What the Stimulus Could Have Been

It looks like spending right away on defense requirements really does put people to work:

Truck maker Oshkosh Corp. last month won a $1.05 billion contract to produce military vehicles built to withstand the rugged terrain of Afghanistan. The hitch: The Pentagon wants 2,244 of them ready by year's end. During the boom times, such a deadline would have posed a huge challenge for Oshkosh, as truck and heavy-equipment makers world-wide struggled to find enough components, steel and skilled workers. But the recession has made things far easier. A few weeks ago, Oshkosh held a two-day job fair at the convention center near its Oshkosh, Wis., headquarters. More than 3,000 people lined up to apply for 500 to 600 jobs. The unionized positions start at about $15 an hour and include benefits. Among the applicants was Armando Soto, a 48-year-old welder from nearby Fond du Lac. He said he had been put on a two-week layoff from a metalworking shop. Although he expected to be called back, he viewed the Oshkosh openings as potentially steady work for the long haul. "This is a great opportunity," he said. Oshkosh also is recalling 500 to 650 laid-off workers at its JLG unit in McConnellsburg, Pa., that makes aerial work platforms.

I distinctly remember someone making the case that maybe if some of that stimulus money was directed toward badly needed items on the Pentagon's wish-list, it could provide an instant -- what's the word? -- jolt to the economy. The left was happy to make the case for wasteful spending (literally, see " In Defense of Waste") that advanced the liberal agenda, but Democrats balked at the notion of pouring cash into the Pentagon even though it is the only part of the government bureaucracy with real experience in funneling billions of dollars to private companies -- and even though that money would have gone to making sure we equip our troops with the best equipment money can buy. Instead, the Obama administration is slashing defense spending and cutting programs that employ tens of thousands of highly-skilled (and often union) workers. The administration drew a line in the sand over less than $2 billion for the most advanced fighter aircraft in the world that also happens to provide manufacturing jobs in 40+ states across the country. But the Obama administration did spend $3.2 billion on "Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Research" as part of the stimulus, another $2 billion on "Advanced Battery Loans and Grants," and $2 billion "for capitalization grants under section 1452 of the Safe Drinking Water Act." I'm sure that any day now the Wall Street Journal will be publishing stories on all the jobs those programs created.