It would be useful to reactivate the CCC and WPA to rebuild the nation's infrastructure by executive

[CK_John]

order. I wonder if those programs are just dormant and could be reactivated or do we have to have Congress authorize them?

[GP6971]

1. My guess

is congress would have to authorize due to the huge sum of $$$$ involved

[okaawhatever]

2. Even if they were active how would they be funded? Even moving money around the budget is tough.

Money allocated to one thing can only be moved around within certain similar areas. You can't take money from the military budget and use it for CCC, for example.

That's how Congress got Obama on gitmo. He had the authority to shut it down but no money to pay for moving the prisoners.

[CK_John]

3. Maybe they should start bridge inspections and start shutting down interstate

highways, a Christie style solution.

[okaawhatever]

5. It would be interesting if someone could force Congress' hand by legally closing unsafe bridges

until they were repaired. I'd love any creative solution, as long as it's legal.........

[jwirr]

4. I would like to see this happen but the reason I think that it will not is that the wage the workers

in those camps got was very low. They got room and board plus a small wage. Today I suspect that they would want to make it a good wage at least.

However, the idea behind the camps was that works programs add to the economy when they are needed to stimulate it. Over the years we have had many works programs that paid good wages. And that is what money to build roads and bridges and other ideas is all about.

I hate to give him credit for anything but the Nixon revenue sharing programs were great works programs designed to fit the local community.

[texanwitch]

6. My Father was in the CCC's

He told me he made $30 a month.

He kept $5 and his mother was sent $25.

That was a lot of money back then.

[jwirr]

9. Yes, it was. I wonder what we would have to pay today to have the same effect? I used to work

at a museum and one of our rooms was designated for the memory of the camps around our community. Every so often one or two the men who had been in those camps would stop by to talk about it. For them it was an experience that lasted for a lifetime. I have always thought that this type of program would work especially good in our inter-cities for both a works program and to rebuild them.

[texanwitch]

12. My Father loved it.

He finished high school in the camp.

He stayed for a year and learned a trade.

I have his camp pictures.

The boys were army uniforms from WW l

He grew six inches in one year.

[ChisolmTrailDem]

13. I love stories like this =) I grew up in

a family that built ships for the Navy back during the war and long afterwards.

[texanwitch]

14. My father build liberty ships until he was drafted and choose the Navy.

He said that the boys that were in the CCC's were ready for the service.

[Gemini Cat]

11. My father was too.

The CCC was a great programme for the youth of that time period.

We need another one today.

[NaturalHigh]

17. My great-grandfather worked for the WPA.

It was a pretty good deal for a dirt-poor kid from Oklahoma.

[bravenak]

7. Need congress to fund it.

Won't happen.

[HereSince1628]

8. The anti-federalists don't want that.

They want to shrink it's value so it can be sold for pennies on the dollar. Once privatized they want subsidies and tax cuts to repair it and decades of guaranteed toll revenue/user fees to put it service.

If they can't sell access to it, you won't be allowed to have it.

[hack89]

10. The unions will oppose it

Like they did in the 20's

[CK_John]

15. Hopefully the unions have learned a few lessons since St Ronnie wiped them out.

My biggest worry would be opening it up to all genders and other groups that may not have papers.

[NaturalHigh]

16. Good question.

I suspect they would require congressional approval, though.