Nice Try Krugman: Federal Workforce is Bigger Even After All Those Census Workers Were Let Go

The chart below (found also here), from Big Government contributor Veronique de Rugy clearly shows that federal employment has grown by 98,000 jobs since the start of the recession. This bears repeating, because lefty columnist Paul Krugman is furiously spinning that the increase in employment is due to Census hiring. Krugman:

But anyone paying attention knew why public employment had risen — and it had nothing to do with Big Government. It was, instead, the fact that the federal government had to hire a lot of temporary workers to carry out the 2010 Census — workers who have almost all left the payroll now that the Census is done.

These numbers from economist de Rugy, looking at the job market since the start of the recession, are also revealing:

I see many people arguing with Krugman about stimulus (and the failure thereof) and Gov’t spending - but none use what should be an obvious argument.

Krugman and other libs say we need a new “Marshall Plan” or vast infrastructure spending, as FDR had in the 30’s.

Even IF the New Deal worked at all in this area (and it is debatable), such plans fail now - because the cost of Gov’t has become too high. In particular - look at the cost of projects in the 1920’s and 30’s - and compare them to present day dollars. For example - the Hoover Dam cost $49,000,000 to build when it started in 1931. That equals $700,000,000 today. Could a dam be built today for that amount - no way!

Same with the Lincoln Tunnel - it cost $75 million to build in 1937 - which equals about $1 billion today. For comparison - NJ just cancelled a similar (rail) tunnel which was projected to cost $9 billion.

Very simply - stimulus and keynesian economics don’t work, because the cost of Government has become too expensive.

That graph isn’t a very good one... it implies that from 1993 to the end of 2000, government employment went from 3100 to 2700 (x1000)... over 11% decline.... during the Clinton-Gore years??? that can’t be correct..

One program I’m not sure people are aware of is the contractor to civilian conversion. Zero signed and order as soon as he got into office which is mandating DoD convert contractor positions to government civilian positions. It’s increasing the workforce by a large amount.

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