Apparently one bad idea deserves another. Cash for Clunkers is being followed up with Cash for Caulkers: [Thanks L!]
In an effort to further stimulate job growth,the Obama administration is applying the principles of the Cash for Clunkers program to the housing construction industry:
The president announced on Tuesday a three-pronged approach to resuscitating a stagnant labor market. In addition to providing a series of financial incentives to spur small business growth as well as investments in modernizing the nation’s infrastructure, the White House aims to spur a virtual revolution in housing weatherization.
It’s been called "Cash for Caulkers," based on the name given to the (much-maligned but largely successful) program the administration put in place for the auto industry earlier this year. The outlines of the two programs are broadly the same, a senior administration official told reporters minutes before the president’s speech. Incentives will be provided for people to make more energy-efficient purchases — only instead of cars it will be home alterations.
Alan Greenspan is widely blamed with lowering interest rates after the dot.com bust, creating a housing bubble that managed to replace the tech boom as an economic driver. Does the administration really believe that we will now have a boom in weatherstripping and caulk?
What’s next? Cash for Walkers where we turn in old shoes? Cash for Cameras? Couches?
Perhaps the government should just offer 50% off coupons if we agree to get rid of all our old junk and buy new stuff. It wouldn’t fix our economic problems, but at least then we could use our wasted tax dollars to buy more interesting items than rolls of insulation.
I hate to break the news to the Obama Administration, but caulking and weatherstripping aren’t that hard to do.
You’d have to be a pretty klutzy person to mess up the installation of weatherstripping (I just did my front door) or do crummy caulking. (The secrets are taping the work area and smoothing your caulk line. Which an index finger can do quite easily.)
Sorry, but I don’t see this one as a job generator.
“(much-maligned but largely successful)” – really? So, car sales are still up after the program ended right? Oh..
Anyway, I see a huge problem with this. The government is favoring certain industries, causing stress on the others. I see a way to make this more efficient. Just create a new Department of Stimulation, give it a printing press, and set up a web site. On the site, you would log in, give your name and address, and fill in a box labelled “Cash for ____”. Then, a government worker (making $150k/year with full pension) will look at what you typed in – say, “Cash for beer” – assign a stimulus value to beer, and print you up some fresh money.
the truly wonderful news is that most americans have rediscovered the fact that democratic and liberal ideas vis a vis the economy are a pathetic joke and actually more harmful than otherwise doing nothing.
the adults will be back in charge in fall 2010.