Not a blog but a "q-and-a" (pronounced "quanda"), this page is about the basics of economics. Its premise: there are no stupid q's. And if some a's seem dim, take heart: I can brighten them up in response to objections, corrections, refinements. Comments on posts feature yours, and my responses. Enough of you now frequent and query the quanda that I post most every day. Haven't seen your q yet? Send it again. All a's should be taken with a shaker of sodium chloride, if not a Lot's-wife's-worth. And speaking of salt, the mustache and "hair" in the photo has a lot less of that condiment, and rather more pepper, than can be seen on TV. Think of it as time travel.
Question/Comment: Paul, can you explain what "targeted jobs" are? Are these something different from the type of jobs that people are losing now? It seems to me that $30,000 spent on retaining a librarian would have the same economic benefit as spending it on a construction worker. What am I missing or is it just politics?
Paul Solman: The stimulus package needs to be sold to a skeptical public. "Targeted jobs" sounds better than "save librarians," I guess. But there's plenty of money in the stimulus for job retention. It's thought to be a harder sell and so receives less fanfare.
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What Are "Targeted Jobs"?
**Question/Comment:** Paul, can you explain what "targeted jobs" are? Are these something different from the type of jobs that people are losing now? It seems to me that $30,000 spent on retaining a librarian would have the same economic benefit as spending it on a construction worker. What am I missing or is it just politics?
**Paul Solman:** The stimulus package needs to be sold to a skeptical public. "Targeted jobs" sounds better than "save librarians," I guess. But there's plenty of money in the stimulus for job retention. It's thought to be a harder sell and so receives less fanfare.
