Obama Pledges Massive Public Works Program (VIDEO)

CHICAGO — President-elect Barack Obama said Saturday he's asked his economic team for a recovery plan that saves or creates more than 2 million jobs, makes public buildings more energy-efficient and invests in the country's roads and schools.

"We won't just throw money at the problem," Obama said in his weekly radio address and Internet video. "We'll measure progress by the reforms we make and the results we achieve _ by the jobs we create, by the energy we save, by whether America is more competitive in the world."

Obama's remarks come after the Labor Department announced Friday that employers cut 533,000 jobs in November, the most in 34 years.

Obama said his plan would put millions of people to work by "making the single largest new investment in our national infrastructure since the creation of the federal highway system in the 1950s."

WATCH:

He also wants to install energy-saving light bulbs and replace old heating systems in federal buildings to cut costs and create jobs.

School buildings would get an upgrade, too. "Because to help our children compete in a 21st century economy, we need to send them to 21st century schools," Obama said.

As a part of the plan, Obama said he wants to expand Internet access in communities. Hospitals also should be connected to each other online.

"Here, in the country that invented the Internet, every child should have the chance to get online," he said.

Obama said he would announce other details of the economic recovery plan in the coming weeks. He said he'd work with Congress to pass the initiative when lawmakers reconvene in January.

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On the Net:

http://www.change.gov

Comments

[juna]

Possibly there are weaknesses in the plan as outlined above, but still, it's a beginning. Nevertheless, constructive criticism is a good thing. I'm especially happy to hear the goal that all public schools will be improved, and all children will have access to modern technology. Did George Bush ever suggest anything like even the weakest of this list of plans? I would say absolutely not. Instead, we've wasted billions, perhaps trillions in a destructive war that has no reason for existing. Not to mention all the other totally harmful legislations having to do with our personal freedoms, our environment, and the economy. Give our new president a chance; I predict he will do more good in one month than GWB did in eight years.

[vegasobserver]

Excuse me, I am a huge supporter of Obama, but as outlined here this plan is WEAK and TIMID.

In fact, it was predictable that they'd outline a weak plan, because when it comes down to it, the government has withdrawn from so many areas of the economy, that when it comes to really overhauling things and proposing bold, new projects to get millions of people working, the government feels like its hands are tied, and that includes the incoming Obama administration. They seem like they're thinking small and dreaming small, because over the course of the last 2 decades, conservative ideologues have redefined government to minimalist proportions.

Installing energy-efficient lightbulbs and retrofitting government buildings to save energy? How is that gonna employ millions of people at steady, worthwhile jobs? You're gonna employ laid-off Americans to screw in lightbulbs at the Post Office? Really? How long are those "jobs" gonna last? What'll they pay? You call this a "bold" plan?

Obama and his team need to stop thinking within the constraints that CONSERVATIVE REPUBLICANS have set up for the past 25 years, and start thinking bold... we need MASSIVE INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS, Mr. Obama, building new bridges, new roads, new buidlings (including new school buildings), all across America. We need to be building new technology energy plants, putting up massive wind-turbine farms, tidal power projects, etc.

[ckfan]

Excuse me, but he's not going to release his full plan when he's not even President. He's not even in office yet.

And I guess he'll have trouble sleeping tonight knowing that a HUGE SUPPORTER like you is critical of him and his team. NOT.

[vegasobserver]

No one wants Obama to succeed as much as I do. I really think he is the right man for our times. And I'm not blaming this timid set of proposals on him -- I think his staff are hamstrung right now with a classic "failure of imagination".

Obama rightly proposed a MASSIVE economic stimulus and jobs-creation package of $800 billion or more. But the devil is in the details. When tasked with answering the question, "How exactly do we spend that to create jobs?" I think his advisers right now are giving him weak answers. They don't even notice how the Republican legacy has undermined how we think about government...

So they are making timid proposals.... screw in energy-efficient lightbulbs at government buildings... install insulation, maybe? How long will these jobs last? And why just government buildings?

Why not use people on a public "economic recovery" payroll to install energy-efficient technologies in ALL COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS IN THE USA -- from the Empire State Building to your local bank?

Why not just say, "We are going to double the number of schools and teachers in each state", and then proceed to build the schools and hire the teachers with these federal funds?

Why not build and staff three new FREE NATIONAL UNIVERSITIES -- one for health care, one for green energy technologies, and one for the arts and humanities -- and hire professors, staff, etc. and then make tuition FREE for all families earning under a certain income cutoff?

[dct1999]

You make some excellent points. The republicans actually succeeded in making the government small enough to drownintthe bathtub.

[zippy2112]

both parties have failed, it is not small goverment that has failed. It is the quality of people that we put in office that has failed US,

But how often is the natural propensity to society disturbed or destroyed by the operations of government! When the latter, instead of being ingrafted on the principles of the former, assumes to exist for itself, and acts by partialities of favour and oppression, it becomes the cause of the mischiefs it ought to prevent.

Thomas paine

[Savanna]

Excuse me, but refitting government buildings with energy efficient products is a hugh construction project ALL over the country..not just in one region. Why don't you at least
wait a while before throwing the baby out with the bath water so to speak. I would guess
that the BIG projects that you mention are certainly on the agenda. He has spoken about them
many times. And so far, he seems to be a man of his word. At least I am willing to give him
the benfit of the doubt until I am proven totally wrong. We all need to remember that he is not
President, nor can he be until January 20, 2009.

[MomfromTexas]

Unfortunately, I'm going to have to agree with you on this one. Replacing lightbulbs? LOL! I think he's going to get some flack over this. Anyway...I also think all his talking about schools was his lead into announcing the Secretary of Education. I bet that's coming pretty soon. Isn't it interesting that the most likely candidate hasn't been leaked, like others were--Clinton, Nepolitano, Richardson.

[southernfried]

nothing flack about replacing light bulbs, it actually works and you can create jobs by doing it in building offices and schools

[vegasobserver]

He is definitely going to get flack over this, like you said.

It's like when he recommended checking to make sure your car tires are inflated to increase gas efficiency. A smart idea, but hardly the stuff upon which an energy revolution is made.

Obama needs to really consult Tom Friedman and make "Hot, Flat, and Crowded" his new gospel. Friedman isn't talking about replacing lightbulbs. No revolution will EVER be made upon that kind of stuff, even if it's for every government building in the country (government buildings are like, what? 1 percent of all buildings?)

We need a brand new electrical power network encompassing the whole country, fed by massive wind and solar energy farms. Somebody's gotta build that. You appopriate $800 bill, you set aside $300 bill to build it, you set up five regional government corporations (or public-private partnerships), then you start hiring people and build the dang thing!

THAT is what revolutions are made of...

[robieusa]

You cannot be faulted for glomming on to the lightbulb comment. The article in Huffington Post really skims over the information and implications of the proposal.

The NYT has a more informed article, which points out:

'The big ticket will be the public works spending. “We will create millions of jobs by making the single largest new investment in our national infrastructure since the creation of the federal highway system in the 1950s,” Mr. Obama said.

He did not give any estimate of how much he would devote to that purpose, but when he met with the nation’s governors this week, they said the states had $136 billion worth of already-approved road, bridge and other projects ready to go as soon as funding became available. They estimated each billion dollars spent would create 40,000 jobs.'


Obama's plan -- skeletal now, because, well, he's not even in office yet -- is pretty bold. If we calculate the number of jobs created, based on the 40K jobs per $billion approved funding above, if all of the states' infrastructure money is used, more than 5.4 milion jobs can be created.

Saying that the jobs will simply replace light bulbs trivializes the potential of this nascent plan.

Hopefully HP will update the article with more meaningful details.....

[harriscrl3]

Do you know how many federal buildings are around the country that you could make energy efficient by way of lightbulb to put especially YOUNG people in urban areas back to work installing these bulbs. Amazing that people think this is silliness. Well in NY we have a whole host of federal buildings and during the summer we have periodic blackouts because of the amount of energy that we use. For a city like NY this is no joke.

Carol

[lafrance]

Excuse me but, to make public the details or scope of any plan before taking office would not only be suicide but, foolish.
Anyone with an once of common sense would know that you keep these things as general and release only what you need to. Especially with Bush in office still and his need to make sure anyone who is not wealthy gets nothing.
Obama is, if anything, no fool. And does not underestimate what the Bushies can still do to trip up any big plans.
Obama realeases just enough info to calm people's fears and little else, as it should be.
I would be very worried if any PE was so foolish as to announce everything ahead of time.

[canucklivinginUSA]

The fast food culture has rotten people's brain so much that they want everything now and fast. Patience is a virtue that needs to be relearned

[dct1999]

It's going to be great to have a president who is concerned about employment and the environment, and will work toward improving both.

[ema]

Breath of fresh air, huh?

[ChristianEcon.com]

Hopefully he'll tap the people who sucked all our money out of our economy to fund all this, restoring the middle class and a healthy balance to the system. We need to return to rewarding work and productivity over wealth.

[atlantajoe]

We do need to return to rewarding work but for the last 40 years we have rewarded those who do not want to work.

[ChristianEcon.com]

The super rich "do not want to work"? I suppose you could describe some that way, but mostly they of course simply don't have any incentive to.

[sunshinerain]

yeah, but why announce it NOW, so they can wiggle their way out of it (more than they already have). Just keep talking about a few lightbulbs at a few schools, so they relax and think there's no massive overhaul on the way. Let them chuckle about the school lightbulbs...until Jan 20th rolls around and he has that executive pen in his hand!

PS How is Franken doing lately? I want him to win!!!

[canucklivinginUSA]

I like the way you think