Letters from Berezina

Wherein are posted missives to various authors of the Word.

Tuesday, September 20, 2005

It's Not the 1970s

To: Mickey Kaus
Re: kf Looks for Heretics

Is it possible repeal of the Davis-Bacon Act was a good idea in the 1970s and a bad idea today? What are the odds the savings would go into a WPA-style program, or low-income housing, as opposed to say, helping to pay for the repeal of the Estate Tax? And would New Democrats support your spending proposals, or deficit reduction?

One problem you seem not to have gotten your head around: there's no shortage of low-wage jobs in American today, nor has there been for some time. What's lacking is sheer quantity of decent-paying jobs. Food stamps have become corporate welfare for Walmart. I'd rather eliminate them than Davis-Bacon.

Note: The extraordinary run of the Clinton-era did increase wages somewhat, but it's a tough row to hoe given high levels of immigration and the Fed's insistence that any increase in wages beyond that of productivity represents inflation (in fact, it can represent a redistribution from profits).

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