% of the potholes on both Watchung and Leland had been patched within the last 48 hours. Keep up the good work guys.

We know that cold patching is only a temporary solution and leaves an uneven pavement, thus hot patching and tar sealing are the expensive but proper solution.