A two-fer

The problem with this editorial is two-fold. First, it wrongly assumes that the proposed public works projects that Barack Obama is offering is a jobs program when, in fact, it has always been pitched as a vital component of a comprehensive economic stimulus package. As a result, a good bulk of those jobs are temporary but they also pay real money and provide real jobs. Furthermore, any sort of infrastructure project is ultimately a 'temporary' one, yet there still seems to be an entire industry built around it that employs workers of varying skills to perform said tasks.

Second, haggling over 'temporary' versus 'permanent' misses the whole point of the discussion. While there is an immediate boost in terms of jobs created, even if it's for the short-term, there's also a long-term investment being put in place. The infrastructure laid or renovated through this program will provide increased opportunity for future economic development (as well as provide a much-needed cash stimulus to the works who, in turn, will put their new earnings back into the economy).