An obvious suggestion for where some stimulus dollars should be directed immediately

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

that would help in 2 ways: creating new jobs and facilitating a reformed health care system:

Right this second the government should be providing funding for current medical schools and med tech schools to enlarge and expand to increase the pool of qualified caregivers which we are going to be needing if 50 million people (thank God!) FINALLY get access to some health care. They should also license new and help fund new schools.

We're OBVIOUSLY going to need more doctors and nurses and facilities plus, former car industry folks can become radiologists, ultra sound technicians,LPNs, etc. Not just the car industry, obviously but anyone who has found themselves unemployed can be retrained for a whole slew of new jobs that will actually exist and hopefully will not be outsourced. (I know there is controversy right now about some healthcare facilities bringing in foreign nationals on work visas in order to lower the rate of current compensation -facilities that do that should be penalized in some way from federal funding or facilities that DON'T do that should be rewarded somehow.)

There should be some unified vision between HHS and Labor and the Treasury to co-ordinate programs like this.

[Donnachaidh]

1. how about giving that stimulus money to the people who are UNEMPLOYED

So they can AFFORD to get themselves re-trained? Personally, I see ads for med tech schools daily in my area -- they most certainly do NOT need more funding. But those folks who have been out of work for a year certainly do.

Let the Medical schools bear the cost of expanding their programs. Why should the taxpayer pay for something they are going to write off on their taxes anyway? We've subsidized for-profit medicine enough - give the money to the little guy. Let the organizations deal with their own crap.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

2. Yes, that certainly should be a major part of it.

I meant to put that in the OP as well, so thanks for pointing out that glaring hole.

Absolutely the government should underwrite the costs of the retraining with Pell Grants and the like that don't have to be repaid if you complete the program.

I think we're going to need both.