Responding to the notion that investment in infrastructure won’t bring the same kind of return as investment in schools Matthew Yglesias writes:
This is largely independent of the stimulus question, but insofar as we’re looking to spend money it definitely makes sense to find smart ways to use stimulus funds to kick-start some of the needed activity. That’s not to deny the importance of education. Rather, smart investments in education are in exactly the same basket as smart investments in physical infrastructure—both will help the country enormously over the long-run.
I think he nails it here. As big of a proponent for education that I am (after all, I do want to teach) it simply doesn’t make sense to argue that infrastructure improvements don’t bring long-term benefits to the economy.
Link via Matthew Yglesias » The Enduring Impact of a Bridge .