A Defense Stimulus

Perhaps instead of pouring money into hundreds of liberal democratic pet projects with questionable economic impact we could have invested our resources in rebuilding America’s ailing manufacturing infrastructure.  One way to accomplish that goal would have been to pour additional resources into the Pentagon’s budget.

Case in point:

Truck maker Oshkosh Corp. last month won a $1.05 billion contract to produce military vehicles built to withstand the rugged terrain of Afghanistan. The hitch: The Pentagon wants 2,244 of them ready by year’s end.

During the boom times, such a deadline would have posed a huge challenge for Oshkosh, as truck and heavy-equipment makers world-wide struggled to find enough components, steel and skilled workers. But the recession has made things far easier.

A few weeks ago, Oshkosh held a two-day job fair at the convention center near its Oshkosh, Wis., headquarters. More than 3,000 people lined up to apply for 500 to 600 jobs. The unionized positions start at about $15 an hour and include benefits.

Another example of how government military contracts can both keep our nation safe while at the same time fuel an economic turnaround is the F-22, despite the controversy:

So Pratt officials are trying to impress upon congressional supporters that lots of Connecticut jobs depend on the F-22 Raptor — between 2,000 and 3,000, mostly at United Technologies Corp. UTC Chief Executive Louis Chenevert said recently. Pratt, of East Hartford, is a division of Hartford-based UTC.

The defense industry in this country employs hundreds of thousands of people in well paying, blue and white collar jobs.  This is where Congress should put our money.