Well spent stimulus funds...

[Jayhawkk]

Stimulus to pay for anti-suicide fence in Ohio - wtop.com

AKRON, Ohio (AP) - An Ohio city plans to use federal stimulus money to install fencing on a bridge to keep people from jumping to their deaths.

One person has committed suicide this year from Akron's All-America Bridge. Two did last year.

A father of a suicide victim is praising the decision to add the fence, at a cost of up to $1.5 million. Robert Conley says it might have stopped his son Kevin from killing himself in 2006.

Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic (pluhs-KWEHL'-ihk) notes that the government now requires new bridges to have fencing.

Akron is receiving a total of $21 million for road and bridge projects from the federal program intended to create jobs and stimulate the economy

 

[MrBigPR]

Id like to see a picture of that.

 

[AE14]

you gotta love this. Well spent cash

 

[Jayhawkk]

It makes no sense, where does this stimulate anything other than some fence builders... If you want to build an expensive fence I have a few other ideas that would probably yield better results... Why would you invest over a million dollars to prevent people from jumping from a bridge to kill themselves??


****ing boggles the imagination.

 

[dpfisher]

Seems like it would only stop fat people since anyone else could climb the fence.

 

[RobInKuwait]

It makes no sense, where does this stimulate anything other than some fence builders... If you want to build an expensive fence I have a few other ideas that would probably yield better results... Why would you invest over a million dollars to prevent people from jumping from a bridge to kill themselves??


****ing boggles the imagination.

The whole stimulus package is based on faulty economic logic: the Keynesian multiplier. The Keynesian multiplier basically says that 1+1=3.....ie 1 dollar spent by the public sector increases the velocity of money and "primes the pump". The problem with this theory is that it is based on two faulty assumptions:

1. that government spending does not inhibit private sector spending. If the government taxes, that is taking capital out of the economy. If the government borrows money, that is taking away capital that could have been spent on the private. A dollar is a dollar, no matter who spends it.

2. that government spends money more efficiently than the private sector. Do I need to even argue this point?

Now an economy like china for instance can benefit from a stimulus for two reasons:

1. they have room to grow on infrastructure compared to the already developed US.

2. They're spending government surpluses, not government deficits.

 

[DT5]

oh so your an economist? wow thats cool

 

[RobInKuwait]

oh so your an economist? wow thats cool

Well, I've been doing a lot of reading on economics and the theories behind it, I would not call myself an economist by any stretch. Many of the conversations I had with Mulletsoldier on this site got me interested in economics.

 

[saludable24]

If stimulus money is spent on ANY fencing it should be for the freaking BORDER FENCE to the south. And as unfortunate if someone is determined to off themselves like that, they will go find another bridge or some other way.

 

[Jayhawkk]

oh so your an economist? wow thats cool

So not being an economist makes it impossible to have an opinion all of a sudden? I guess since we're not politicians we shouldn't have an opinion in politics either...



STOP ALL DISCUSSION!!!!!!!

:crackhead:

 

[crader]

Wont they just find another bridge?

 

[Jayhawkk]

Maybe that will be A Bridge Too far!

 

[EasyEJL]

Why would you invest over a million dollars to prevent people from jumping from a bridge to kill themselves??

because you are a democrat and can get positive tv media coverage for building it.

 

[RobInKuwait]

So not being an economist makes it impossible to have an opinion all of a sudden? I guess since we're not politicians we shouldn't have an opinion in politics either...



STOP ALL DISCUSSION!!!!!!!

:crackhead:

Heh, I didn't realize he was being sarcastic. :laugh:

 

[heywood]

Yeah, I ran into this when I lived in Marin County, CA...I wanted to ride my bicycle into SF to see a friend's show but didn't realize that the walkway on the GG bridge is closed at 8:30 or 9pm to pedestrian/cyclist traffic WTF??? There is no public transport over the bridge at this time of night except the bus which almost never runs at night...f***ing overly liberal f***heads! What they're trying to say is that as a ped./cyclist you are not a citizen in this case.

Trying to keep people from offing themselves is absolutely the stupidest thing I can fathom: if somebody wants to commit their body to the deep, I may try to talk to them but setting up automatic gates to shut off a bridge from ped. traffic is rather insulting to the public.

 

[Iron Warrior]

My goodness, how will they prevent someone from blasting their brains or inhaling fumes in a garage ! I don't know what they would even spend on suicide prevention since a real suicidal person will find a way. I guess they can always spend the $$$ on worse things like preaching abstinence LOL.

 

[BabyHulk]

That was one earmark out of probably 1000+ in this SPENDING bill...I don't consider it a stimulus.

 

[mrman]

wow just wow a fence

 

[jarhead]

I wish I could say I was suprised. That's our gubment for ya. Please protect us from ourselves with our own money Mr. Politician!

 

[Troymm]

money spent